Page 61 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2023 Digital Edition

Partners in

Love & Blues

by Michele Lundeen realized playing music together was the best path forward
What would it be like to work with your romantic partner? for our future.”
It may be a work in progress, it may have its ups and downs, “Our love for music and our love for each other – all
it may end up being heaven on earth. Being a musician of that just meshes,” adds Annika. “Our comfort of being
not only takes talent, but it takes confidence, persistence, together, traveling together, the chemistry we have onstage
patience and sometimes eating a little humble pie. There together – it just works,” says Paul. “And we love it just as
are major highs and, yes, lows. Sharing that with someone much as the people love it,” exclaims Annika, “so we’re
you live with, plan with and travel with surely comes with its totally excited for our journey. It’s just easy to work together.
challenges and surely takes a sense of humor – plus a loving Everything is in sync.”
heart that’s understanding, trusting and forgiving. We posed They both agree they travel well together. “We have a
a few questions to couples in our blues community about what good rhythm. We take care of each other on the road,” says
it’s like to work with a romantic partner and how these dual Paul. And they make each other laugh; “Whether at home
relationships evolve. Here’s what we discovered! or on the road,” says Annika. “And we don’t have to hold
in our farts,” Paul interjects, laughing! Now they’re both
laughing. Their shows, whether as a duo or full band, are
always spontaneous. There’s comedy, stories, music, off-the-
cuff and spicy humor. “Sometimes we wonder if we go too
far,” says Annika. “We can go from farts, to sex, to whatever
we feel. Sometimes people respond that we just made their
night. We just put the love out there.” “I think people feel that
connection,” adds Paul. “They see that love between us and
hopefully they can see the love we have for them.”

Paul DesLauriers & Annika Chambers. Photo by Jason McNamara

Paul DesLauriers & Annika Chambers
“We got together romantically in 2019,” says Paul. “We
had our own separate careers, then the pandemic hit and we
were stuck together 24-7. Everybody was doing live streams,
and that’s when we realized we really had musical chemistry
together. When the lockdown was done, we still loved each
other, we still liked each other and we still wanted to hang
around each other,” Paul laughs. They both agree, “We Ori & Tierinii Naftaly. Photo by Ÿ Marilyn Stringer

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