Tres Chicas

The alternative country trio Tres Chicas formed when three women drawn together by longstanding friendship and admiration for one another’s voices began collaborating in early 1999. Raleigh, NC-based vocalists Lynn Blakey (Glory Fountain, Let's Active, Oh-OK), Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown), and Tonya Lamm (Hazeldine), each an established musician, blended their sweet vocal harmonies with country, folk, and rock textures. Their first public performance occurred during an impromptu late-night singalong following Alejandro Escovedo’s concert at a Raleigh bar, where audience reaction immediately signaled the trio’s promise. At their initial club appearance the venue’s owner spontaneously named the previously untitled group Tres Chicas, a label that endured. The singers continued performing locally for enjoyment over several years before carving out time to document their material, initially viewing the sessions as archival rather than commercial. Producer and acquaintance Chris Stamey encouraged a broader release, leading Yep Roc to issue the debut album Sweetwater in 2004, which earned widespread critical praise. Subsequent live dates, among them a 2005 European tour, preceded a return to recording. Captured in London with a core band, numerous guest musicians, and producers Neil Brockbank and Robert Trehern, the follow-up Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl surfaced in March 2006.