The 10-gallon brats
Meet the new kids on the country block
Winnipeg Sun - John Kendle (November 10, 2001)

So, Amanda Wilkinson, what's the dumbest thing anyone ever asked you?

"Well, there was this one guy," says Wilkinson, one-third of the family trio from Belleville, Ont. "He wasn't too up on his background material, so he asked us where we all met, if you believe it.

"Dad and I said we met Tyler at the hospital, and the guy wrote it up as if it were true."

Oops. That guy must have been American, as most Canadian country music fans are familiar with dad Steve Wilkinson and his daughter and son, Amanda and Tyler.

Since the three of them (mom Chris is stage-shy and sister Kiaya is too young) first burst on the scene in 1998 with the soaring three-part harmonies of the single 26 Cents, The Wilkinsons have quickly become Canada's most popular and successful country group.

The threesome's debut album, Nothing But Love, earned it instant praise, Canadian Country Music Awards and American Country Music Association and Country Music Association nominations while its followup, Here and Now, won several honours at the recent Canadian Country Music Association Awards and the family was named best group.

Now, as the band prepares for a cross-Canada tour, 18-year-old Amanda reports that plans are already being made for a new album to be released and recorded next year.

"We're already in the studio, we've got six songs recorded," she says. "But it probably won't be finished until next spring. We've got a pile of great songs to go through."

Wilkinson, who just finished high school and now plans to study music marketing and management at Belmont University in Nashville, says the whole family decides what songs will be recorded.

"We all have to agree," she says. "If Dad and Tyler love something and I wasn't sure on it, then we'd have to talk about it to be sure. Especially if it's a song we know we're going to be doing for a while -- that might be a hit."