The Chapin Sisters are an American
folk rock and harmony duo from
Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of sisters Abigail and Lily Chapin, and formerly their half-sister Jessica Craven. Their sound blurs the lines between old-time
Appalachian music, classic
country-rock and
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
.
Early life
Abigail and Lily were born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the
Hudson Valley. They sang professionally from an early age, first on their dad
Tom Chapin's children's records,
which led to jobs on other children's records, including
the Olsen Twins
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986), also known as the Olsen twins as a duo, are American fashion designers and former actresses. The twins made their acting debut as infants playing Michelle Tanner on the television s ...
' "Brother for Sale" and "I Am the Cute One".
They also sang onstage in benefit and tribute concerts honoring their uncle,
the late singer and activist
Harry Chapin, along with other members of their family, including cousin
Jen Chapin and their half-sister
Jessica Craven.
By 2004 Abigail, Lily, and Jessica had relocated to Los Angeles (Lily Chapin was working on a film directed by
Barbara Kopple). They began their band at the urging of their half-brother
Jonathan Craven who arranged for them to record at the home studio of
Michael Fitzpatrick (of the band
Fitz and the Tantrums). Before they had ever played a show together or considered themselves a band, their slow, acoustic version of
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
's song "
Toxic" gained attention and radio play around the country. Following this unexpected success, The Chapin Sisters began to play concerts in Los Angeles, and the sisters also started writing music together—songs that would eventually become their first full-length album.
''The Lake Bottom LP''
Spurred by the sudden interest in their singing abilities, they put together a collection of songs and, on March 18, 2008, they released their debut full-length album ''Lake Bottom LP'' on the Plain Recordings label. Initially the album was only released as a
vinyl record but a
compact disc version soon followed.
Many of the music reviews by critics were positive. According to ''popmatters.com'', "they haunt the interstices of folk, pop, and blues, and play seductive games with the knife-edge of heartache. Their soft harmonies and dark sidelong lyrics fit perfectly into a new folk aesthetic that is more twisted than freaky," and "their music blends the harmonies of traditional sister-acts with a modern lyrical sensibility." FLAVORPILL of San Francisco wrote "The one virtue the Chapin Sisters shares with classic sister acts of old becomes apparent when they sing together: that shiver of spotless, familial unity that makes every syllable woundingly poignant."
2010, the departure of Jessica, and ''Two''
In early 2010 Jessica took a "leave of absence" and left the band to spend time with her newborn baby, and Lily and Abigail, now a duo, set out on tour with the folk pop duo
She & Him (consisting of
M. Ward and actress
Zooey Deschanel) singing back-up vocals and opening many of the shows as well.
In April 2010 The Chapin Sisters released a five-song EP called "Oh Hear the Wind Blow," which was recorded live in the studio with Dan Horne as engineer and bass player, and
Aaron Sperske on drums.
On September 14, 2010, Abigail and Lily released their second full-length album "Two" on their own label, Lake Bottom Records. The album was produced by the sisters, along with Louie Stephens of
Rooney and Jesse Lee of
Gang Gang Dance.
''A Date with the Everly Brothers''
On April 23, 2013, ''A Date With the Everly Brothers'' was released as a full-length album tribute to
The Everly Brothers. It was funded via a successful
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign that ended up raising over 150% of the band's goal.
''Today's Not Yesterday''
In October 2015, the band announced on their website and via Kickstarter that they would release their full-length album titled ''Today's Not Yesterday'', composed of original songs.
The 12-song album was recorded in Los Angeles at
Jonathan Wilson's Five-Star studio with the help of producers Dan Horne and Jesse Lee.
Discography
Studio records
Featured appearances
References
External links
Official websiteNPR interview with Scott Simon
{{Authority control
American folk musical groups
Folk rock duos
Female musical duos
Sibling musical duos
Musical groups from Brooklyn
Musical groups established in 2004
2004 establishments in California
Folk rock groups from California
Red Rockets Glare artists