Sisters Krista and Kendra of Tigirlily didn’t grow up in a musical household, but since moving to Nashville, they have found a way to do what they love every day, write music and perform.
“We’ve always been fortunate enough to make a living off of music the last 8 years, and as long as we can continue to do what we love, we call that a success,” Tigirlily told Music Mayhem.
Tigirlily is currently planning the release of their 5-track, self-titled debut EP next month, which was co-produced by Shane McAnally and Louis Newman. According to this duo, the high-energy music on this EP fully encompasses who they are as a band.
“If someone asked me, ‘who is Tigirlily?’, I would say ‘give me 17 minutes and 5 songs to explain.’”
Instead of arguing like most sisters, these women have learned how to effectively communicate and get along with each other. Because they work together so often, it’s important to play off each other’s strengths, but also take note of their weaknesses so that they can support one another as needed. Luckily, they figured out a way to both maintain an “equal and important workload/role” in their careers.
Snippets of some of their songs can already be heard on TikTok, which has become a popular platform for artists to use to share their music. Tigirlily revealed that many of their fans found them through the videos of them singing in their kitchen. The app has allowed them to connect with their audience in a whole new way.
Tigirlily recently caught up with Music Mayhem to talk about their debut self-titled EP, their journey to Nashville, how TikTok has helped their career, and more. Continue reading to learn more about Tigirlily.
For our readers to get to know you a little bit more, can you share your backstory?
Since we are sisters, we grew up singing together in western ND. I (Krista) started writing songs and playing guitar at the age of 10 and at about the same time, Kendra started competing in local singing competitions and talent shows. At 14 and 16, we officially joined forces and became “Tigirlily.” We threw ourselves into playing every country fair and school around the ND/Midwest area and started sharing original music and covers on YouTube.
By the time I (Krista) had graduated high school, Kendra and I had made several trips to Nashville and knew we wanted to take a leap of faith and move down to Music City. In Aug. of 2017, we left everything we knew and dove head first into Nashville by playing 3-4 times a week downtown, writing hundreds of songs, and going to college full time at Belmont University. Recently, our song “Somebody Does” went #1 all genre on the itunes charts in late February 2021 after going completely viral and soon followed our first major record deal with Monument Records, a division of Sony. We’ve always been fortunate enough to make a living off of music the last 8 years, and as long as we can continue to do what we love, we call that a success.
What inspired you ladies to pursue a career in country music and is this something you’ve always wanted to do?
Oddly enough, our family is not musical, so we never really thought of music as a career; we just knew we loved to sing and write music together. As we started getting paid to play shows and could then afford to record original music, that became the turning point of “Oh, we could really make a living off of music.” Once we got a taste of that, we couldn’t imagine doing anything else and continued to work hard playing every show we could so we could play music for a living.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences/inspirations?
We’ve always been inspired by bands with big harmony and energy. We grew up listening to Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, The Chicks, The Wreckers, Little Big Town, etc.. We were inspired to write our own songs at a young age mostly due to Taylor Swift.
You girls are gearing up to release your 5-track, self-titled debut EP next month, can you tell us a bit about the EP?
Even though we’ve been “Tigirlily” for 8 years, this is the first time we have really locked in 5 songs that show every facet of Tigirlily – undeniably who we are, what we sound like, and where we come from. If someone asked me, “who is Tigirlily?”, I would say “give me 17 minutes and 5 songs to explain.” We also had the amazing opportunity for this EP to be co-produced by Shane McAnally and Louis Newman, who both helped give the songs so much energy and life. The production is completely live-band, high energy, and vocal centered.
If you had to choose one song off the EP that is the most meaningful to you, which one would it be and what’s the backstory to the song?
We would have to choose “Somebody Does.” All we want in life is to inspire and help people convey their emotions through our music. We wrote “Somebody Does” as a message to every single person that they matter, they are loved, and that they are more than enough exactly how they are. We thought even if this song touches one person and makes them feel a little bit better in this crazy world, we are doing our jobs as writers and as artists. Since the release of “Somebody Does,” thousands of people have messaged us saying how much the song has changed their lives. It truly does not get any more gratifying than that to us.
Fans have already heard three songs from the EP ahead of its release, do you feel these three songs best showcase the overall project?
The other two songs on the EP that haven’t been heard yet show different sides of Tigirlily, but the three songs we’ve already released give people a good idea of who we are already.
Your single “Somebody Does” skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot after its viral success on TikTok, how did it feel to see millions of people resonated with your song so much that it hit No. 1?
It is the most unreal feeling to have a song that is so much bigger than ourselves. All we have ever wanted is to make a difference in people’s lives. Honestly, if there was ever a song of ours to reach #1, we’re glad it was “Somebody Does.” We wanted to be the voices of encouragement to anyone who needed to hear it.
With TikTok being a driving force in the music industry lately, How important do you feel TikTok is today in helping artists have their music heard?
TikTok puts the power in the hands of the fans. TikTok is simply another way for new people to discover your music along with live shows, instagram reels, play listing, etc. The cool thing about TikTok is that through posting little singing videos in our kitchen on TikTok, we have had so many people physically show up at our shows who have discovered us on “TikTok.” It’s crazy to think about how many shows we would have had to play to connect with the millions of people our videos have reached! Overall, it’s important for new artists to utilize the app as a way of more people finding your music and connecting to you as an artist.
What has been your favorite trend so far on TikTok and who is a person you recommend following?
Aside from our singing videos, we love doing all the new dance trends with Kendra’s husband Jared! He is the real superstar! Lol. Serving up moves straight from the kitchen! Some of our favorite creators are @kaycstroh & @annasitar 🙂
What challenges have you faced being in a country music duo with your sibling?
It’s funny because Kendra and I are truly best friends and get along 99% of the time. We actually love that we can be transparent and honest with each other all the time about our career. The hardest thing about working together was establishing “roles” and “tasks” within the band. Kendra and I each have an equal and important workload/role in Tigirlily, and know each other’s strengths at this point.
What’s next for Tigirlily in 2021 after the release of your debut EP?
Continue to create, write, play shows, and enjoy this crazy journey.
