The von Trapps are a hip indie-pop band, but the name is not ironic. The group’s members are the great-grandchildren of the Captain and Maria von Trapp, the real-life couple who inspired the iconic film musical “The Sound of Music.”
The von Trapps are the four siblings Sofia, 26; Melanie, 24; Amanda, 23; and August, 20. The quartet plays SPACE in Evanston on Tuesday. The band is touring behind its lustrous new EP “Dancing in Gold,” a release that features the members’ evocative four-part harmonies and winning alt-pop music.
Although the von Trapps perform their own original songs, they remain respectful of their family legacy. The siblings knew early in life they were part of “The Sound of Music” family, one of the most cherished clans in pop culture.
“We definitely grew up with it but not in a stifling way,” Amanda says. “A lot of people wanted to talk to us and engage with that memory. Over time we realized the value of the movie and the way that people responded to our family story. The film speaks to a large audience, from bikers to children.”
August agrees. “It’s been a really amazing way to grow up,” he says. “People connect us to the legacy of ‘The Sound of Music.’ The movie has had an unusual amount of power over people. It means something a little different to everyone. When we meet them, they’re able to share how they feel about the film. We’ve had a lot of people tell us they saw it on their first date, or it was the first movie they saw with their parents. One guy said he would watch it every day in the Army, trying to forget the stress of combat.”
Adapted from the 1959 Tony-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein stage musical, the 1965 film celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and shows no sign of waning in popularity. “The Sound of Music” received a tribute at the Academy Awards: Lady Gaga performed a medley of the songs and was embraced afterward by the film’s star, Julie Andrews.
Inspired by the memoir “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” by Maria von Trapp, the movie relates the story of the young aspiring nun Maria in 1930s Austria. She takes a leave from the convent to become a governess to seven children who have lost their mother (in real life, the late Agatha Whitehead). With her encouragement, the children develop their singing talents. Maria eventually becomes stepmother to the brood when she marries their widowed naval commander father, Capt. Georg von Trapp. As Hitler’s regime spreads, the von Trapps flee Austria at the end of the film.
The real-life von Trapps relocated to the United States in 1938. (In addition to her seven stepchildren, Maria had three biological children with the Captain). The family became a touring vocal act and ran a music camp in Vermont.
Sofia, Melanie, Amanda and August are grandchildren of Werner von Trapp, portrayed in the movie as youngest son Kurt. As children growing up in Montana, they would sing for their grandfather during his summer visits. In 2001 he had a stroke and was unable to travel.
“To cheer him on, we made a CD to send him,” says August. “Singing was something that we wanted to do. There was no pressure from the family or our parents. It started catching on, and someone asked if we wanted to sing for a festival. Very slowly and organically it snowballed into what became our career. It didn’t even cross our minds when we began that we would be doing this professionally.”
The kids recorded albums as the von Trapp Children and toured the world. They performed with the Boston Pops, sang at the Sydney Opera House and appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Time brought changes to the quartet. The siblings were growing up, prompting them to change their band name to the von Trapps. “We couldn’t get away with ‘Children’ for too much longer,” Amanda says with a laugh.
After years of singing a wide-ranging traditional repertoire, the foursome was eager to strike out on its own with original music. The siblings went to Portland, Ore., about two years ago to work with the musical group Pink Martini, a small globe-trotting orchestra founded by pianist Thomas Lauderdale. The two bands collaborated on Pink Martini’s 2014 release “Dream a Little Dream.”
The von Trapps fell in love with Portland and decided to put down roots in the city.
“Throughout the years we were searching for a base, a place we really liked, somewhere we could call home when we were on the road,” Amanda says. “We tried a couple cities, but Portland stuck. It’s a really neat hotbed of artistry and business.”
Inspired by the musicians in their adopted hometown, the von Trapps began writing their own songs in earnest.
“It was a very developmental time,” August says. “We had a lot of time and freedom when we first moved to Portland. We started to develop our own style very quickly.”
The result is “Dancing in Gold,” the group’s first EP of all-original material, produced by Blind Pilot singer-songwriter Israel Nebeker. The quartet’s intuitive harmonies weave through the four songs like intricate latticework. The time-spanning pop music and ethereal folk sound is created with ukulele, melodica, horns, violin, piano and cello.
“Perhaps our souls are from some ancient time,” August sings on the chamber-pop number “People Like Us.” It’s hard to disagree. The quartet’s musical vocabulary runs wide and deep. Its dazzling vocal interplay recalls 1950s doo-wop and the pre-rock pop harmonies of the McGuire Sisters. There are also musical nods to modern indie acts Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens, 1960s powerhouse the Mamas & the Papas and timeless world music folk tunes.
The von Trapps also found musical inspiration by listening to Japanese artist Yumi Matsutoya. “The doo-wop influence mostly came from her,” August says. “Yumi has a ton of amazing ’60s-esque arrangements for songs.”
When the von Trapps appear at SPACE, they will be backed by a drummer, upright bassist and pianist.
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They know that some fans will always be drawn to their family heritage. “It’s definitely an honor to be part of something that is positive and hopeful and engages people,” says Amanda. “That’s a good feeling.”
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: SPACE,
1245 Chicago Ave., Evanston
Tickets: $15-$27; (847) 556-9756 or evanstonspace.com
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