While there’s no set formula for what makes a musical collaboration work, captivating harmonies anchored by heartfelt songwriting is an essential building block.
Since coming together in 2007 to form Good Lovelies, Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough, and Susan Passmore have brought their perfectly harmonized sound to the fore, much to the delight of audiences worldwide who remain captivated by what is a feast for the ears.
Blending warmth, honesty, humour, and superb musicianship into their live performance, Good Lovelies returns to Del Crary Park on Saturday (July 4) to headline Peterborough Musicfest.
Admission is free to the 8 p.m. concert thanks to multiple sponsors including kawarthaNOW.
Good Lovelies arrive in Peterborough in the wake of their two most recent albums, 2023’s We Will Never Be The Same and 2024’s Penny Penguin (featuring singer-songwriter and author Raffi) and in advance of a celebratory anniversary concert on December 17 at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall — 20 years to the day when the three then-solo artists came together for the first time to perform at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel,
That debut was so well-received that Brooks, Ough, and Passmore opted to explore what it could lead to. The answer came in 2007 with the release of the debut EP Oh My. Two years later, the trio’s self-titled debut album received strong reviews and subsequent critical acclaim in the form of a 2010 Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year – Group.
Four studio albums and two Christmas-themed releases have followed, as has extensive touring that has taken Good Lovelies across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. The trio’s signature harmonies and lyrics that explore the complexities of life, love, change and self-discovery have remained the constant through that journey, with We Will Never be The Same marking a return to the band’s acoustic roots.
VIDEO: “Lie Down” – Good Lovelies (2009)
In early October 2019 — five years after their Musicfest debut — Good Lovelies performed to a sold-out audience at Peterborough’s Market Hall. Prior to that performance, kawarthaNOW chatted with Brooks about the trio’s dynamic, their music, their strong following, and their widely quoted reputation as one of Canada’s most beloved folk-pop acts.
“I’m married and have an amazing husband, but I also have this other marriage with my two best friends and we have this incredible partnership,” said the Whitby native of her bandmates (Ough is from Port Hope and Passmore is from Cobourg), adding “There are ups and downs, but we feel really blessed together.”
“Our goal is to have people feel they were just in somebody’s living room. Whether we’re playing to 50 people or 1,000 people, we have a goal to make everyone comfortable. That’s a big part of what we do and that resonates with people.”
“It’s not a showy show. It’s a show of great music. We tell a lot of stories and there’s a lot of humour. The pay-off is at the merchandise table later with the smiles and people saying ‘Thank you, I needed this.'”
While grateful for the Juno award recognition, and the springboard it gave to what followed, Brooks maintains the trio would have continued along the same trajectory.
“It was an incredible experience but accolades, at the end of the day, are accolades. They don’t tell the whole story.”
VIDEO: “I See Gold” – Good Lovelies (2017)
At the centre of that “whole story,” noted Brooks, is “an incredible partnership. Everything we do is 33.3 per cent (each). It’s not really a Good Lovelies song until we have all put our stamp on it.”
“A band may have a sort of musical charisma that is unstoppable, but if you don’t get along as people that band won’t go anywhere. We’re lucky because our voices mix so beautifully; we have this blend. It’s almost like singing with sisters. Our voices independently are so different but when we sing together, it fits so well. That is magical in itself.”
Brooks assessed a key to their success is rooted in “the blending of (music) genres happening.”
“There are still lots of protest songs being written, but I don’t know if we can use the term ‘folk music’ in the same way anymore. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. We are not considered roots, but we’re not considered pop. The lines are blurring. I’m excited about what’s happening and feel very positive.”
While not in possession of a crystal ball, Brooks made a bold prediction at the time; a foretelling that, seven years later, has held true.
“I don’t think Good Lovelies is a band that will ever break up. If anything we would take a little pause and maybe focus on our once-a-year Christmas tour for a few years, but we’re in it for the long haul.”
The trio did in fact take a sabbatical from touring for most of 2025, coming together again last December for their annual Christmas tour, which included a stop at Peterborough’s Showplace Performance Centre for the second year in a row.
VIDEO: “Tip To Toe” – Good Lovelies (2023)
Meanwhile, to satisfy the curiosity that’s often connected to a band’s name, a check of Good Lovelies’ website provides an answer, and speaks to each member’s penchant for interspersing a little fun in the mix.
“We wish this was a more exciting answer, like Horribly Awfuls was already taken, but in fact, Good Lovelies was the name Sue chose to present our first show, not knowing at the time that she had named our band forever.”
Prior to Good Lovelies taking the stage in Del Crary Park at 8 p.m., Musicfest’s Future Sound Series will see Ty Wilson perform from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. near the food trucks at the George Street entrance to the park. The Peterborough alt-country singer-songwriter just released his debut album Northern Heart, Southern Soul.
Peterborough Musicfest is presenting 16 free-admission concerts during its 39th season, staged in Del Crary Park on Wednesday and Saturday nights until August 19.
Overseen by executive director Tracey Randall and staff, a board of directors, and numerous volunteers, Peterborough Musicfest’s stated mission remains “to provide diverse, affordable live music to enrich cultural and economic prosperity in our community.”
For more information on this concert or the 2026 season, visit www.ptbomusicfest.ca or call the Peterborough Musicfest office at 705-755-1111.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a headline sponsor of Peterborough Musicfest’s 2026 season.
