Sister act to release fifth album

TWIN folk duo Alanna and Alicia have been busily preparing their fifth album, thanks in part to Creative Victoria backing.

The sisters recently received a Music Works Grant which has allowed them to record, produce and promote their latest work.

Alicia Egan said the album Heart Song Listen has been in the works for a while but delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions and the birth of her child in May.

“It’s been really wonderful, exhausting and amazing,” she said. “All of these things have been happening, but we’re determined to finish it and get back out there again.

“It’s been a pretty tough time for musos with COVID and lockdowns so it’s fantastic to have this opportunity.”

Egan said the album features original works from the sisters, utilising their anecdotal song writing and familial harmonies.

Tracks on the album include Sincerely, COVID, which was released in 2020.

“It’s a letter from COVID talking about what we can learn from this and how it’s exposed some inequities in our society,” Egan said.

There’s a range of subject material on the album, from climate change to the New Orleans jazz scene, as well as personal songs about the death of the sisters’ grandmother and Egan’s experience with a miscarriage.

“Sometimes the really personal songs are the best ones because you have to write them out of necessity to express something and make sense of it,” she said. “I think audiences can really feel that authenticity if you’re being really honest.

“Those songs honour those important people in my life, my beautiful grandmother and also the baby we lost.

“It’s an important thing to do personally but also the personal is the universal and other people would’ve been through similar things… you can connect to it and feel less alone.”

Keen to be back and performing in Bendigo, Alanna and Alicia will play at Bendigo Relay for Life on Saturday, 27 August with guitarist Damien Neil.

The twins will also play final Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival in November, an event they have been a part of since its inception.