Quebe Sisters Plan New Direction for Upcoming Self-Titled Record
For over 15 years, the sister trio of Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe have been doing their part and more to preserve the proud traditions of Western Swing music through an era where it seems like the discipline is more often forgotten than not. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a throwback bluegrass band or a festival to support them, but Western Swing has been sort of the forgotten art form of early country music, despite its opportunity to showcase musicianship, songwriting, and to send dancers twirling as good or better than any other style of country.
Now after being a conduit for many to see the timeless value in Western Swing, and performing many of the subgenre’s classics for appreciative fans, The Quebe Sisters are looking to do something a little different with their upcoming self-titled album due out September 20th.
“This album represents a new phase of our band and the start of a new direction for us,” the Quebe Sisters say. “In a lot of ways, the process of making this album felt like starting over; deconstructing what we knew about music and then trying to put it back together again. That’s the primary reason why we felt a self-titled album would be appropriate.”
Based in Dallas, TX, the trio have brought their three-part sisters harmonies and triple fiddles to appreciative fans all across North America, Europe, and even to Russia and other unique ports of call. But instead of just trying to just preserve Western Swing, they’re looking to move it forward with the new album.
“We differentiate our music as ‘Progressive Western Swing’ from simply ‘Western Swing’ because we aren’t trying to sound just like Bob Wills,” Grace Quebe explains. “Instead, we continue his vision, playing the style he pioneered in an authentic way by incorporating new genres and songs, interpreting them using our own unique voice through country instrumentation. To us, preserving the tradition of Western Swing isn’t about keeping something alive like a relic. Western Swing has always been about innovation.”
But don’t worry, The Quebe Sisters won’t be going all hip-hop or EDM on us with what will be their 4th album. A teaser video for the new record (see below) underscores that the classic sound and three part harmonies will still be the cornerstone of their music. But out of respect for the hard line Western Swing aficionados out there, they felt the need to be honest and up front about their intentions to not release a dyed-in-the-wool, straightforward Western Swing record, while at the same time answering some of the calls over the years for the sisters to strike out in a more original direction.
Whatever you want to call it, if The Quebe Sisters are involved, it’s likely to be classic, and quality.
John R Baker
August 10, 2019 @ 9:57 am
I hadn’t heard of them before but it sure sounds great.
Corncaster
August 10, 2019 @ 10:46 am
Superlatives.
Robert's Country Blog
August 10, 2019 @ 10:55 am
There’s a good chance I will see them the first day of Americanafest next month. They play after Alice Wallace and Big Cedar Fever and before Tami Neilson.
Janice brooks
August 10, 2019 @ 12:28 pm
Plenty of room on the Bus of Real Country. Lets get them to Memphis or Ft Worth for the Awards
wayne
August 10, 2019 @ 4:52 pm
Supremely talented. The only negative is I can remember listeing and watching them when they were barely teens, if even thst. Father time marches on.
wayne
August 10, 2019 @ 4:53 pm
Stupid spell check.
Rick
August 10, 2019 @ 8:12 pm
Starting in the mid 2000’s the Quebe Sisters became frequent performers each April at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival held at Gene Autry’s old Melody Ranch movie studio lot. After their sets I always had a good time chatting with the gals and their teacher/overseer/manager Joey McKenzie who now leads The Western Flyers western swing band. I once asked the youngest Hulda what type of music the sisters liked before requesting that Joey teach them how to play fiddle and she said they really didn’t listen to music at all! They were blank slates and Joey taught them classic western swing and swing songs as the foundation of their new musical knowledge and it has served them very well ever since as the musical roots of their raisin’ run deep. At first they didn’t want to sing but I’m sure glad Joey eventually coaxed them into it! When they would perform on the Marty Stuart show both Marty and Eddie Stubbs wanted to adopt them as their own! (lol)
OlaR
August 11, 2019 @ 5:42 am
Bought the 2014 album Every Which-A-Way a couple of minutes ago.
Perfect music to start a day, get out of the bed, to clean the house & sing along.
Kevin Smith
August 11, 2019 @ 10:24 am
These gals are special. Ray Benson and Asleep At The Wheel have been promoting them for quite some time, playing gigs with them. They’ve been on Austin City Limits with Ray as well. Love western swing and I’m fine with them expanding their sound as well. Rock on ladies, Rock on…
Woogeroo
August 12, 2019 @ 8:35 am
just went to look them up on youtube, what a sound! I never heard of them before… thanks Trigger.
T-grondo
August 12, 2019 @ 1:56 pm
If the video above is an indication, they are going more Jazz…(and that’s good).
Glad they aren’t trying for more of a rock sound, there are PLENTY of bands doing that.
Luke
August 12, 2019 @ 3:22 pm
Really enjoyed them on Kacey’s Christmas album, so looking forward to checking this new one out.
Shastacatfish
August 12, 2019 @ 4:43 pm
I thought their collaboration with Ray Benson on Navajo Trail was the best version of that song.
I sure this is not a deviation like Dan Tyminski’s Southern Gothic. Not sure why I thought of that turd, other than it was preceded by similar language.
Eduardo Vargas
August 14, 2019 @ 7:32 pm
Maybe taking some inspiration from the Andrew Sisters?
russ & jeanette taylor
September 7, 2019 @ 7:42 pm
Great natural, intuitive,sibling harmony and timing.
We first saw them on the boob tube/ronnie reno show on rfdtv.
God save rural free delivery TV and our original American musical roots.