At Ease

Back in 1998, Kate Proctor and Rachelle Boudreau were sitting around the Shoe Shop in Halifax. They were drinking beer, and talking about how great the music of the Andrews Sisters was. They decided to get together once a week with another friend and started learning the 3-part harmony. Not too long after that, Rachelle and Kate decided to get up and sing one night at an open mic night - just the two of them. They sounded so good they booked their trio a regular gig!
They decided to call themselves At Ease - a military term that suggested the 1940's-style music with a relaxed feel. The girls expanded their music to some Aretha Franklin, as well as some 1970's hits.
The girls were quite successful in Halifax, but life began to change. Both Kate and Rachelle moved to Toronto. After being in Toronto for a few years, Kate began to miss At Ease. She decided to get thing going once again.
Enter Cyndi Carleton - a new friend of Kate and Rachelle, who had recently done a wartime show and had fallen in love with the Andrews Sisters music. They decided to meet every Monday night, share some wine, and start to sing. It was so much fun! All three girls were reunited with the amazing 3 part harmonies, and fell in love with the music all over again.
All three girls have a theatre background, and it quickly became apparent that there would be gigs when all three girls would not be available. Fortunately, two other friends from Halifax had also moved to Toronto. Kate asked Sue Marenick and Kyla Tingley if they wanted to come to rehearsal and cover the harmony lines. Very quickly, all 5 girls became committed to the project. At Ease mainly performs as a trio, but the girls love the gigs where all 5 can attend. They have also never turned down a gig because someone wasn’t available.
The Andrews Sisters Music is amazing, but all 5 girls are terrific singers on their own. So At Ease has expanded it’s set list to include Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, The Puppini Sisters, Better Midler, U2, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera. With a mix of music from 1940’s-style swing right up to modern hits makes At Ease a hit with all audiences.
The members of At Ease love what they do. And it shows! Whether it’s singing for the thousands of people who heard them at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, or Monday nights in Kate’s apartment. The girls bring a joy and life to their singing that is infectious and irreplaceable. They are a delight to be seen and heard.