SYBLING Announces 'Strange Ways' EP & Releases 'Radio' Single

Listen to a new single by dark folk duo SYBLING (comprised of sisters Alice and Mariana Makwaia) whose haunting melodies, electric harmonies and thoughtful, poetic lyrics harken back to an era long forgotten, while also remaining firmly rooted in the present landscape of sound.

The duo has announced their forthcoming EP, Strange Ways, alongside lead single, “Radio.” Watch the cinematic, eerie official video. The EP will be released on October 27 (full track listing can be found below).

On “Radio,” the sisters’ voices mesh in perfect synchronicity, and the track personifies the essence of their sound — arresting, enchanting, complex and a little bit creepy. The coinciding video follows the perspective of the song’s narrator, a man obsessed with a woman who doesn’t even know he’s there.

“It’s interesting to have two femme voices singing the perspective of a man,” says Mari. “The song overall is about this liminal space in between the sane and insane, okay and not okay … and how much you can build someone up in your head.”

“When I was writing ‘Radio,’ I was thinking about how intensely you feel when a relationship blows up – how that can make people a little bit bitter, and scary,” adds Alice. “The song is coming from the perspective of a man who's very upset, and it’s threatening, but at the same time, it’s a consolation.”

Growing up in a musical home in New York’s storied East Village, the sisters found their penchant for making music together early on. Their different talents complement each other seamlessly, with self-professed introvert Alice drawing upon her rich inner world and her love of ghost stories to create vivid lyrics and translucent harmonies, and Mari acting as the ringleader, bringing their art into the world.

On their forthcoming EP, Alice plays a prolific range of instruments—including classical piano, guitar, organ, Juno, Moog and even the glockenspiel, the delicate plunking of which can be heard throughout the project’s tight five songs. In addition to vocals, songwriting and production, Mari provides percussion, and their gifts effortlessly blend together into one beautiful, evocative sound.

Their heart-wrenching, brooding melodies recall the lyrics of chamber music, bringing to mind the experimental folk and flush harmonies of recent acts like CocoRosie and Fleet Foxes but also, even further back to the singer-songwriters of the 1960s who themselves were influenced by Renaissance-era music. The sisters recall growing up listening to such singers, like Joan Baez, and other acoustic, Celtic and Indigenous artists.

The pair will perform at Rockwood Music Hall on October 25 to celebrate their EP release, and just in time for Halloween. PRESS HERE for tickets and more info and stay tuned for more exciting announcements in the coming weeks!

Watch the new music video here: