Originally from North Dakota, sisters Kendra and Krista formed their duo – originally called Tigirlily – back in 2013, performing locally and on YouTube before moving to Nashville in 2017. After releasing their breakthrough track ‘Somebody Does’ in 2021, which topped the iTunes chart, they’ve since rebranded as Tigirlily Gold and toured alongside the likes of Kane Brown and Ashley McBryde. Now, after their trip to C2C earlier this year, they’re back with their latest EP, ‘Blonde’.
The four-song collection opens with the title track, which sees the sisters paying homage to their hair colour. It’s a fun, playful number with a shimmery intro and tons of details – including references to Dolly, Marilyn and Dana at the beauty salon – as well as an anthemic chorus and bags of attitude. Kendra and Krista’s harmonies blend together absolutely seamlessly and their vocals glide over the melody like honey throughout.
One thing which stood out to me from the EP was how the duo mix up their sound. ‘Hometown Song’, the standout track for me, is an elevated take on the traditional celebration of small town life, which deals with the conflicted feeling of wanting to escape but feeling drawn back. There’s a really warm, dreamy quality about the song and I loved the rich, sweet tones in the vocals as well. Elsewhere, ‘Move On’ shows the pair’s flirtatious side, with its slinky, bluesy groove, rocky guitar touches and bold lyrics about encouraging the guy they’re dancing with to shoot his shot.
The EP closes with ‘Shoot Tequila’, which to me sums up the whole project. It teams a clever, tongue-in-cheek lyric personifying the titular beverage with a chorus that’s practically begging for a crowd to chant it out loud, and ends the set on an upbeat note that leaves you keen to hear more. The song’s swagger and sass is irresistible and I think it’s got great potential to be a big hit for the duo.
Overall ‘Blonde’ is a great introduction to Tigirlily Gold for new fans as well as a reintroduction for those who haven’t heard them before. Marrying classic country with rock and blues touches, as well as smooth-as-silk harmonies and smart songwriting, it shows exactly who they are as a band and makes me very excited to hear more of them in future. Although this EP may be short, they’ve promised more new music this year, and this is certainly plenty to whet the appetite.
Track listing: 1. Blonde 2. Hometown Song 3. Move On 4. Shoot Tequila Record label: Monument Records/Sony Music Entertainment Release date: 23rd June 2023
