Megan and Rebecca Lovell have been touring musicians since they were teenagers, first performing with their older sister Jessica as the bluegrass group The Lovell Sisters. In 2005, the Lovells appeared on the syndicated radio program A Prairie Home Companion and won the show’s Teen Talent contest.
Their parents got them involved with music as children, enrolling them in classical violin lessons at age 3 and 4. But, Megan said, “When we heard bluegrass music for the first time, something really clicked. The idea of being able to improvise and write our own songs, that sparked something inside us.”
So, they traded their violins for mandolin and dobro and started making music together as The Lovell Sisters. Then in 2010, when Jessica left the touring life, Megan and Rebecca regrouped with a new name and new sound. Larkin Poe was born, with Rebecca moving to guitar and Megan to lap steel guitar. They broadened their reach with an engaging YouTube channel, often mixing in Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers with modern versions of blues classics. And they toured constantly, relying on the idealism of youth to see them through numerous obstacles.
Now, with another 15 years of performing experience and eight studio albums, the sisters have become formidable songwriters, winning a Grammy Award in 2024 for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Blood Harmony.
Asked if there was a through line that connects bluegrass to blues and rock, Rebecca emphatically said “yes!”
"I’m not a music historian…but the blues is the bedrock and foundation on which all popular culture is built. And I think being able to have grown up playing bluegrass and developing an appreciation for a traditional genre from a very young age really primed us to have an interest to go back and study where American music has come from,” she said.
Rebecca said they’ve learned a lot and credits the music of Son House and Skip James leading to some real “aha!” moments as musicians.
“The beauty of a human voice and the skills of an acoustic guitar can blow your mind. So, I do believe there is a collective root from which everything has grown," she said.
After some frustrating encounters working with outside producers, the pair came to a pivotal moment, and in 2017 started their own record label, Tricki-woo.
“So now we record ourselves and produce ourselves, at Rebecca and her husband's [Tyler Bryant] home studio," Megan said.
“Being able to have complete creative control, being able to turn inward, it’s a feat. It’s hard to have perspective on yourself as an artist,” Rebecca said. “And for the first couple of records that we made I don’t necessarily think we did the best job. But we were learning…we were interested in being able to accrue a wider and more diverse toolbox. And that’s served us so well.”
“I think it’s the key to having a career with longevity,” Megan added.
“It means really getting in the trenches and learning how to be connected to every part of your journey. It’s harder and there’s a lot more pressure, but I think in the long run it’s really fulfilling.”
Larkin Poe visited KNKX in the middle of a U.S. tour, during a stop at The Showbox in Seattle, celebrating their new album Bloom. They played three duo versions of original songs from the album.
This summer they are looking forward to playing with one of their idols, Sheryl Crow, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Rebecca is expecting a baby in August and then after a two-month break, the sisters will be off on a six-week tour of Europe, with the newest member of the Lovell family along for the ride.
Musicians:
- Rebecca Lovell - Vocals, acoustic guitar
- Megan Lovell - Vocals, lap steel guitar
Songs:
- Little Bit
- If God Is a Woman
- Mockingbird
