Sheffield four-piece Sister Wives meld English and Welsh language four-part harmonies with relentless, raw instrumentation, drawing on old influences to create their unique, genre-bending sound. Spanning heavy psychedelia, avant noise rock and ferocious fuzz-laden folk, the band take inspiration from nature, folklore, and 60s and 70s psychedelia.
Following a period of writing, last year the band emerged with two new singles, ‘YnCanu’ and ‘Malady’, digging further into their haunting, heavy sound as they also welcomed new guitarist Rachael Loomes (R. Loomes) into the fold.
Emerging from Sheffield’s thriving DIY scene in 2018, Sister Wives released their acclaimed debut EP ‘Gweler Ein Gofid’ and AA-side 10” vinyl ‘Crags’, followed by their sold-out debut album ‘Y Gawres’ which was nominated for the prestigious Welsh Music Prize in 2023.
The band have been in session for Marc Riley’s BBC6Music show, invited to play Green Man twice, sold-out London’s Shacklewell Arms, and have performed on Welsh TV channel S4C and at Sheffield’s Site Gallery for Sensoria Festival. They’ve supported Gwenno, The Moonlandingz, International Teachers of Pop, Crack Cloud and The New Eves, and had their music remixed by Mandy, Indiana, Gnoomes and Ani Glass.
Sister Wives are members of Sheffield grassroots collective/venue Delicious Clam, and this self-taught, DIY spirit carries through into everything the band do. As well as building unique sound worlds, they continue to create visual realms that are distinctively their own. All merch and record artwork designed by band drummer and illustrator, Lisa O’Hara, and previous stage costumes designed and made by bassist Rose Love.
Praise for Sister Wives:
“Last year […] we saw excellent releases from Sister Wives, an industrial-laced quartet that explore spirituality and witchcraft in their music”
– NME
“Heavy hauntological psychedelia… most assuredly excellent”
– Shindig!
“Shrouded with a coven-clouded appeal… Locked drums push against fuzz bass and a swirl of keys, while the vocals circle the whirlpool to great effect.”
– Raven Sings The Blues
“Dark and mossy and quite promising.”
– Brooklyn Vegan
“It’s the vocal harmonies and melodies that haunt and linger in warning, whilst the beats have a ceremonial menace… a fabulous scary soundscape.”
– God Is In The TV
“intoxicating mix of the motorik, with slabs of guitars, and threads of indie rock, psych and garage all thrown in… check out this in it’s fantastic glory”
– Backseat Mafia
Support from Typical Girlz.
We’re a DIY punk band born out of chaos, friendship, and a shared shift at the Grayston Unity. When we got asked to help put together a festival celebrating women and queer artists, — we decided the best response was to start a band.
What we lack in technical skill, we make up for in volume, attitude, and a belief that punk was always meant to be made by people who’ve never been “allowed” to make it. Loud, scrappy, and unapologetically ourselves — this is music made by us, for us, and for anyone else who’s ever been told to wait their turn.
Members £11, £12 full, £14 otd.
