The Staves are three sisters from Watford who share good genes, a cumbrous surname – Staveley-Taylor – and a mischievous sense of humour. As they celebrate the end of a short UK tour, oldest sibling Emily admits she “stole” copies of their new EP, The Blood I Bled, to sell at the gig, prompting the youngest, Camilla, to remind the sold-out crowd they still have to buy them. Middle child Jessica ponders missed merchandising opportunities: “We wanted to get plasters ready,” she says. “There was also a discussion about tampons.”
The folk trio’s perfect three-part harmonies made their 2012 debut, Dead & Born & Grown, stand out from the glut of post-Mumfords twiddly-dee. But as the Staves dive straight into the EP’s haunting title track, it’s clear their subtle sparseness has undergone a bold change courtesy of new producer, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon.
British whimsy has been stripped away in favour of feisty Americana; the harmonies are less polite and more passionate. A fevered rhythm propels Steady and a chiming melody winds its way through Black & White, the band’s warm sound fleshed out by a three-piece band. But the sisters don’t slack on instrumentation either. As guitar-toting Jessica points out, Emily plays “a million things” including a squeezebox and percussion, while Camilla strums a ukulele.
Their individual voices are equally resonant. Camilla’s feathery folk vocals are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, while Jessica has a soulful pop larynx that, on Open, recalls Aimee Mann. Emily adds a country feel to Pay Us No Mind, before the sisters cascade over Make It Holy.
The chilly, spooky midwestern feel is, however, ultimately chased away by the Staves’ sunny, down-to-earth personalities. They joke that Don’t Call was inspired by Camilla’s relationship with a cold caller – “that’s how we knew she did have an accident in the last six months”, quips Jessica – and that Teeth White is an ode to dentistry. But as the last, sweet notes of Winter Trees linger, it’s the sisters’ copious talent, not their comedy, that leaves the crowd smiling.
• At 02 Academy Bristol on 12 December. Box office: 0117-927 9227. Then touring.
