Sister duo Tigirlily Gold (Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh) have always been drawn to strong harmonies and empowering lyrics, both of which are showcased on their forthcoming EP Blonde, featuring the fan favorite "Shoot Tequila." Like so many contemporary acts, the duo was inspired by several '90s and early aughts country songs, but there's one in particular that helped them hone a cornerstone of their craft: The Wreckers' 2006 hit "Leave the Pieces."
"We didn't actually grow up in a musical family so I actually taught myself harmony from this song," Krista Slaubaugh tells Wide Open Country. "I remember vividly driving home one day with my parents — it came out in 2006 and I was 8 years old at the time — and I heard these two great girl voices singing together and I said 'Mom, I need to learn how to do this. I need to learn how to do this. I want to learn how to sing harmony. So I went home, turned it up to 10 on repeat and I taught myself how to sing harmony."
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"Also this song, lyrically...is everything we stand for," Krista adds. "It's alright. I'll be fine. Don't worry about this heart of mine. Just leave the pieces when you go. Because we can build ourselves back up no matter what you throw our way in life, we're gonna be okay."
The duo, who are proudly bringing "girl group energy" to country music, say they're grateful that they were able to look up to another female duo at a formative time in their lives.
"I think hearing two really strong female voices was super inspirational to us and led us in that direction of wanting to be a duo together," Kendra Slaubaugh adds. "So thank you, The Wreckers, for inspiring us."
For Blonde, out June 23 via Monument Records, the duo teamed with producers Shane McAnally, Pete Good and Alex Kline. Pre-save the EP here.
