SISTER WIVES

“Dark and mossy and quite promising.”
Brooklyn Vegan

“Last year we saw excellent releases from Sister Wives, an industrial-laced quartet that explore spirituality and witchcraft in their music”
NME
 

Sister Wives have today shared two more tracks from their forthcoming debut album. The Double A single release sees the emerging Welsh speaking band release tracks 'Streets at Night' and 'O Dŷ i Dŷ', following on from a string of well-received singles and appearances at festivals across the UK this summer. Inspired by Welsh mythology, thread throughout a cavernous mix of psychedelia, folk, post-punk, garage and 70s glam rock, Sister Wives recently announced their debut album will be released on 28^th October via Libertino Records.

New track 'O Dŷ i Dŷ' is about the Welsh folkloric custom of South Wales, The horse headed Mari Lwyd. The song discusses the tradition and questions whether she has been culturally appropriated, and if she has, whether this is a bad thing or not. The earliest accounts of the horse headed Mari date back to 1798, but the tradition declined in popularity in the early 20th century. The tradition saw a resurgence towards the end of the 20th century and then in 21st century has increased its popularity with the iconic image and use of the Mari spreading as far as North America. O Dŷ i Dŷ’ translates as ‘From house to house’, referencing how she attempts to gain entry to houses, where a musical battle would commence to gain entry, like a poetry slam.

"The song questions whether this is a way of celebrating Welsh culture or whether this is a form of cultural appropriation" says the band. "It mentions how ‘the mare runs free, let’s see where she ends up landing’ and asks for people to reflect on whether those who have resurrected her in other countries are guilty of stealing her skeleton."

Meanwhile, 'Streets at Night' is a literal, visceral description of what it feels like to fear for one's life when walking at night. Paired with a retro organ and a pulsing changeable tempo, the track imbues a distinctive sense of dread - almost emulating a classic horror movie soundtrack. "The song was written as an outlet for this experience that we’ve all felt" says the band. "The speed of the song changing halfway through influenced the lyrics and we hear heartbeats speeding up and slowing down throughout, mirroring the feeling of being on high alert when out walking alone."

Y Gawres, the album’s title, is inspired by the ancient burial site on Anglesey, Barclodiad y Gawres, which translates to “The Giantess’ Apronful”. While giants are central to the nation’s folklore, it’s rare to hear of female giants. The idea led the Sheffield-based band — consisting of Donna Lee (vocals/keys/synths), Rose Love (vocals/bass), Liv Willars (vocals/guitar), Lisa O’Hara (vocals/drums) — to picture a devastating, nurturing, awe-inspiring, and most importantly feminine force of their own.  
 
The lyrics are divided between English and Lee’s native Welsh, and the country is deeply present across the album. It’s important to Lee to represent the Welsh language outside of Wales, with the band often making connections with Welsh audience members and showing others that singing in the language is viable and meaningful.
 
All four members of Sister Wives began their respective journeys in music in the punk and DIY music scenes. However, the band is a vehicle for experimentation, with its members adopting a deeply collaborative and open-minded approach. Industrial, grating synth and guitar sounds form their foundation, while vocals are haunting and harmonic. “We try and make our music sound as powerful and primal as possible,” the band explain. ‘Writing music as women in our thirties means we have more life experience to bring to our songwriting, and we’re very supportive of each other’s ideas. Nothing is ever off the table.”
 
During the early stages of writing the album in summer 2021, the band was inspired by a trip to Anglesey, where they explored the ruined mansion, Baron Hill. It was incredible to see it reclaimed by nature, to feel that reality was altered in this place out of time. They reflect that feeling through the pulsing, gritty, yet simultaneously ethereal track “Baron Hill”. 

At the core of Y Gawres is reclamation. Stamping a space for themselves, women, and anyone pushing against patriarchal norms; whether it’s in the folklore of the past or now. “We think it’s important to be visible as a band of women in our thirties who are still playing gigs and making noise, rather than retreating into more socially acceptable roles and hanging up our instruments,” the band affirm. With this in mind, Sister Wives have created an honest, bold and musically distinct debut entirely on their own terms.

Soon after forming in 2017, they found a home in Sheffield’s supportive and genre-diverse DIY scene. They’ve garnered support in their second home of Wales too, seeing radio play on BBC Cymru and BBC Wales, and making appearances at Green Man Festival and FOCUS Wales. Y Gawres was partly recorded at Tesla Studios with Sheffield-based production wizard Dean Honer (Róisín Murphy, The Moonlandingz, I Monster, Eccentronic Research Council). His armoury of vintage synthesisers and keyboards was key to the process, allowing the band to create sonic twists and turns that match the album’s multifaceted subject matter.