The Not So Small Canadian Girl Group: The Beaches

Written by Gisele Sanchez and Emilia Wisniewski

Friends on a night out circled in the middle of the floor.

A couple made quiet conversation leaning against the wall.

An avid concertgoer clings onto the barricade and takes pictures of the empty stage, soon to be occupied by girl group The Beaches.

The Beaches,Canadian pop-rock group that formed in 2013, performed at Brighton Music Hall November 12. The girls that make up the group are lead vocalist and bassist Jordan Miller, guitarist Kylie Miller, drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel, and keyboard player Leandra Earl. The group released their debut album in 2017 titled Late Show which contains their hit single “T-Shirt”. They released two EPs afterward—The Professional in 2019 and Future Lovers in 2021—with several singles released in between. In 2022, the band released a compact batch of three songs under EP End of Summer, including “Grow Up Tomorrow,” “My People,” and “Orpheus”. The Beaches have always presented with a fun and energetic sound that has fans hooked the first time they listen to them.

Biff Lister discovered them through a friend who sent them the band’s t-shirt. He said, “They were really good live, so I’m excited to see that new dimension and energy they’ll bring to the live show,”

The last time the band was in Boston was only a year ago, when they opened for The Aces, another girl group with an alternative rock sound. They were scheduled to have a headlining performance at Brighton Music Hall in August as part of their U.S. tour, but had to cancel the show. The band and its fans were equally excited to finally have the band in the venue, and it became The Beaches’ biggest show on their second tour.

Before they performed, openers Trophy Wife and Paper Lady had their own sets to show off to the crowd. Both of these acts contrasted greatly with The Beaches; while they each had a lead female singer, their music leaned more toward grunge, math rock, and emo genres. While they did have a distinctly different sound, the sets were enchanting. Trophy Wife delivered a moving performance that was characterized by lead singer Jody Prewett’s soft vocals. Paper Lady, made up of six members, had a commanding stage presence that easily got the crowd engaged in their performance. They were amazingly unexpected openers that surely won the hearts of many attendees.

The main show, however, was just getting started.

The self proclaimed “small girl group from Canada” practically jumped onto the stage—eagerness, and enthusiasm reflected through their coordinating neon orange and pink outfits. Silver tinsel hung from the lead singer’s hair, and swung back and forth each time she slammed her head to the beat.

“The outfits help us prep—it gives us confidence,” Leandra Earl said.

The energy in their presence opened up the room, and the previously muttering crowd, laughing over each other and sipping on $5 red bull, was suddenly facing the stage, yelling and cheering for a show that had already seemed promising.

Concertgoers were belly up against the barricade, hoping for a chance to catch a glimpse of the guitarist, Kylie Miller, as she made her way to the stage’s edge, smirking over her guitar. On the other end stood Leandra Earl. Her title is really an understatement. Standing over keys, electric guitar in hand, and mouth always inches away from her microphone, she was everywhere all at once. The drummer, Eliza Enman McDaniel, a mostly silent presence amidst the chaos, was always in sync with her bandmates. She read them well and provided the power that kept the whole thing alive. Finally, lead singer Jordan Miller possessed the kind of persona reminiscent of a garage band idol, walking the stage with a confidence that bled into the crowd.

“I love the way they have fun on stage…they just go full on out, they just like feel their music and I think that’s really fun to experience in the audience,” said Northeastern graduate, Lorena Leza.

There wasn’t a single cell phone above our heads, as if a silent agreement existed among the crowd to enjoy the show at this moment alone. From spitting banter across the stage to shouting out familiar faces in the crowd, the girls and their audience maintained playful exchanges even when the music wasn’t playing. When the final song ended, the group left the stage quickly, the lights dimmed, and the night seemed to be over in a moment. A small thunder erupted among the crowd, and soon “encore!” was bouncing against the walls. A few minutes passed before the girls came back out, found their places on the stage, and rocked one last time.

At the show's end, amid the people running to the restroom or back to the bar, a line formed at the back of the music hall. The band members of Paper Lady and Trophy Wife stood waiting alongside a merch table covered in t-shirts, buttons, albums, and stickers. Small folded pieces of paper indicated prices in scribbled handwriting.

Soon, Jordan Miller and Leandra Earl, bouncing through the crowd, made their way to the back of the music hall, sparking up small cheers along the way. A line formed in front of them, and suddenly there was an informal meet-and-greet ensuing at the back of the music hall. Both of the members spent no less than five minutes laughing, conversing, and taking pictures with each person as Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” rang through the speakers.

“This is our first headlining tour so it was really thrilling…It’s really cool that people remember us,” lead singer Jordan Miller said.

The members were bursts of energy— the show’s excitement clearly hadn’t left their bodies. “It’s just really fun up there, we’re all best friends…the energy has just been building up just to go up there and play, and give it our all for an hour,” said keyboardist and guitarist Leandra Earl.

Though the night had been coming to a close, the girls were hardly finished. The line had grown since the show’s end as more people began waiting for their chance to meet the band. Though the girls admitted to not considering themselves rockstars—their fans hardly agree. With their incredible stage presence and authentic humility, The Beaches are revered by their fans.

Mark Bulla, a loyal fan from Maryland, was gifted a drumstick by the band’s drummer, Eliza Enman McDaniel. “It was really a surprise, actually…I guess she remembered me,” Bulla said. “The energy, enthusiasm, and clever lyrics—they’re awesome.”