Can you tell us a little something about each of you?
Kayla – Music is my passion and I spend a great deal of time working at it every single day. I love songwriting, singing, recording in the studio, live shows, the list goes on and on. I am also very interested in the business side of music. Outside of music I am obsessed with working out and go to the gym every single day. I also do my best to eat healthy. These habits have helped me to be more organized and focused in all areas of my life.
Kelli – Music is my passion as well. Like Kayla, I spend a lot of time each day practicing, writing songs, and also listening and discovering new music. I am typically the one in the family that discovers new music and shares it with everyone else. I love sports and stay active in school sports. Basketball is my favorite sport by far. I also love going to the gym and do so with Kayla every day. You could say that we are pretty busy most of the time.
What inspired you guys to pursue music?
We have always had a deep passion for the arts, especially music. For many years growing up we were involved in musical theater and really fell in love with singing and performing through that experience. In 2016, we decided to enter Rodeo Houston’s singing competition called “Rodeo Rockstar”. We ended up making it to the semi-finals that year, and the finals in 2017. After participating in Rodeo Rockstar that first year, we realized we really loved performing together and decided to form our duo and pursue music as a career.
Check out their performances here –
https://youtu.be/7vraRjGfO_g
https://youtu.be/NTa3KBkKpJs
What is it like being in a duo with your sibling?
Being in a duo together is honestly the best thing that could have ever happened. We have been singing together since we could talk so harmonies come natural. Also, we are already best friends to begin with so adding in our friendship with the music makes for a great time. As you would expect, we do have some creative differences when it comes to music, but this plays to our advantage. We always find a way to combine our vision into something even better than it would have been if one of us would have come up with the idea.
How would you describe your musical style as a duo?
We feel that our music is country with heavy pop influences. We absolutely love each genre and enjoy combining them together to create a distinct sound. We strive to be different and are always focused on creating a sound of our own that is unique and stands out. We feel we have achieved this with our new EP Been There..
What artists do you guys look up to right now?
We absolutely love Maren Morris and Lennon Stella. Also Kacey Musgraves who is inspiring on so many levels: her music, message, songwriting style, lyrics, as well as her advocacy for female empowerment and equality. We were recently selected as ambassadors to the Global Country Music Association (GCMA). In this role we will be advocates for equality and fairness for women artists in the genre, which is a very important cause to us.
You guys are gearing up for the release of your upcoming EP, Been There.! How excited are you guys for this project to be released?
Words can’t even describe how excited we are. The music has been ready since late last year, but there is so much planning and preparation that goes into a release, we have held it back until now. This project has been over a year in the making, so as you can guess the anticipation is real.
During the past year, we flew back and forth to Nashville and LA doing co-writes with hit songwriters such as Shane Stevens, Maria Christensen and Bonnie Baker. We also worked with LA-based, multi-platinum producer Nash Overstreet of Hot Chelle Rae to record the project.
What do you hope your supporters will think of this new project?
We hope our supporters feel inspired and empowered. We want them to feel like they can accomplish incredible things if they simply believe in themselves. We also hope that they will hear a fresh new sound, unlike anything that is out there and will share it with everyone they know.
You guys just released the first single off of your new EP. Can you tell us how this song came about and the meaning of the song?
The idea for Billboard Sign came about when writing with Shane Stevens and Maria Christensen. The meaning behind the song highlights two people who know they have feelings for each other. The guy, however, will not admit it and put a label on their relationship to make it official. The lyrics are from the girl’s perspective. She is basically saying that everyone knows you are into me, so stop trying to hide it and just tell the world how you feel. We all felt this topic was super relatable, especially for teens that experience situations like this all the time.
Are there any other projects in the works you can tell us about?
Even though we are about to release new music on April 19th, we are constantly writing new songs and have plans to record new music this summer in LA with producer Nash Overstreet. We also have some great music videos that will be released in the coming months so keep an eye on our socials.
Why do you think social media is so important for singers today?
We feel like social media is so valuable in the sense that you can talk directly with fans and create special connections with people all over the world. That has been our mentality since we started our duo. We have always engaged with our fans on a regular basis. Our fans are always surprised at how responsive we are, and that they can have a direct line of communication with us. There has never been a better time to be an artist with all the tools and technology we have at our fingertips today.
How do you want your relationship to be with your fans?
We consider our fans to be our friends. We want them to feel like family, and to know we care about each and every one of them. We also want them to feel inspired and empowered through us and our music.
What was the craziest fan encounter you have had?
The “craziest” fan encounter we have ever had is actually quite special and near dear to our hearts. We were live streaming on our Instagram when one of our fans popped on and said she gave our music to a homeless man in the area where she lived. He was struggling and needed inspiration to carry on. A couple months later, she told us he had finally got himself back on his feet, reunited with a family member, and had a place to live. He said that our music helped him get through that tough time. This was so special to us and something we will always remember. Music truly can change lives.
What social media platform do you use most to stay connected to your fans?
We use Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to interact and stay involved with our fans. We are active on all three platforms.
What’s an average day like for you guys?
Our days usually look quite different from one another. Kayla does online school while Kelli does public school so we usually are practicing and hanging out together at night. During the evening we like to go to the gym and write songs or practice together. One of our favorite things to do is sitting around and playing piano or guitar and singing together. We also spend a great deal of time on social media, responding to fans and posting content.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years in your career and personal life?
In five years we see ourselves continuing to work hard making music we love and are proud of. We would love to open up for major acts on a tour, or even become a major act within 5 years. Either way, we will simply be enjoying life and music alongside one another.
How has this whole music career experience been?
It has been so insane in the best way possible. We definitely never imagined being where we are today in the short amount of time since we started at ages 11 and 12. Of course there have been struggles but that is to be expected with anything. We will continue to work hard and live out our dreams.
Do you have any advice for aspiring music artists?
We say, go for it! It may sound cliche, but you really can do anything if you put your mind to it and work hard. You never know what you are capable of accomplishing until you step out of your comfort zone and take that first step.
Do you have any last things you want to tell your supporters?
We love all of you and want to thank you for the amazing support over the past few years. We will strive to bring new music, content and great performances in the months and years ahead!
