The Chapin Sisters at Kitchen Garden Café

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Posted 2022-07-15 by Andy Coleman ⇒ follow

Wed 20 Jul 2022

Lily and Abigail Chapin, aka The Chapin Sisters , begin their first UK tour in almost a decade at Birmingham's Kitchen Garden Café on July 20, 2022. Fans of their unique blend of Appalachian, folk, classic country rock and pop are in for a treat because they've promised to debut songs from their new album at the British shows.

Growing up in a famous American musical family, up the river from New York City, the sisters made their vocal debuts at ages six and eight, on their father Tom Chapin 's Grammy Award-winning children's albums. Their uncle was the late, legendary folk icon and social justice activist Harry Chapin , who had a chart-topping single with Cats in the Cradle. Their grandfather, Jim Chapin , was a celebrated jazz drummer and their cousin, Jen Chapin , is an acclaimed jazz-influenced singer/songwriter.

The sisters have garnered critical acclaim since their first recordings. Together with half-sister, Jessica Craven, their 2004 demos made an immediate splash at KCRW, a prominent Los Angeles radio station. Their haunting cover of Britney Spears' Toxic quickly became a station favourite. In 2010, Jessica left the band to focus on raising her own family, but not before the band made an impact with their debut album, Lake Bottom LP. Shortly afterwards Abigail and Lily, now a duo, released their five-song EP Oh, Hear the Wind Blow, closely followed by their second album, Two, on their own Lake Bottom record label.

With harmony in mind, their next self-release was 2013's gender-bending tribute album, A Date with The Everly Brothers, with Abigail and Lily perfecting their two-part vocals à la Don and Phil.

Their follow-up album, Today's Not Yesterday, was recorded in 2015 and captures a Southern California vibe with a more emotive, reflective and contemplative side of the sisters emerging.

In 2018, soon after both sisters had given birth to their first children, their Ferry Boat EP arrived with a new view of the world around them. Recorded days after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2016, Lily described the time in the studio as "a refuge", while Abigail added that "music is something positive that we could put into the world, and now, as new mothers, it feels more powerful than ever."

Focusing on raising their families, the sisters' musical endeavours were put on ice until lockdown, which proved to be a creative time for them. Once again in the Hudson Valley, in quarantine with their family, they returned to their children's folk music roots. Along with their dad, they started playing a live-streamed daily concert for families with little ones to help them make it through the pandemic. What they imagined would be a handful of shows ultimately became a year and a half long project. In July 2021 they played their 200th and final show of Mornings With Papa Tom and The Chapin Sisters .

Simultaneously, they were busy writing, recording and working towards what will become their fifth album – music that they will be showcasing on their UK tour.

**The Chapin Sisters 2022 UK tour dates:

July 20: Kitchen Garden Café, Kings Heath, Birmingham;
July 21: Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington, London;
July 22: St Edith Folk at Oxford Village Hall, Sevenoaks, Kent;
July 23: Chidham & Hambrook Village Hall, Chichester;
July 24: Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea;
July 27: Basecamp, Middlesbrough;
July 28: The Greystone, Sheffield;
July 29: The Vault, Hexham;
July 30: The Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny;
Aug 2: Victoria Hall, Settle, North Yorkshire;
Aug 3: Grateful Fred's Americana & Roots Music at The Atkinson, Southport;
Aug 4: The Live Room, Shipley, West Yorkshire.**