Some groups lose their shit, become hyper-introspective, and eventually implode as soon as they get the dreaded ‘buzz band’ label. This is not the case for Long Island-spawned five-piece Twin Sister. Their debut LP ‘In Heaven’ is due tomorrow, and will caress your ears with romantic synth-driven melodies and dreamy yet danceable hooks. Alas, the aforementioned afterlife does exist and it can be found in the free stream of their entire album below. We recently spoke with lead singer Andrea Estella who discussed the band’s inspiration, why her voice is higher and the processes behind their first full length album.
Here’s what Andrea had to say…
On the fear of recording a full length. We were anxious but also ready. We just wanted to try and finish a full-length album for once. The old way we used to record music was very spaced out, so it would take us a very long time to get anything done. This was the first time we had a certain amount of time to record a number of songs and because it was our first time in the studio we were very excited, anxious, and scared. We wanted to be happy with the final product, but also had to work within the time constraints that come with studio recording.
On writing new songs for the album. We did a lot of the writing for the new album while we were living in the Hamptons. We only had a living room to practice in, so whenever someone wanted to get up and start playing, they did. We developed a lot of our newer songs there. The cold and isolated mood on the album may be a reflection of the environment the songs were created in.
On what she was listening to while making ‘In Heaven’. I listened to a lot of old stuff: Prince, Janet Jackson, and Blondie. I was exploring YouTube as well, listening to Japanese animation intros from the 80’s.
On how far the band have come in the last 3 years. We’re becoming a better band. looking back on old performances I realize how far we’ve come. I feel like we have grown a lot. We have developed further even since the completion of ‘In Heaven’. Its all a learning curve, and now we know what to do differently in the studio next time.
On track selection for ‘In Heaven’. We had a couple more songs that were supposed to be on the album and we ended up feeling like they weren’t finished yet. Some songs ended up getting the boot, so it was just kind of what survived (laughs). What we felt was finally finished, that’s what made it onto the album.
On overdoing songs. We overdo everything. The first song on the album for example, I think there have been five different versions of it throughout the years. And regarding ‘In Heaven‘, now that I listen to the album I feel like our live set is more developed than the recordings. I wish we could get even newer recordings of the songs.
On her proudest moment on the record. I really like ‘Luna’s Theme’. It’s when I was doing a lot of work with my vocal coach, I was hitting notes that I could never hit before. I remember feeling when I was hitting those high notes that I was going to shatter! But I was so pleased with the way they turned out.
On the quickest song on the album to complete . ‘Bad Street’ was probably the easiest because we had so many vocal melodies cooking up. Dave (base player) started playing upstairs, and the song just clicked. Then we realized how many melodies we had that were all ready to work into the song.
On what 2011 holds for the band. We are focusing on new songs. We’re home for a couple of days in between tours. And I know that the guys are going to be working on a few new song writing ideas. Although we only just wrote new songs, we’re a band that’s used to constantly producing new material. And since we have been touring we haven’t had as many opportunities to work on songs as we would have liked, so everyone will be keen to get to work on some new stuff. Other than that I’m sure we will visit Australia, nothing is scheduled yet, but I was told that probably by the end of the year we will get there.
