INTERVIEWS Pictured LtoR: Keiko, Ella, bo-Pah, Mimi Photo by Lauren Stockton Photography
The Sledge Grits Band:
Sisterhood is Forever
By Michael Dowdell
“Sisterhood is Forever” appears on the home page of the Sledge Grits’ website, so we knew they would be a perfect fit for our Sister Acts Edition. We were first introduced to this sister quartet many years ago at the NAMM show in Southern California. Made up of four sisters who have a passion for music, their songs are beautiful and inspiring; these girls take pride in the music they create. Sledge Grits is oldest sister Keiko, lead guitarist and songwriter, who describes herself as “pseudo band leader.” Next in line is Ella at 21 on bass and background vocals, followed by Mimi at 18 years old as the lead vocalist but also lends support as a background guitarist and pianist. Youngest sister bo-Pah rounds out the group as the drummer at 16 years old. The sisters have two singles they have released and also are active in the entertainment industry including spots in commercials and upcoming documentaries. Managing all aspects of their career, it was interesting to learn more about these young girls, what “sisterhood” means to them, and what’s next
52 Guitar Girl Magazine
You are all so unique and bring your own talent and skills to the group. Tell us the story behind the name. Yes, Sledge Grits is a very interesting band name, but we wanted to have something interesting and unique when we were coming up with it! Sledge is our last name and grits is actually an acronym for “Girls Raised in the Sun.” It’s a little hard to remember, but it’s personal to us! So, since we are all sisters, we took that and added it to our name, and Sledge Grits was born. On the home page of your website, you have the saying “SISTERHOOD IS FOREVER.” Tell us what that means to all of you. One of the things that make our band
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so special is that we are all sisters and no matter what we go through or what problems we’re having, we’re always going to be here for each other. It’s always been one of our most deep-set philosophies. People will always come and go, but what we have – the bond between us is the most important thing. We all are so close and mean so much to each other. Our parents always instilled in us the importance of family. But honestly, sisterhood doesn’t just have to be between blood. As women, we all need to support and lift each other up. What indeed makes you all so unique is the creative and inspiring lyrics in your songs. We know that Keiko is the lead songwriter, but do you all have input on what message you want to display in your songs? And where do you draw the inspiration for your lyrics? Ella: Keiko has always been such an amazing and creative mind. Her mind just works in lyrical form. She can have
