Yahoo Finance B.C. folk duo Pharis and Jason Romero celebrate 3rd Juno win from the comfort of home — again
Folk music duo Pharis and Jason Romero have once again brought home the Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year for their latest work, Bet on Love.
The pair, who live in B.C.'s Cariboo region, accepted the award from the comfort of their home. Though for many artists, receiving awards and participating in events virtually has been a new experience over the past 16 months, the Romeros have received all three of their Junos remotely; from caring for a newborn baby to building a new house, they've never been able to make the trip.
Though they are no strangers to accolades and awards, Pharis Romero described the moment the winner was announced as a "total rush of surprise."
"I never take anything for granted," she said. "We were up against some really great bands … and we would have been happy to lose to any of them."
WATCH | Pharis and Jason Romero accept the Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year
Other artists nominated in their category included Newfoundland's group Rum Ragged, Le Diable à Cinq out of Quebec, Cape Breton folk crew Beòlach and fellow British Columbian banjo player Nick Hornbuckle. Romero said the group was part of a Zoom call, all in their different time zones, leading up to the award show.
"Depending on which time zone they were in, some people had had, like, multiple cocktails and were having the best time," she said.
"It was really fun."
Pandemic projects
The album came out last May, and the following months of pandemic restrictions meant they couldn't tour or play their new songs at festivals.
The Romeros, however, have another income stream: their banjo shop.
Though their it burned down in 2016, along with part of their house and several old instruments, they rebuilt the following year.
The demand for handmade banjos went up as the pandemic began, Romero said.
"We've heard that from high end crafts people across the board, whether you're like an amazing potter or a high end instrument builder or a handbuilt clother, the demand has not gone, which is really interesting."
However, they have a six-year wait-list for a banjo and only take about 15 to 20 orders per year.
"We only take whatever is going to be a sustainable amount of instruments that we think we can build in a year," Romero said.
The Romeros also used their time in isolation to work on a new album, one that they plan to record this fall.
The plan is to record the "banjo-focused" collection in a barn they've updated on their property.
"We're incredibly excited," Romero said.
LISTEN | Hear Pharis Romero's interview on CBC's Daybreak North
