Sister Species

BIO:

Fronted by accordionist/songwriter Emily Kastrul (Betazoid, Hazel Ra), chamber-pop septet Sister Species is known for their thoughtful, dynamic arrangements and opulent three-part trumpet harmonies. Sister Species’ full length records “Light Exchanges,” “Heavy Things Do Move,” and “Closer Now” have been hailed by music critics as “warm and luminous,” showcasing Kastrul’s vision and ability to lead 6 other band members “through the chaos to something beautiful”.

With an eye for astronomical and botanical wonders, Kastrul's songs range in topic from the inevitable heat death of the universe to dogs running through bogs. Featuring the 3-part trumpet section of Jake Baldwin (McNasty Brass Band), Noah Ophoven-Baldwin (Percheron, Realtree) and Sten Johnson (McNasty Brass Band, New Sound Underground), guitarist Willow Waters (The Earth Tones, Still Unstill), bassist Maddie Thies (The Earth Tones), and drummer Lars Johnson (McNasty Brass Band, Radiochurch), Sister Species’ full ensemble supports Kastrul’s intimate and intricate songwriting.

MUSIC VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO44Io2GNgU

PRESS QUOTE (more available here): “Chamber pop from Minneapolis filled out by golden three-part trumpet, with a lyrical approach both wry and tender” -- Bandcamp “New & Notable”

ON “LENA IN THE BOG”:

Minneapolis chamber-pop septet Sister Species’ fourth studio album “Lena in the Bog” is a collection of 10 songs written from March of 2020 to January of 2023. Inspired by accordionist/songwriter Emily Kastrul’s best friend’s dying dog Lena, “Lena in the Bog” is full of clear and bright arrangements that grew out of dark and murky times. The band shapeshifts through meadows and asphalt, the songs belonging to buzzing screens as much as they belong to the cicadas. Like the bog itself, Sister Species’ arrangements are dense and inviting, each instrument a symbiotic species, with the three-part trumpet section blanketing the songs like moss. 

 “Lena in the Bog” will be released on Aura Vortex Records on 9/20/2024, as vinyl, CD, cassette, or streaming.