Interview: “Take 5 with the Gothard Sisters” - Portland Folk Society Local Lore

Local Lore Magazine - Portland Folk Society, January-February 2022
By Kevin Nordlie. Kevin is based near the other Washington (DC) and works with independent musicians in the folk music community.

Local Lore Question #1: Neither of your parents played a musical instrument, yet you all had music lessons by the time you were in kindergarten, how did music get to be so prominent in your household?

Willow Gothard: we grew up in a very creative household. Our parents homeschooled all three of us, and they constantly played recordings of beautiful folk and classical music around the house. They also discovered the wonderful Celtic radio program on NPR, the Thistle & Shamrock, so we had lots of fond memories listening to top notch Celtic artists selected by the one and only Fiona Ritchie. Now our own songs have been featured on the show, which is a dream come true for us!

Local Lore Question #2: The Gothard Sisters started out as a classical violin trio and evolved into a multi-instrumental Celtic Folk band, what prompted that transition?

Willow Gothard: when Greta (the oldest) was about 5 years old she went to see a violin concert and thought it was so beautiful that she asked our parents for violin lessons. Since she was already playing violin, it wasn’t long until the rest of us also asked for lessons and started playing. So for many years we studied classical music and played in youth symphonies around the Seattle area. Then Riverdance came out and we were so taken with it that we started Irish Dance lessons as well. After that we started falling in love with the energy and joyful nature of Celtic music and started playing that together. In order to play the Celtic music we wanted to, we all started learning more instruments. So that’s when Greta picked up guitar, Willow learned the mandolin, Solana started on the bodhran and other hand drums and percussion, and we also added vocals. We’re always adding more to create the sounds we’re imagining!

Local Lore Question #3: Decision-making in bands is sometimes stressful and you have the added complications of being siblings as well. Does being related make it harder or easier to reach agreement on issues related to your music career?

Greta Gothard: I think growing up together, creating and traveling together has helped us to become a team and we have methods to solve any disagreements that may come up. We’re really best friends, especially because of everything we’ve learned and been through together at this point. We tend to all have a pretty unified vision of where we want to go next musically, so that makes it easier for sure! It’s different for everyone of course, but I think being related is an advantage. Plus, if we have a big disagreement there’s always a two-thirds vote.

Local Lore Question #4: In 2019 you did a 20-city tour of Japan, how did that tour come about and how did the audiences compare to those in the United States?

Willow Gothard: Our Japan tour in 2019 started as a very lucky email to the right person in Japan! She connected us with a wonderful organization based in Tokyo called the Min-On Concert Association, and they prepared us for an incredible tour for us around the country. The audiences were enthusiastic and welcoming, and we had a lot of fun learning and singing a few songs in Japanese so that the audiences could sing along with us. We’re planning to go back for a few more tours in the future.

Local Lore Question #5: Your latest album Dragonfly came out in summer 2021. Any trepidation in releasing new material in midst of the pandemic?

Greta Gothard: The entire writing process for the new album, Dragonfly, happened during 2020 and the first few months of 2021. Although it was strange not to be able to try performing any of the songs for audiences before recording them, it was nice to be able to intensely focus on making the songs exactly the way we wanted them without many distractions. We recorded and mixed the album in our home studio. It was a difficult time, and we felt strongly about writing music that was about resiliency and strength in the face of hard times. So in a way I think we wrote the album that all three of us wanted and needed to hear at the time. And it has really resonated with people at a deep level, which is beautiful. It’s a very positive album.