We sat down with Aidan, Luc and their dad/guitarist Robert about growing up as musicians, their long list of career highlights and how rapper Flo Rida helped sparked the musical bug in the young duo.
You guys have basically been doing music your whole life. What has it been like growing up with that?
Aidan: When we were younger, like at three years old, we were enrolled in fiddling lessons, and I feel like it's made it a lot easier to learn other things, like other music and school, seems to be a lot easier.
Robert, were you into fiddling as well? Is that how they got into it?
Robert: No, but I've been a guitar player for most of my life. I also played the banjo. I've been playing that for about 20 years now. I play a little bit of mandolin as well, but the fiddle came along when my mother-in-law enrolled them in lessons. She's Métis and she wanted them to learn about their Métis culture, and music was a really good way to do that. So, she's the one that got them started.
Can you talk about how you came up with your style because you incorporate a few different instruments?
Luc: We usually play Métis fiddle music, and sometimes we'll sing songs that we'd see on YouTube or in movies.
Robert: If these guys find a song they like we’ll usually learn it and then incorporate the two fiddles and the guitar. Sometimes they'll just sing it and I'll play guitar. Other times, if there is a fiddle, we'll try to learn those parts. In the last couple of years, we've added the kick drum. I'll play the kick drum with the guitar just to give it a little something.
Aidan: We learned to sing before we could talk. When we were younger there was this song, I can't remember what it was called.
Robert: Oh, the 'apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur.'
That was the first song they learned? Oh that's funny.
Robert: I think it was the 'low, low low' part.
Luc: Yeah, we'd always sing along to that.
Robert: Before they could talk, they were singing along to the radio and they learned that [song] pretty early on. Then "Hey There Delilah" was the first song they learned to sing completely. They had memorized the whole song and performed it at the Folk Exchange when they were four years old.
You guys started when you were young, and you've already done so much, what are some of your favourite highlights so far?
Aidan: My favourite highlights are the trips and the places we get to go to. Because of music, we've been able to go to Churchill twice, Calgary for the Maple Sugar Festival, and Minnesota. We've been to Banff, Jasper for a Mini Tour and all sorts of places.
Luc: I think my favourite was when we played the Maple Sugar Festival in Calgary because it was a huge festival in the Heritage Park and then right after we drove to Banff to do some snowboarding.
Robert: That was a big highlight for sure. I think one of my highlights was when we auditioned for Trout Forest Music Festival. They have these regional auditions, and we did that at The Bella Vista. They auditioned, stayed up past their bedtime. They won the regional auditions when they were 9 years old, so we got to perform in Ontario at Trout Forest.
It's kind of amazing knowing that you've already accomplished so much. It must be exciting to see what's going to happen once you get older and keep progressing.
Robert: Yeah, we're always learning new songs and looking for new songs that appeal to what we're trying to project. We're trying to find more French songs because they're bilingual as well as being Indigenous. I think that would open a few doors too.
Aidan: My brother and I, we started another band with one of our friends. I play guitar and sing; Luc plays drums, and we have our friend who backs us up with the bass. We've had two shows, and they were both at our school. We're hoping to get a little bigger and try to learn more tunes with that band. We're thinking of having a mini-concert at the Park Theatre one day.
For those who haven't seen you perform yet, what can they expect when they see you at Harvest Sun?
Robert: We're going to play some original music and some Metis fiddle tunes. We just learned Orange Blossom Special. It's kind of the one tune for fiddle players that people want to hear.
Aidan: We learned it for the Indspire Awards that we played at a few months ago.
Robert: And Juno-nominated Indian City was backing them up. That was a really exciting experience for these guys because it was a huge national awards show. The Indspire Awards, they honour and award Indigenous people in different categories and for standing out in their communities for doing good work.
Luc and Aidan were asked to be part of this finale at the end of the show. It was cool because there was about three days of rehearsals. They had a handler that was looking after them. They had their own dressing room. They were being spoiled with food and hair and wardrobe people, so they got the whole experience.
Why do you think something like Harvest Sun is so important for Manitoba artists, particularly?
Aidan: It could be a starting point for newer bands. Instead of just having the big mainstream festivals like Folk Fest, there are other smaller festivals and you can build your way up. I like the idea because then you don't have just one big festival. Now, you have the other festivals, and they're always so fun.
Catch Double The Trouble at The Harvest Sun Music Festival in Kelwood, MB - August 17 - 19th. Early bird tickets are available until July 15.
Follow Double The Trouble on Facebook, on Instagram and on their official website.
Be sure to check out @harvestsunmusicfest on Instagram on July 11th, as Double the Trouble takes over our account for the day!
Janet Adamana is the Founder/Editor-In-Chief of Sound, Phrase & Fury Magazine - a Winnipeg-based digital publication dedicated to promoting independent artists and industry professionals from all over the world. More than just about inciting hype, she interviews/writes to capture an artists’ essence and their greatest passions to ignite meaningful connections between fans and really great bands.