Sisters
As the dust settled on prolific runs with influential projects, Jason Blackmore (Molly McGuire) and Mario Quintero (Spotlights) found themselves entering the pandemic era with an abundance of creative fuel left in the tank. United under a new moniker, Sisters, Blackmore and Quintero have joined forces to bring the best elements of their respective previous projects together to create something new and menacing.
No stranger to the post-punk world, Jason Blackmore and his band Molly McGuire dominated the early 90's and were considered to be among the early pioneers of the post-punk Kansas City music scene. Frequently pushing boundaries of what was possible in terms of rock music, Blackmore and Molly McGuire helped to inspire a generation of bands (Shiner, Boys Life, Giants Chair) who would go on to become torchbearers themselves. Molly McGuire’s heavy and melodic sound was a precursor to the post-hardcore and emo genres that would emerge later, and their music has been cited as an influence by bands such as Deftones and Hum.
Similarly, Mario Quintero's lead up to Sisters was equally as prolific. His other primary (and still active) project Spotlights formed in Brooklyn in 2013, and is often described as a mix of shoegaze, doom metal, and post rock. The band has released several critically acclaimed albums and EP's and their music has been praised for its atmospheric soundscapes, heavy riffs, and haunting vocals.
And now... Sisters, an amalgamation of brooding nuances, driving rhythms, and distorted guitar riffs that distinctly showcase the stylistic fingerprints of both Blackmore and Quintero. “Around 2008, I wrote a handful of Molly McGuire-esque tunes and hit up Mario to see if he would be down to record them for the hell of it at his San Diego-based studio, Black Box,” says Blackmore. “He was into it and Sisters was born.” Fast-forward. The world shuts down. “When the pandemic hit in 2020, we decided to pick five of our favorite jams and divvy up the lyrics and vocal duties,” Blackmore continues, “then Mario mixed and mastered the songs and we self-released the Make It Hurt EP. After it was released, we immediately agreed that we should make a full-length record. Recording is always fun, fulfilling and therapeutic – and our chemistry is undeniable.”
The duo's first full length, Leecheater, is a gripping and immersive listening experience that showcases the band's ability to create massive sonic landscapes that press the limits of modern rock. While hard to cleanly label, Leecheater pulls heavily from the more aggressive side of the nineties, but stylistically edges in the direction of bands like Neurosis, The Cure, or Robin Trower. “We really wanted the record to sound different,” says Quintero, “like if an old Minor Threat record was recorded through a Queens of the Stone Age machine – dry, dark, and chunky – I think we nailed it.”
Leecheater is heavy and moody, but still with a strong melodic sensibility. Lyrically the record pulls few punches, taking huge and divisive topics straight on with ruminations on drugs, death, religion, and love. Produced at Quintero’s home studio in Pittsburgh, the majority of Leecheater was recorded live over the course of two sessions. “Recording has become much easier as I get older,” says Blackmore. “I used to get stressed out and uncomfortable because I wanted everything to be perfect, and I had everything pretty much musically orchestrated and mapped out in my head going into a studio [but] Mario is a genius. He is a natural. He has the technical side of recording down. Which I do not. So it's the definition of teamwork. I bring in the songs and he knows exactly how to get the right sounds – when you are recording with one of your best friends in his home studio it's effortless, stressless and magical.”
With its lush production and dynamic arrangements, Leecheater is a must-listen for fans of heavy, atmospheric music and is sure to cement Sisters' place as one of the most exciting and innovative bands in the contemporary rock scene.
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"If you're a fan of bands like Deftones, Hum and Failure, than Sisters are a group you need to pay attention to."- Revolver
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