After cementing themselves with a flurry of rich and enticing releases over the last year, Dutch-American sisters Grafted Culture recently returned to unveil their transportive new single 'Ivory Sands'.
Capturing a strong grasp of the traditional folk sound and merging it with a more contemporary guise, 'Ivory Sands' makes for an alluring listen from start to finish. With their sweeping voices layered amongst a warm and atmospheric texture, these two certainly look to create a passionate direction throughout.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and what has inspired them most over the years.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Michaëlle - My first true love was the electric guitar, I remember experimenting with the broad range of sounds you can achieve through an amplifier. Much to Gabriëlle’s dismay I also found that you could make it about as loud as you want and that was great!
Gabriëlle - When we were younger we both took piano lessons and were introduced to a variety of classical instruments at orchestras and ensembles. We both have a keen appreciation for all types of instruments and enjoy integrating them into our music but the piano has always been my favourite.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Gabriëlle - Our musical tastes differed quite dramatically actually. I always enjoyed classical and jazz and Celtic music whereas Michaëlle often listened to rock, blues and alternative rock.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Michaëlle - The first album I remember owning caused me to spend hours upon hours dancing up and down in my room with my earbuds in. High School Musical’s song “The Boys are Back.”
Gabriëlle - When we were little we had this CD with Dutch children’s sing-along songs about treating others well and getting along. I think we both derived a sense of duty and purpose from that album. Our music now tends towards considering contemporary ethical questions and truths.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
“The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Michaëlle - I have a tendency to write my lyrics sitting on the floor in the most inconvenient locations and eating my favourite selection of parmesan cheese and almonds while Gabriëlle records and plays back the same line or melody over and over subsisting solely on coffee.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Gabriëlle - Michaëlle chooses not to listen to music in order that her lyrics and style remain untouched and raw. I currently enjoy bothering her with endless hours of Tchaikovsky and Debussy.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Probably Enya, we would love to share the stage with this amazing musician if she ever did a tour.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Michaëlle - I would say the performance aspect. Being brave enough to put yourself out there and inspire people to live their lives in a bolder manner is very rewarding.
Gabriëlle - The learning experience. With every musical endeavour there is so much to learn about the language of music and how it speaks to people.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Michaëlle - That moment where you feel like you have lost the song because you don’t know for sure if you can get it back.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Michaëlle - I remember when my first guitar teacher told me “Don’t be afraid to do it your way”. I felt like he gave me permission that day to be my own musician and that there was a place for my music in the world.
-
Grafted Culture's new single 'Ivory Sands' is available to stream now. Check out the new video for it in the player below.