It’s been almost two years since GT last checked in with local brother-sister folk duo The Native Sibling, and during that time, the band has been busy. Ryan and Kaylee Williams have finished recording their full-length debut album—Letters Kept to Ourselves—a follow-up to their 2012 EP, Water Too Deep, Words Too Shallow. “It’s very raw,” Ryan says of the album, set for release this spring. “Kaylee and I are both very introspective writers, so there’s a lot of songs about memories, places we’ve been together and the inner workings of family and friendships.” One of the new songs, “Oh Sing,” has already received some radio play on KCRW in Los Angeles, and the duo recently released a video for “Carry You.”
Fans who can’t wait to hear the new album will have two reasons to attend The Native Sibling’s upcoming show at The Crepe Place on Friday. “We’re going to be playing mostly new songs, so that will be a great glimpse into our record and a live representation of what’s to come,” says Ryan. “We’re also going to have exclusive EPs at the show with a couple tracks from our new record, and the only way you’ll be able to get them is if you’re at the show.” Letters, which was produced by Daniel Mendez, showcases the siblings’ penchant for shimmering harmonies and earthy, organic tones, and the stripped down feel of the record makes for a very intimate listening experience. Ryan says the record has a very in-the-moment vibe which he believes will help the album resonate with listeners. “One interesting thing we did on the record was that we sang the vocals live in a room together,” Ryan says. “A lot of bands today do overdubs, but we had two microphones in the same room and had a lot of interaction because we were singing all these songs together.”
INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
