We had the opportunity to sit down with them before their set in Pittsburgh to discuss their latest accomplishments, the emphasis (but also lack thereof) placed on being women in this industry, and the importance of learning the history of their craft.
2016 has proven to be quite the year so far for these two talented young musicians. From an arena show opening up for Queen, playing Glastonbury festival, and a performance on Conan, to securing a spot touring with the legendary Elvis Costello… Larkin Poe shows no signs of slowing down.
March saw a sort of re-release of their album KIN, under a new title, Reskinned. When offered to work with an overseas market, recording new songs and choosing their favorites from KIN was a way for them to put out content in Europe that they felt genuinely represented them at that point in their careers. Touring for a decade while experiencing the ups and downs of growing up, it’s only natural that their sound would continue to evolve as they do.
“I feel like as an artist, it’s really important to keep growing, to keep yourself moving forward.”
Does being related ever complicate the writing and recording process? They say yes, but in the best way. Both perfectionists, they tend to ultimately bring out the best in each other in the studio, culminating in a record that they both can be proud of. During their performances, it’s clear to everyone in attendance that they are extremely close and almost seem to feed off of each other’s energy, resulting in a truly electric live show.
Despite the amount of successful female artists, it’s no secret that this is still seen as a largely male-dominated industry. However, Larkin Poe do hope that they can serve as inspiration for young girls (and boys) to pick up an instrument and learn how to play music.
Rebecca says, “In the mainstream music, there isn’t as much of a focus placed on musicianship and being a really strong songwriter and honing the craft of the musical language.” They believe that it’s important for young musicians to get educated by listening to the classics and really dig into what today’s music originated from.
Although, it is also very important to recognize that there is more to female artists than the sole fact that they are female. Megan recalls an instance in which they were in the studio recording on Steven Tyler’s latest album, when the frontman himself walked in. He remarked about how he saw two pretty girls, but when they started playing it was “genderless.” So while they would love to serve as musical role models for young girls, at the same time, it’s important to put focus on the music itself.
“If you show up and work hard and have that passion and have that love… it doesn’t really matter if you’re a girl or a boy or an alien.”
Fans can look forward to them touring throughout the rest of the year, as well as hopefully having some time off this fall to write!
Check them out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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