A Triple Rainbow of Authentic Kid Power Pop

Keeping your kids busy during a pandemic can be challenging. But it also depends on your perspective. Jared Mees, co-founder of the independent record label Tender Loving Empire, decided to put daughters July (9) and Piper (4) to work in the family business. Mees founded Triple Rainbow, a family band that draws inspiration from their shared experiences and post-lockdown/mandate aspirations. The new CD, You Are Magic, features 15 original songs and showcases vocals from the sisters.

What might the Mees kids be interested in doing? If you expect them to delve into cryptocurrency and foreign policy, you’ll be disappointed. First and foremost, they want to have fun (“Dance Party,” “Why Can’t Every Day Be Halloween?,” and “Slime”). They also want to keep busy (“Stuffy Scavenger Hunt” and “The Lake”). As they point out in “Facts,” “If there is one true thing we can say, we’ve got a lot of living to do starting today.”

It helps Triple Rainbow to have a key band member involved in the music biz. Mees has a group of his own (Jared Mees and the Grown Children) and offers a deft hand in guiding his girls’ songwriting technique. “Under the Water” may be a fantasy about aquatic life, but it also contains a timely message about the ecology and climate change. The all-inclusive “Fam Jam” is a community-building exercise in reaching out and expanding your circle of support:

They could be your mom or your dad or your cousin or aunt
Could be your coach or your neighbor or your best friend
‘Cause family is anybody who knows they can depend on you
And you can depend on them

The Oot ‘n Oots have prospered because 14-year-old singer Ruthie is tackling the challenge of more grown-up themes in a children’s music environment, without falling back on the tropes of “here’s a song about fire engines, here’s a song about brushing your teeth.” Triple Rainbow has a long way to go (literally) and who knows, perhaps July and Piper will one day move behind the scenes and manage their father’s musical efforts. However things shake out, there’s definitely much more magic to be shared.

You can download and purchase You Are Magic on Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, and www.tenderlovingempire.com.

Here is a video for “Slime”: