Ahead of a landmark return to the UK, country sister duo Tigirlily Gold are continuing their rapid rise as one of Nashville’s most exciting new acts. Made up of North Dakota-born sisters Krista Slaubaugh and Kendra Olson, the duo have built a reputation for blending sharp songwriting, powerhouse harmonies and modern country swagger, earning acclaim with tracks including ‘Shoot Tequila' and ‘I Tried A Ring On.' Following the success of their debut album ‘Blonde' and a breakout run on the US touring circuit, Tigirlily Gold are now bringing their energetic live show back across the Atlantic as special guests on Carly Pearce’s UK tour this May.
The duo will also make their highly anticipated debut at Highways Festival, performing at the iconic Royal Albert Hall alongside artists like Carly Pearce and Corey Kent. In addition to the main stage performance, Tigirlily Gold will appear in the festival’s intimate Songwriters Round, further showcasing the storytelling that has made them one of country music’s most talked-about emerging artists. As excitement builds around their UK return, the sisters have also released their brand new single, ‘I Do or Die' today, marking the next chapter in their fast-growing momentum.
Good to see you again. Lots has happened in the world of Tigirlily Gold in the last two years, hasn’t it?
Kendra: Lots has happened, yeah. I mean, thankfully we’re still doing music! (laughing) Even better than that, we’re coming back to the UK again, which we’re so excited about. We love being there, and it’s been a couple of years now, so we’ve really been itching to get back. When Highways Festival reached out and then Carly Pearce invited us to join her tour, it just felt like everything lined up perfectly. And we get to play the Royal Albert Hall… which is insane.
Kendra: Honestly, that venue has been on our bucket list for such a long time. One of the best parts of this career is the places we get to go and the people we meet, and to stand on that stage, soak up the history and connect with the audience there. it’s going to be really special.
When I speak to artists from Nashville and beyond, they always mention venues like Red Rocks or Madison Square Garden. But when the UK comes up, it’s always the Royal Albert Hall. How excited are you about that specifically?
Krista: Very excited. It feels surreal even saying it out loud.
Kendra: Yeah, we just want to really take it all in. The culture, the history, the moment. It’s one of those career milestones you dream about, and now we actually get to experience it.
Outside of the shows themselves, when you come back over to the UK for this run, what are you most looking forward to experiencing beyond the music? Is there anything in particular you’re excited to see, do or just soak up while you’re here?
Kendra: I think for us, it’s really about getting to experience more of the UK properly this time. On previous trips we’ve mainly been in London, and we’ve had a little bit of time in places like Glasgow and Edinburgh, but it’s always been quite quick, like passing through rather than really getting to explore. So this time, even though the schedule is still going to be busy, we’re excited to see a bit more of the country and just take in the different cities and landscapes.
Krista: Yeah, we know it’s going to be a bit of a whirlwind: planes, trains, buses, all of it but even in those small windows we want to make the most of it. The countryside especially is something we’re really excited about, because from what we’ve seen, it’s just so beautiful and different from home. And then there’s the culture. We genuinely love being around people in the UK. There’s something about the humour, the way people interact, it feels really natural to us.
Kendra: And honestly, we’d love to just experience the everyday side of things too: finding great little pubs, getting recommendations from locals, just doing the kinds of things you can’t really plan. Those are always the moments that stick with you the most. So if anyone has suggestions for hidden gems or really good pub spots, we’re definitely open to that, because we want to soak up as much of the real UK as we possibly can while we’re there.
I actually asked ChatGPT something before this interview—I was curious about the similarities between Midwestern culture in the US and British culture here in the UK. It came back with things like dry, sarcastic humour, a tendency toward indirect communication, preferring politeness over confrontation, and having a very practical, grounded approach to everyday life. From your perspective, having grown up in the Midwest and spent time over here, do those comparisons ring true to you?
Kendra: Honestly, that’s kind of spot on. The humour especially, we really connect with that. It’s that dry, slightly sarcastic tone where you’re not always saying exactly what you mean outright, but everyone kind of understands it anyway. That feels very familiar to us.
Krista: Yeah, and the indirect communication thing is so real. In the Midwest, we’re definitely not the type to just come out and say something blunt if it might upset someone. We’ll kind of dance around it a little bit, soften it, or say it in a way that feels more polite, even if the message is still there underneath.
Kendra: It’s that idea of not wanting to offend anyone. You still want to be honest, but you want to be kind about it, and sometimes that comes across as a little passive-aggressive, but it’s really just about being considerate.
Krista: And the politeness over confrontation: that’s a huge one. We’ll go out of our way to keep things comfortable rather than create tension. It’s just how we were raised.
Kendra: The practicality too. We’re very grounded people. It’s not about being flashy, it’s about just getting on with life, working hard, being real.
Krista: So yeah, hearing all that, it actually makes a lot of sense why we feel so comfortable in the UK. There’s a lot more overlap between the cultures than we even realised before.
So maybe a second home over here wouldn’t feel too different?
Kendra: Don’t tempt us, we’ve talked about it! (laughing)
Krista: We love the people, the culture, the food… everything. We might need to get on Zillow and start looking.
Kendra: Maybe a castle?
Krista: Let’s not get ahead of ourselves… yet. (laughing)
I wanted to talk about the ‘Country & Midwestern' rollout, because I thought the social media campaign around it was genuinely brilliant. The whole Barb and Sheila concept felt fresh and really well thought out. Where did that idea come from, and how conscious were you about using humour and characters as part of the way you present your music?
Kendra: Thank you, that means a lot. That whole idea actually came from me just having all these little thoughts floating around about what ‘Country & Midwestern' could be as a concept. I think I even came up with the title first, and then Barb and Sheila kind of grew out of that world. We’ve been putting out music for about 14 years now, so with every release you’re always asking yourself, “How do we serve this song in a way that’s different? How do we make people feel something, but also entertain them?” Because at the end of the day, that’s what we are. We’re entertainers.
So we’re constantly trying to find something that feels fresh and unique, something that nobody else is doing. And Barb and Sheila just felt like this really fun extension of that. They’re essentially our Midwestern alter egos: like our middle-aged selves in 30 or 40 years and it gave us this whole new outlet to lean into comedy and storytelling in a different way. It’s still rooted in who we are, but it’s exaggerated and playful.
Krista: Yeah, and honestly, it gave us permission to not take ourselves so seriously for a minute. We’ve been “Kendra and Krista” for so long, and with Barb and Sheila, we could step outside of that and just have fun. I think that’s why people connected with it because it didn’t feel forced, it felt like we were genuinely enjoying it.
Kendra: And we really just want to bring joy to people. If someone watches one of those videos and laughs or feels entertained, that’s a win for us. That’s always been the goal.
Krista: We were a little nervous at first, though, because being from the Midwest, we were like, “I really hope this doesn’t offend anyone,” because it all comes from a place of love. Those characters are people we know, people we grew up around and honestly, they’re probably who we’ll become one day.
Kendra: But the response was amazing. People totally got the joke, they leaned into it, and they had fun with it alongside us. We even went back home and played a show, and people were asking more about Barb and Sheila than the music. They were like, “Are they coming?”
Krista: Yeah, they kind of stole the spotlight a little bit. We created something that’s maybe getting a little too confident now. We might need to rein them in! (laughing) But it’s been such a fun part of this chapter, and it’s opened up a whole new creative lane for us!
Who found it hardest to stay in character without breaking and laughing, especially when you were filming or doing bits in public?
Kendra: Oh, that is definitely me. I struggled so much trying to keep a straight face. There were so many moments where we’d be filming something and I’d just completely break character because it all felt so ridiculous, in the best way, but I couldn’t hold it together. I’d start laughing halfway through a line, or I’d look at Krista and just lose it. It took me a while to really settle into it and commit to the bit.
