KneeOn Sisters

Singer-Songwriters

When did you first get into music?

We started our band about 3 years ago. We had been playing guitar and bass for fun a couple years before then, but in late 2017, we decided to become more serious about our music.

Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music?

Aerial - “I guess sometimes things kind of click. Ever since I was little, I wanted to play music professionally. That decision was a little odd however, considering growing up, we didn’t know anyone that played music. We really picked everything up on our own. After we played our first show, we new it was what we wanted to do!”

How has your music evolved since you first began performing?

When we were just getting started, we played a lot of country music: Piston Annie’s, Miranda Lambert, etc. Now we’ve definitely turned to a more rock/blues kind of vibe! Although we do still keep a bit of country in our set! ;)

I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us?

In March 2018, we were the guest house band for the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center “Songs and Stories” showcase. They were headlining Dave Pahanish, a Nashville writer who has written numerous hit songs including #1 hits for Keith Urban. We were still pretty new at the music game, and even though we were just playing instrumental, we were very nervous and awkward (as starting artists often are). However, Pahanish and his wife were so kind and encouraging! Then, just a year later, we became the headliner for that very show! It was really cool to see the progress we were blessed to have in such little time!

If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?

Skyler - “Well, for me, I think I’d choose passion. When I think of all the work that goes into our band, the only ‘justification’ of why I do it is because of the deep passion and love for it.”

Aerial - “It’s a mixture of all the emotions for me. The joy that comes from performing, the passion and pride I have in our music, even sadness and anger play a roll and get incorporated into the songwriting. There’s a lot of emotional ups and downs in the business, but music has a way of making it all worth while!”

Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas?

Aerial - “Well, our tightly knit sister bond is one of the main ones. We like the feeling of close family connection to flow to our audiences. We laugh at each other, have this special sister link, and I think people enjoy seeing that bond.” Skyler - “Also, having the same genes, definitely helps with our harmonies! It makes it a lot easier to have that natural sibling blend!”

What has been your biggest challenge as a singer-songwriter/musician? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Aerial - “For me it’s making mistakes. I’m a perfectionist. Sometimes it’s hard to take a step back and realize that things won’t always go as planned, but that’s ok! Songs/lyrics/performances are going to have quirks; that just adds to what makes them special!” Skyler - “The biggest challenge for me would be staying motivated to do the things that aren’t particularly fun to do in music. For instance, I don’t like the social media aspect of music. Since I can sometimes be a little shy and private, it made it difficult for me to want to post pictures, etc. But having a large internet presence/followers is a big part in the industry. We now realize that for many of our fans, social media is the only way for them to get to know us and to keep up with what we’re doing. So we want to make sure our social media stays updated! We’ve even learned to have fun with it, so it’s not a burden; but instead, it’s a way for us to express ourselves and stay connected with our followers!”

A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art?

Skyler - “Well, in a way yes, but also no, haha! No matter what occupation you’re in, if you want to be successful at it, you have to make sacrifices. But if you love what you do, I don’t think you would really consider it suffering. It’s more like putting in the hard work that comes with learning and developing any craft. And I think that in the end, the real ‘payment’ is the opportunity and talent you have to be able to do something you really love to do!”

How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

It’s good and bad. It’s great because you can reach so many people you couldn’t normally reach! We have followers from different parts of the world that we would never be able to meet if it wasn’t for social media! The bad thing however, is that there is just so much out there. There are so many great artist, but they can be harder to find because there are so many sites and accounts.

Have you done or plan on doing any Live-stream Concerts? If you have, how has the response been from your fans?

We have streamed some of our live shows, and the responses have always been positive! We haven’t yet done a Live-Stream Concert, however, but it’s definitely something we’ll look into for the future!

If you could change anything about the music industry. What would it be?

The “clicks” that come with the industry. The old saying, “you gotta know the right person” is sometimes too true. A lot of venues don’t book outside artist unless they have mutual relations that will recommend them. That’s why it’s great when you can find venues that open up to new artist and give them a chance to prove their worth!

What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why?

Miranda Lambert - Four the Record — Grew up with these songs! Some of the first songs we learned to sing!

AC/DC - Back in Black — Helped us start developing a taste for classic rock’n roll!

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium — Got us to really deepen that mellow, rocker vibe throughout middle school and early high school as we listened to more modern and classic rock music.

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - The Real Deal: Greatest Hits, Volume 1 — This was our first blues CD we bought. Probably listened to it in the car hundreds of times! ;) Definitely helped inspire our bluesy side, and gave (Aerial) lots of motivation to improve her guitar abilities.

Melanie Marinez - Cry Baby — Showed us an appreciation for a completely new sound - dark, indie, pop. Inspired us to experiment with different styles of lyrics and songwriting.

Tell us about your current project. Are you working on new music? An EP or Album?

We’re currently working on some home recordings! We’ve had time in a professional studio, and we learned a lot in that experience! Being in a studio has it’s advantages, however given the current environment, home recordings are more practical, at least for us right now. But we’re definitely using that studio knowledge to help us capture our music at home!

What is your baseball walk onto the field song?

Definitely our original Fast Pace! It’s an upbeat rock song and we always have so much fun playing it!

What’s next for you?

All depends on what’s thrown our way! We’ll continue to play live venues, write and record new originals, and jump on new opportunities!

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?

In the near future we will be releasing our music to platforms! As for right now, fans can find music on our YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook - @KneeOn_Sisters