Specializing in ethereal, introspective indie folk in the vein of artists like
First Aid Kit and
Fleet Foxes (with just a touch of
Taylor Swift),
Lily & Madeleine released their eponymous debut album as teenagers in 2013. Their rich harmonies and penchant for crafting timeless melodies remained in place as they developed a more mature, expansive sound over the course of their next few albums, including 2016's
Keep It Together, their debut for New West Records.
Indianapolis-based siblings
Lily and
Madeleine Jurkiewicz first caught the public's attention with a black-and-white D.I.Y. video for their first original song, "In the Middle," which soon garnered over half a million plays. Their elegant songcraft eventually led them to Asthmatic Kitty Records, where they enlisted the aid of producer
Paul Mahern and bassist/songwriter
Kenny Childers (
Gentleman Caller) to help put the finishing touches on their debut EP, early 2013's The Weight of the Globe. Also featuring production by
Mahern, the duo's eponymous debut long-player arrived later that year. It reached number 14 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart as well as becoming a Top 50 independent album.
In 2014, the sisters entered the studio to record their more expansive sophomore album, Fumes, which was released later that year. Their third full-length,
Keep It Together, continued in the direction of more complex arrangements without disturbing the directness of the duo's vocal delivery. With
Mahern again in the producer's chair, it was issued via New West Records in early 2016 and became their third straight record to reach the Top 20 of the Americana/Folk chart. Working with the Grammy-winning production team of
Ian Fitchuk and
Daniel Tashian (
Kacey Musgraves), they followed it in early 2019 with Canterbury Girls. ~ James Christopher Monger & Marcy Donelson