The Secret Sisters will be performing at The Standard Deluxe Nov. 8. The Plainsman recently had the chance to catch up with Lydia and Laura Rogers of The Secret Sisters about life as rising artists.
Q: How long have you been performing?
A: Professionally, it was 2009 when we were "discovered," if you want to call it that. We got a record deal in early 2010, and as far as performing goes we never did very much of that in front of people. The only time we were seen together was in private at home or just the two of us and our dad. We would do a lot of family stuff, but we never performed anywhere. In fact, we had never even performed a real show together until after we had got our record deal so it was kind of a backwards process. A little surreal and definitely different than most peoples' experience in the music world.
Q: I'm curious about how you got your record label before you started touring.
A: I (Laura) always had terrible stage fright like could not even stand in front of my friends and sing a song because I was so insecure. I had just graduated from college and was living in Nashville and A friend of mine told me about this open audition that was being held here. This record label was doing a general talent search. I went to my audition and performed for this panel of judges. I thought I did a terrible job, but they called me back and told me they really liked me and wanted to hear me sing some more. So I played more for them and they started talking about, 'Let's get you in the studio, let's do a record deal,' and I got really panicky because I thought, 'I can't do this by myself.' So I insisted that they hear Lydia sing. (The judges) were kind of blown away that they had discovered this pair of sisters who could sing together who actually were not pursuing a career in music at all. Within a month of that we were flown to Los Angeles and we recorded a couple of demos and then we went up to New York and auditioned for our label and on a wild hare that label believed in us and they signed us ever having played a show without us having a fan base or web site or anything.
Q: Tell me how the sister dynamic plays into making music together.
A:At first, when we started touring, it was tough because we were so used to not being around each other, and then all of a sudden it was like we were everywhere together - on airplanes, in cars, on trains, in dressing rooms, hotel rooms and on stages. It was like you could not get away from each other so there have been tense moments between us but it's like you get on the stage, and all of a sudden you forget what you were upset about. We play around with it on stage. We make jokes about sibling rivalry and being typical sisters and I think at the end of the day there isn't anybody we would rather be having this big crazy adventure with.
Q: Is there a rhythm that you naturally pick up on when playing with your sibling?
A: I think so. We kind of feed off each other, and we know what the other one is going to be doing throughout the song. Our voices blend well together so it's just a completely different dynamic than playing with other people. It's funny because sometimes I'll go and play with other people who aren't my sibling and I'm like, 'Oh, I miss Lydia. She would know exactly what I need to do.'
Q:How has your music progressed while on tour?
A:When we were entering the world of music and trying to make a name for ourselves we became primarily known as a throwback country duo, and that is true. We definitely love classic country music, that's a big part of who we are as musicians, but I think a lot of times it was overlooked that we love early Rock 'n' Roll, some early pop and we're big into gospel, blue grass and a cappella.
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