ANTIGONISH: Moira and Claire MacMillan are even in tune when they laugh.
That was apparent during a recent phone conversation with The Reporter, where their sense of humour and warmth, as listeners and audiences have experienced, came shining through as they discussed not only the release of their CD i’m not usually this forward, but… and a performance at Nova Scotia Music Week 2022, but also where the sister singing duo plans to take their budding career.
“We don’t know what it is,” Moira quips of the music collection.
The sisters note that the most common description is “straddling the line between EP and album.”
Calling it a “coming of age project,” Ticklegrass Records released the seven-song collection on Nov. 2.
Without pulling any punches, the collection of tunes “captures the key frames of growing up; focusing on love, connectivity, sadness, loneliness, and curiosity,” while one, such as “Delaney’s Dad,” is delivered through the eyes of someone “angry and frustrated.”
Along with the “hilarious, but scathing” “Delaney’s Dad,” the song list includes the “tumbling, impressionistic” “Better than This,” the mandolin-drive ode to Nova Scotia’s south shore, “You Look Good in Yellow,” and “i keep texting u,” one listeners were treated to with a mid-summer release.
“It’s our first project; a collection of some of the songs that we’re most proud of. It’s us experimenting and collaborating with mixers and producers. An exploration of our sound and trying to find out who we are as artists,” the sisters say in a press release promoting the CD’s release.
Although, as things have evolved and they implement more production-related elements, Claire points out that their indie folk harmonies, with acoustic guitar, remain the foundation of what they do.
Both play guitar, while Moira leans towards the ukulele and Claire to the mandolin. Each also plays the piano, but as Moira notes with a laugh, that instrument doesn’t really have a role in their musical repertoire.
As for the song-writing process, the sisters explain that they do a lot independently before more often than not coming together to help put the finishing touches on a tune.
When it comes to a common theme with their songs, Claire indicates that they, most times, deal with “life experiences,” ones that are sometimes “stretched,” quips Moira.
“Still Feel Alone” comes from Claire, a reflection on the transition from high school to university, while “Breathe It All In,” for Moira, stems from a time of great anxiety; the tune offering a reminder to “breathe and be present.”
Although music, singing particularly, has always been a part of their lives, the siblings note that they really started tapping into their passion, including song writing, when their family moved to the east coast, Antigonish, specifically, in 2014.
“We learned a lot about the opportunities for independent artists,” Moira remembers of their early experiences at Music Nova Scotia conferences.
She adds, “We thought, ‘let’s do it,’” when it comes to the sisters exploring where their music career could end up.
Three years ago, the sisters released a Christmas single titled “No Snow,” which included a video as quirky as the catchy tune; one shot by their father Blaise, who is a photo and videographer.
They recorded their first single “Your Voice,” a love song, of sorts, a couple of years earlier at Joel Plaskett’s New Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth.
Their list of performance venues has expanded over the years; a list that includes Granville Green in Port Hawkesbury and Big Spruce Brewery in Nyanza, Cape Breton, not to mention taking the stage for an ECMA showcase.
And the pair added the Highland Arts Theatre in downtown Sydney, where they performed tunes, including from their newly released CD, as part of Nova Scotia Music Week 2022 festivities in Cape Breton last weekend.
When it comes to taking the stage, both have dealt with “performance anxiety,” with what Moira describes as “bantering” on stage between songs continuing to pose a challenge.
“Messing up has, kind of, become part of our brand,” Claire quips.
Along with performing, Moira is completing her music therapy studies at Concordia University in Montreal, while Claire is an earth sciences and engineering diploma student at StFX.
The sisters say there have been plenty of discussions regarding pursuing music as a career path.
“We will see what happens,” Claire says.
Even though the sisters have been releasing singles over the past few months, via social media, a pair of songs, “Still Feel Alone” and “Breathe It All In,” debuted with the unveiling of the full album.
As for where people can find i’m not usually this forward, but…, the sisters reply, in unison, “Everywhere.”
Moira and Claire have already left their mark on social media platforms, including Tik Tok, where they have a following of more than 150,000 and growing.