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Kennedy sisters have identical musical vision

Carli will fret and Julie will bow during album release concert
Paul Galinski

Max Cameron Theatre will become the Kennedy Centre when Powell River’s most famous identical twins return home for a musical concert.

Carli and Julie Kennedy are making the last stop on their CD release tour in their hometown on Wednesday, April 15, promoting their album entitled It’s a Love Thing.

The title track on the album has been released as a single and has been on iTunes since January 20.

“It’s about the things we do every single day for love,” Carli said. “It talks about our family. Our parents have been huge supporters. It kind of became the theme for the album.

“I know all of our Powell River friends listening to those lyrics will totally know the true story behind them.”

While Carli and Julie regularly perform as a duo, for the album release tour, they are travelling with a bigger sound.

“We are coming with our band so we have a bass and drummer with us,” Julie said. “We are looking forward to a rocking show.”

The sisters have been road warriors in promoting their first album, which they describe as contemporary country.

“We just drove all the way across Canada in the middle of winter because we’re really smart, you know…” Carli said. “We have been promoting our first single so it’s our debut to radio. It has been a real success. We visited 47 radio stations in 45 days. We put 14,000 kilometres on the car.”

The twins are classically trained, with Carli playing guitar and Julie playing violin. Their musical style has evolved into contemporary, more straight-ahead country, however.

“It’s been really exciting because that is the music we grew up listening to and it’s the music in our hearts,” Julie said.

In creating their album, the twins had the opportunity to work with award-winning Canadian country music star George Canyon, who produced the album in Calgary. The recording was made at Canyon’s “beautiful” ranch studio. There is a video capturing the essence of Carli, Julie, Canyon and others at the studio location at www.twinkennedy.com.

“We spent a month last summer just breathing music and making music all day long,” Carli said. “It was a total dream come true.”

While the guitar and violin perfectly complement one another in country music, it was not the design of the twins when they first picked up their instruments.

“That worked out well, hey? We didn’t plan it when we were seven years old,” Julie said. “We call our show classical to country. We take the audience on a journey.”

In terms of the writing the new album, Carli and Julie have been travelling to Nashville a couple of times a year. They spent three or four months there last year, writing with other songwriters, including “tons of Canadians.” They composed more than 100 songs over a two-year span.

“For us as songwriters and musicians, writing songs that are true stories is very important to us,” Julie said. “Our fans who are listening want to connect, not just to a musician, but also to a person. I think it’s the most truth we’ve ever shared and that’s why we took time writing the songs and evolving as songwriters.”

Wonderful ambassadors for this city, Carli and Julie have found, while travelling throughout North America and Europe, that fans know Powell River exists.

“People from all over the world have heard of Powell River,” Carli said. “We’re so proud. It’s such a special town and there is so much music for the size of the community.

“It’s so much fun to tour around the world, talk about where we are from, and at least somebody has heard of it. Our small town roots are such a huge part of the music, of whom we are, and our evolution as artists. It was really important for us to come back and finish the tour in Powell River.”

While extended time on the road can be fractious for touring musicians, the sisters have drawn closer. It has certainly been a love thing for Carli and Julie, not just in the creation of music, but also in the sisterly relationship.

“We’re so lucky we have each other and build this career together as a duo,” Julie said.

“I have my best friend on the road, travelling,” Carli added. “We have been spending at least half our lives on tour the last couple of years. To do it together, it’s really special.”

When The Max becomes the Kennedy Centre at 7:30 pm on April 15, those in attendance will be hearing new songs as well as some old and a mix ranging from classical to country. The show will be for all ages and family-friendly.

“It’s going to be a happy celebration of what we’ve been doing for the last few years,” Carli said. “We want to celebrate with the community that has been such a support for us for our whole lives.”

“We hope to see everyone,” Julie said. “There’ll be lots of hugs. We are really excited.”

Tickets for the show are $22 for adults, $18 for students and seniors, and children 12 years old and younger gain admission free.

Tickets are available at the door, Powell River Academy of Music, Breakwater Books and Fudge and online.