ACL Interview: Family Band Bailen Talks Three-Part Harmonies and Sibling Shenanigans
"Being in a sibling band is a really weird social experiment"
By Kriss Conklin, Fri., Oct. 6, 2023
Since forming in 2014, NYC folk-pop sibling trio Bailen has cemented lush vocal harmonies as the centerpiece of their music. From the tour-tested soul runs of debut Thrilled to Be Here to the experimental falsetto on follow-up Tired Hearts, they continue to challenge the boundaries of their voices.
“There’s something about sibling harmonies that, if you have it, you shouldn’t sleep on it,” says bassist Daniel Bailen. “Even though our voices are really different, they [matched] in the perfect way that we were like, ‘Holy shit!’”
In an alternate universe, Daniel, his twin brother David (drums), and their younger sister Julia (vocals/guitar) might have appeared on a Randy Jackson-piloted reality series about sibling bands. “Thank god it never got picked up,” the youngest Bailen says. Instead, the group fell into place after Julia filled in various three-part harmonies Daniel and David had written but struggled to find a match for.
“I feel like being in a sibling band is a really weird social experiment,” she quips. “There aren’t a lot of sibling narratives in the world, it’s kind of undersung.”
For more sibling shenanigans, see their advice-giving Instagram video series “Bailen Family Therapy.” Ahead of their inaugural ACL Fest performance, Daniel concludes with what sets their airy alternative tracks apart live.
“On a computer, you can build three-part harmonies really easily with just your voice. So sometimes it’s hard to think of harmony as impressive or cool-sounding on a record, but it’s not so easy to do live,” Daniel explains. “You kind of have to see us if you’re going to understand us as a band.
“We don’t use a harmonizing pedal, it’s all just natural.”
