The women of alternative country trio Tres Chicas first came together through friendship and a mutual respect for each other's singing in early 1999. Accomplished musicians and friends through the years, Lynn Blakey (Glory Fountain, Let's Active, Oh-OK), Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown), and Tonya Lamm (Hazeldine) comprise the Raleigh, NC-based group whose music combines sweet vocal harmonies with elements of country, folk, and rock. They first sang together publicly during a late-night spontaneous singalong after friend Alejandro Escovedo's show at a Raleigh bar, and the response revealed that the gals were on to something special. The moniker Tres Chicas wound up sticking after the nameless group was christened such by the club's owner at their live debut. Playing locally for fun over the next few years, the group eventually found spare time to come together and record their songs; however, the recording was being done more for posterity's sake than for releasing an actual album. Producer and friend Chris Stamey ultimately convinced the trio to consider otherwise, and Yep Roc issued Tres Chicas' debut, Sweetwater, in 2004 to critical acclaim. Touring, including a 2005 European tour, followed before the group headed back to the studio. Recorded in London with a core band, plenty of guest musicians, and producers Neil Brockbank and Robert Trehern, their sophomore effort, Bloom, Red & the Ordinary Girl, appeared in March 2006. ~ Corey Apar