The Laws
Biography
It’s not surprising John and Michele Law kick off their sixth album Try Love (out January 23, 2011) with the line ‘I believe in love at first sight,’ as the album marks The Laws’ 10 years and one million miles on the road as a couple. “It was actually love at first height,” they kid. The song is also the perfect introduction to the grassy folk-duo’s essence, “we are a happy positive couple and we love playing music together” — which they’ve been doing since releasing their first album 2000 and ambitiously touring over 200 dates a year both in the US and Canada. The couple recorded their tight harmony singing in one take with producer J.P. Cormier, whose musicianship embellished the songs of Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Charlie Louvin and Vince Gill on recordings as well as on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Try Love is a melodic collection of country-folk with bluegrass hints, healthily supplied with pop sounding verses and intricate picking. “It captures The Laws sound like no other. We recorded in a room overlooking the ocean in Cape Breton.” It’s not hard to imagine them singing to sunset and waves while listening to the fully harmonic title track, a response to “the depressing and negative news on television. We had to write a positive song and send a little love out to the world.”
They have fun on “Who’s Keeping Score,” a swingy 2-step about a guy who keeps picking the wrong woman. “We have a great friend who falls in love all of the time! He calls us regularly to tell us ‘this is the one,’ but finds out a month later that ‘the one’ has a few problems or a husband. He stays positive and laughs it off and we tell him that we’re not keeping score.”
Elsewhere The Laws pick up a more poignant writing theme, on the rough times in marriage with “Walking Away.” Or “Same Rain” about being separated from the one you love — Michele and John swapping verses in front of a rolling banjo and keyboard that would sound at home on country radio.
While John has always played music professionally, it wasn’t until meeting him that Michele picked up the guitar. “I had always been musically inclined and sang often, and then I met John and knew we were to make music together and hopefully be able to make it a career,” shares Michele. They came up with a five-year plan in the late 90s. “But we’d have jams and everyone there was a guitar player, so I switched to bass. As it turns out, I became the third chick bass player in my family.”
John and Michele officially became “The Laws” after touring and recording with numerous artists as back-up singers and players. “People kept telling us that we had something special on stage together, that we should start writing our own songs and doing our own shows. We hadn’t really taken it seriously until one day we woke up and wrote 2 songs before breakfast….we were hooked!”
They released their first album Estimated Time of Revival in 2000, recorded at Randy Bachman’s studio, and in the ensuing three years they worked in Canada and Australia before heading to the US to tour in 2003. Two more studio albums and a live album were released between 2003 and 2006. The two spent as much time as possible writing and co-writing in Nashville and moved there for a year.
In 2007 they became first Canadians to win Merlefest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, a launching pad for previous winners Gillian Welch and Tift Merritt. As well, the duo were inspired to see their heroes play live – John, was struck by Doc Watson’s picking, and Michele started playing electric bass after hearing T. Michael Coleman with the Seldom Scene – and brought those inspirations to Try Love.
Also in 2007, they released their most successful album Ride It Out produced by hit songwriter Regie Hamm, and they became quickly known as the best duo out of Canada since Ian and Sylvia. “Their vocal harmonies recall the Everly Brothers in their prime. Yes, the harmonies are really that good,” said Music Row Magazine. While The Tennessean said their voices were “a deeply affecting blend that harks back to the impeccable like of Davis Sisters and Delmore Brothers.” The success of the record led to a songwriting deal and a feature on the PBS series, “Legends and Lyrics.”
The Laws share another one of their joys with their fans — bringing cooking on the road with them with some shows that are one part cooking workshop and one part music. They have released one cookbook, and have appeared on numerous cooking shows, and featured on Canada’s top entertainment show.
This is what folks are saying about The Laws:
“ …. recalls The Everly Brothers in their prime. Yes, the harmonies really are that good.”
- Robert Oermann, Music Row Magazine, Nashville, TN“The Laws invaded Flint last Friday and conquered the hearts of every folk music fan there. An evening of great original music and stories ended all too soon, with folks saying “Man, you have to have them back!”"
- Ron Woods, Flint Folk Music Society, Flint, Michigan
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