“We’d done gigs together before and she wasn’t a folky average guitar player,” says Chris. “She’s a really good musician. She has good way with the crowd, outgoing and very friendly, while I was a bit more reserved. I thought that would be a good yin to my yang.”

The two met for coffee at a Starbucks then wandered over to Trinity-Bellwoods Park because Chris had brought his guitar along to play her a few songs. “It was so packed there, we could hardly find a place to sit,” recalls Courtney. “We were surrounded by jugglers, tight rope walkers, people playing frisbee, musicians, you name it, and he started to play for me amidst all that. I loved what I heard.”

“What is so serendipitous is that I had just come back from a seven-week trip to Australia and while I was there, I was actually thinking of finding a partner to work with when I got home. I was at a point in my career where I was looking for a new direction.”

Courtney was so excited by this new venture that she suggested they turn a solo gig she had booked at Hugh’s Room three weeks later into their debut as a duo.