On Bridget and Dahlia's album Runaways, west meets east
Have a First Listen to Runaways by Bridget and Dahlia
Bridget and Dahlia are still teenagers, but they are seasoned and busy musical performers on Newfoundland`s west coast.
They were so busy, they never considered recording a full-length album, until they met a well-known St. John's singer/songwriter at a west coast music conference for young people.
"We were just writing songs for fun," said Dahlia Waller.
"And we met [singer/songwriter] Steve Maloney and he was really interested in recording them for us."
I don't think anything would get in the way of us continuing to do music.- Bridget Swift
Waller and Bridget Swift met in their early teens, while taking part in a children's production with Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador.
They bonded over their love of creating original music and singing in harmony, formed a duo called Bridget and Dahlia, and by the time they were in high school, they had recorded a two-track demo EP.
Two-coast recording
For Runaways, their full-length album, the teenagers recorded their vocals over a sparse backing track at St. Patrick's Church in Woody Point.
Then, over several months, Maloney and producer/musician Romesh Thavanathan in St. John's added more instrumental tracks, incorporating seasoned St. John's musicians into the mix.
"All this time we were back in Corner Brook, doing school," said Swift.
"And once in a while, we would get this email with new things coming into the songs. It was amazing to keep watching the songs build and build and build."
Bridget and Dahlia talk Runaways with Weekend AM's Heather Barrett:
Where to next?
Swift and Waller graduated from high school in June of this year, and they're spending a gap year in Corner Brook, figuring out what they want to do next.
The future of Bridget and Dahlia as a musical duo is unclear.
Both young women think they will eventually leave Newfoundland for post-secondary education and other adventures, but they said Corner Brook will always be their home base.
"I think any time we're going to be here together in Corner Brook, we're going to keep writing, and keep performing shows as much as possible," said Swift.
"I don't think anything would get in the way of us continuing to do music."
Do you have a new album of music that Weekend AM should know about for First Listen? Email us, wam@cbc.ca, and tell us about it.
You can hear First Listen on Sundays on Weekend AM from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in most of Labrador) on CBC Radio One.
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