Filé

Filé delivers the traditional Cajun sounds of Southwest Louisiana with lively exuberance and rhythms that spur dancing. Although accordionist, percussionist, and lead singer Ward Lormand and bassist, acoustic guitarist, and vocalist Kevin Shearin remain the sole founding members, the ensemble sustains the vigorous drive that marked its earliest shows.

Lormand and Shearin began collaborating in 1980 within the Cajun group Cush-Cush. Growing up inside his father’s bar in the French-speaking prairie town of Ossun, northwest of Lafayette, Lormand has performed vocals and drums since boyhood. Shearin, originally from New York’s Catskill Mountains, had already performed bass in many ensembles before relocating to Louisiana.

Peter Stevens, whose background includes bluegrass and country-rock outfits across the Appalachian region during the 1970s, contributed drums, washboard, spoons, and bones to Filé’s debut recording, Live at Mulate’s, issued in 1985. D’Jamla Garnier and David Egan became the latest members when they entered the lineup in the early 1990s. Born in St. Paul, MN, Garnier acquired his passion for Cajun music from his Creole father; after completing studies in composition, arranging, and orchestration under Lyle “Spud” Murphy, he applied a Texas Folk Life Resources grant to train in Creole fiddling with Canray Fontenot, and he supplies fiddle, guitar, tenor banjo, and vocals. Egan, raised in Shreveport, LA, earned a music degree from North Texas State College; he had played keyboards with the swamp R&B ensemble A-Train and spent three years in Jo-El Sonnier’s band before arriving in Filé in 1991.

Although the musicians first aimed to revive authentic Cajun repertoire, they have steadily blended influences from R&B, Dixieland jazz, rock, zydeco, and Creole lala. Their 1996 release, La Vie Marron, climbed to number 18 on the Gavin Americana chart.