California-based Pop duo Kalina & Kiana are known for their magnetic hooks and high-energy live performances.
With these siblings having an extensive background in television, they are no strangers to the limelight. Growing up, they would propel harmonies around that would soon shape their careers as entertainers. Kalina & Kiana can guarantee one thing for sure, and they will have you singing along by the second chorus.
In the lively flowing ambiance of Kalina & Kiana’s latest single, “Sunshine,” we are offered an a capella universe that commences the witty wordplay in the lyrics about being burned by the sunshine if you overstay your welcome under its shimmering rays. Delving into the unique vocal range that stems into a wide cascade of harmonious bliss, Kalina & Kiana introduce you to a truly different spectrum of the Pop quintessence floating amongst the world.
The heavenly vocalizations soon accompany a rhythmic atmosphere of a backing track that solidifies itself as the fortified foundation elevating these two pop sensations' lyrical talents. The dynamism is tremendously vivacious as the artistic realm in which Kalina & Kiana mold a sonic sculpture rests effortlessly in a bank of our thoughts. They radiate such a bright and sparkling energy that pulls us into their prevailing rays of sunshine.
Allowing the listener to dive deeper into their emotion and reach that inner confidence, Kalina & Kiana most certainly have us singing along by the time this song reaches its final destination. With the spotlight on these sisters who know how to lay down a set of vocals, we keep our eyes and ears alert as we patiently wait for what their next triumphant move will be.
Congratulations on the release of, “Sunshine.” With the unique approach to the structure of this song, could you please take us into what the creative process looked like when bringing this song to life?
Thanks so much! We are so excited about this song. The process of writing a song is one of the things we enjoy most in life. This one started when Kiana had a random melody in her head for the chorus. We knew that was the hook. We got together with our dad (he is our writing partner) and we pieced this one together really naturally. It’s like we were reading each other’s minds. We all knew what the other person was going to say before it came out of their mouth. So, this song was written fairly quickly.
When it came to writing the lyrics, we knew we wanted Sunshine to have a “not everything is as it seems” theme. We wanted to address the myth of perfection, but we also wanted a fun, upbeat, “I don’t need you” song that you can roll your windows down and blast, while driving down PCH.
So we thought, why not combine a pessimistic verse, with a much-needed upbeat chorus? Once we decided what we wanted the song to “say,” we were able to write the chorus lyrics, followed by the verses. Early on we had the idea to use vocals as the main instrument in the verses. We were messing around with different syllables for the vocal track and landed on singing “ha” throughout the verses. We loved the irony of the backing tracks literally laughing at you throughout the verses - “ha ha ha.”
In your own words, what did this song mean to you both?
We feel like “Sunshine” says a lot of things we’ve been wanting to say for a long time. To us, this song represents freedom. It’s a weight off your shoulders. The verses address the myth of perfection, and how not everything can be taken at face value. The verses are full of a realistic pessimism that we believe is healthy. Sometimes things actually can be too good to be true, and it’s important to trust your intuition. The perfect deal, or job, isn’t perfect if you need to sell your soul to get it. The perfect man or woman isn’t perfect if you need to compromise your values to be with them. “Just ‘cause the light is green, doesn’t mean it’s time to go.” Then the chorus becomes an empowering mantra, as you follow your gut and decide “I don’t need you.” We want people to be able to sing this song about whatever it means to them - a relationship, other people’s expectations, the unrealistic standards of a photoshopped, Instagram world - you name it. We don’t need any of those things taking up our mental real estate. It feels good to let things go.
Then adding “You Are My Sunshine” to the end of the song is the cherry on top of the irony of the whole song. We thought it was creepy, yet fun.
With the extensive experience that you have in the music and entertainment industry, what has been the best piece of advice you have received on your journey this far?
Don’t try to be anyone else. Make music YOU enjoy, because if you don’t enjoy what you’re putting out, others will sense that. People are longing for authenticity and can smell an inauthentic artist from a mile away.
What can we expect in terms of projects from the two of you this year?
This is a tough question for us to answer. We have a lot of projects we are currently working on, but we have to keep it a little under wraps at the moment. So you’ll just have to follow us to find out!