Mulberry Lane: Music that's All in the Family by David Chiu

Mulberry Lane are one of a kind in that they are a pop group which doesn't rely on gimmickry, hype, or pandering to draw attention to themselves. They do that by the sheer power of their voice. The talents of these four young sisters from Omaha, Nebraska lie in their ability to project their unique vocal harmonies. In the case of Mulberry Lane, it is not about sibling rivalry-it's about making music from the heart.

"We all collaborate on the songs together," said Heather of Mulberry Lane. She and her sister Allie were both in Albany, NY doing this interview via phone. "One person brings an idea and we'll all work on it. By the time a song is done, it usually has a piece of each of us in it."

The sisters-Heather, Allie, Jaymie, and Rachel-sang, wrote, arranged, and co-produced their debut Run Your Own Race, a feat that is rare for an emerging pop band. It follows up their successful 1998 independent album Don't Cry 'Til You Get In The Car . It topped sales of 10,000 and helped the group sign with to MCA ."We have a home studio where we produced, wrote, premiered, and distributed [Don't Cry...] all by ourselves out of Omaha, Nebraska," said Allie. "We come from an independent background so we're kind of used to doing things ourselves."

Run''s catchy single "Harmless" has been played regularly on radio and they have their own website (www.mulberrylane.com). Sweet and cordial during the interview, Heather and Allie pointed out that their strengths lies in unity in the music and as sisters which accounted for their gradual climb to success. It also can be said of the way on how they create music by taking an active role in the production. The group mixes folk's earnestness with pop. How many acts would feature the sound of mandolin and drum loops? It's good-natured music that is genuine when dealing with matters of the heart. "I Believe It's Love" and "Just One Breath" are upbeat relationship songs; "I Don't Love You" is about love gone awry; "Crisis Line" and "Jeremiah" are soul-searching numbers; and "Sisters Care" is a fitting closer that is autobiographical as it is about female bonding in general. Of the latter song, Allie said, "We wrote about the bond that we share. It's the kind of bond that a lot of best friends share and people can relate to it."

"For the most part, our songwriting sessions are almost like group
therapy because we all talk about relationships and what's going on in our personal lives," said Heather.

Equally important is the women's gorgeous voices and lush harmonies which recall the harmony groups twenty years earlier. "We really like the Bangles and the harmonies of Boyz II Men," said Allie. "We like the songwriting of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp." Added Heather, "And the harmony groups such as the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac."

Growing up in Omaha, Heather, Allie, Jaymie, and Rachel, were raised in a household where music took center stage (their mother was a professional jazz singer). From an early age, they sang at clubs while honing their vocal and songwriting skills. "Music was always a big part of our lives because we were always listening to it and singing it in the car," said Heather. "It was kind of a noisy household growing up."

They performed mainly in the Midwest and by that time had 200 original songs to their credit. Playing to audiences honed their performing skills which includes being personable to the audience. "We talk a lot to the audience and just interact with each other and with the audience," said Allie. "That's one of our favorite things to do-you kind of get to know the different audiences through that. We're not one of those girl groups that dance all around the stage. We're just about the music."

One question was posed on whether it was difficult to duplicate the harmonies live as opposed to the harmonies on record. "Actually, a lot of what we recorded was just us singing it live," said Heather. "When we went around on our promotional tour to radio stations, we would sing live on the air with an acoustic guitar. A lot of times, people will call in and say they had a hard time believing that it was live."

Despite the experiences these women have in terms of recording and playing to audiences, they are still relatively newcomers to the music scene. "I've learned that when the record was done," said Allie, "and we were on our promotional tour and singing for a lot of big executives, at first you know you got to do a good job tonight because it's really important. The pressure can get to you and you kind of forget that the people in the important positions are just normal people. People have that same common denominator of being a real person."

Showing that they can make music together harmoniously, what about their relationship with each other? Has there been sibling rivalry that has been synonymous with the Davies brothers of the Kinks and the Gallagher brothers of Oasis? "Inevitably we all have our fights and our problems, but I say the thing that ties us together is the music," said Allie.

"We've been able to resolve a lot of our problems," pointed out Heather. "We can never perform when we are in a fight because it makes for a really bad show. No matter what happens to us during the day, before we go on-stage, we tell each other we're sorry."

Whatever happens throughout their young careers, Mulberry Lane's future lies in their creating their unique brand of appealing pop in their own special way. "For us," said Heather, "we really just love singing together and making music and so that to me our goal is to keep doing what we love."