Country music duo Robyn & Ryleigh say they are looking forward to being back in the Okanagan this weekend.
“It is going to be awesome. People in the Okanagan love their country music,” said Ryleigh Gillespie. “We love having the Okanagan as our audience, they are so into their music.”
But the two sisters won’t have much time to enjoy the area after performing at Actionfest in Summerland on June 6 and 7.
“Actionfest is the start of our summer tour, then we just continue on into Alberta,” said Robyn, explaining they will be finishing their next album there.
“We are going to be recording the rest of our album at OCL studios in Calgary, closer voice,” said Robyn.
“I Found You,” a single for the release of the upcoming album of the same name has just been released by Royalty Records and Raincoast Music, available on iTunes.
The sisters say Actionfest audiences are sure to hear the new song, and maybe a few unreleased tracks from the upcoming album.
“We can’t keep secrets. Well, at least Robyn can’t,” laughed Ryleigh.
I Found You is another highlight for the Langley, B.C. sisters, following a pair of 2012 BCCMA Award nominations and the 2013 release of their first full-length album and debut single, Just Another Sundown, which played on Canadian country radio and was picked up for video play by The Heartland Network (The Nashville Network) in the U.S. It’s also the first single released by the duo since signing with Royalty Records earlier this year.
“We wanted to expand our sound by writing a song with pop and rock elements that everyone can dance to. There’s something in I Found You for every listener,” said Robyn.
“Music can make your mood go from sad to extremely happy in just one note,” said Ryleigh. “Besides trying something new with this song, it was important to us to create something that will leave people with a smile.”
The young duo is looking forward to performing their new music, which they say has matured as they gain experience in the business and exposure to other artists.
“When we first started performing together, Robyn had written most of our songs,” said Ryleigh. “I feel that now I am starting to write more and we are bringing in other co-writers, our sound is changing a lot.
“She is a little bit more country. With me, I am a little bit more pop and rock. So when we mix those things together, it has the best sound, it has the best of both worlds.”
I Found You is the first official single written by both Robyn & Ryleigh along with Chris Reardon and is one of a number of new songs developed by the duo during a songwriting trip to Nashville.
“Nashville has a heartbeat of country music and creativity on every corner. The opportunity to follow our own musical dreams to Music City has inspired us in new ways and forever influenced our sound,” said Robyn Gillespie.
Writing together has also changed the music according to Robyn.
“We never used to write together, it was always me writing in my room or wherever and then Ryleigh started writing with me so naturally the songs got angrier,” said Robyn, with an indignant exclamation in the background from Ryleigh.
“This song shows off a fun, confident, and rockin’ side of the girls that some people haven’t heard before. It also brings an energy that sounds equally as strong on the radio as it does live,” said David Wills, co-founder of Raincoast Music.
Wills is involved in Robyn & Ryleigh’s music as more than a producer. His band, the legendary B.C. rockers Stonebolt, will be backing the sisters up on stage at Actionfest as they did at their Peachfest performance last year.
“David wills and Ray Roper are going to be joining us on stage, which is going to be super fun,” said Robyn. “They are going to add that real rock to our sound,”
“It is so cool,” added Ryleigh. “That rock aspect, it just makes you feel so alive on stage, when you hear Ray break into this awesome solo that goes for three minutes.
“These guys are legend, it is an honour to be able to perform with them and we learn something every time we have a rehearsal or hit the stage with them.”
The release of I Found You will be followed by select concert stops in B.C. and Alberta, including the Summerland Action Festival on June 6 and 7, Pete Knight Days in Crossfield on June 12 and 13, Golden Spike Days in Port Moody on June 27, Canada Day in both Vancouver and Langley, the Summer Street Festival in Revelstoke on August 24 and 25 as well as the Taber Corn Festival on August 28.
More information is available at summerlandactionfestival.com and robynandryleigh.com.