Krista: I don’t know what it is, but I can stay in character way easier. I actually really enjoy being Sheila. There’s something kind of freeing about stepping into that personality, because she’s a little bolder and says things a bit more bluntly than I normally would.
Kendra: Yeah, that’s the funny part. Sheila can get away with saying things that Krista probably wouldn’t say. So she kind of leans into that and has fun with it, whereas I’m over here trying not to laugh every five seconds.
Krista: It’s almost like having permission to push the boundaries a little bit. And because it’s through a character, people understand that it’s playful.
Kendra: Meanwhile, I’m just trying to get through a take without cracking up. But honestly, that’s part of what made it so fun for us. There were so many moments behind the scenes where we were just laughing at how ridiculous and entertaining it all was.
At any point while you were building out Barb and Sheila, did you ever consider taking it even further—like doing full interviews, press or even meet-and-greets completely in character? And on top of that, with other artists now having their own alter egos—like Dierks Bentley and his Hot Country Knights persona—have you thought about what it would be like for Barb and Sheila to step into that world and maybe even meet those characters?
Kendra: Honestly, we hadn’t really thought about doing full interviews in character… but now that you’ve said it, it feels like such a natural next step. It kind of opens up a whole new lane for us creatively. I think part of the reason we didn’t go there straight away is because we were still figuring out who Barb and Sheila really were, what they sounded like, how they interacted, what they would and wouldn’t say. But now that we’ve spent more time with them, it feels like we could absolutely commit to that and just go all in.
Krista: Yeah, I actually love that idea. I think it would be hilarious to do a full press day as Sheila and Barb and just stay in character the entire time. It would definitely keep things interesting, and it would give us a chance to push the humour even further. There’s something really fun about stepping into those personalities and just letting them take over—it takes the pressure off a little bit because it’s not “us” in the traditional sense, it’s them.
Kendra: And with all these other alter egos popping up, it does feel like there’s this whole world that could exist. Like, the idea of Barb and Sheila interacting with someone like Doug Douglason is kind of amazing.
Krista: We’ve actually talked about that. We would love for Barb and Sheila to meet those characters. It just feels like chaos in the best possible way. You’ve got all these exaggerated personalities in one place, all kind of bouncing off each other.
Kendra: It would be such a fun crossover moment, because everyone is in on the joke, but you’re still committing to it fully. I think fans would really get a kick out of that too.
Krista: So yeah, we might not have planned it initially, but now it’s definitely on our radar. You might have just started something here: we may be doing full Barb and Sheila interviews very soon. (laughing)
Let’s talk about the new single, ‘I Do Or Die,' which is about to drop. It feels like such a bold, high-energy track: full of attitude, humour and a bit of bite as well. When you were writing it, did you get that sense early on that it had something special about it?
Kendra: Yeah, it definitely felt special from pretty early on, but I think what really confirmed it for us was when we started playing it live. There are certain songs where you can just feel the difference immediately, before the audience even knows the lyrics, there’s this energy that comes back at you. We had that same feeling the first time we played ‘Shoot Tequila' and ‘I Do Or Die' gave us that exact same reaction. You can just tell when something connects on that level, and it makes you go, “Okay, there’s something here.”
Krista: It’s such an attitude-driven song. There’s a lot of sass in it, a lot of confidence but also a sense of humour, which is something we really love leaning into. We grew up listening to artists and songs that didn’t take themselves too seriously—things like ‘Goodbye Earl,' or the storytelling and wit you get from Brad Paisley or Sugarland. That kind of playful, tongue-in-cheek energy really inspired us here.
Kendra: We’ve always wanted to bring more of that into what we do: music that still says something, but also makes people smile and have fun. And this song is exactly that. It’s a girls’ anthem, it’s a little dramatic, a little over-the-top, and it’s definitely not meant to be taken too literally.
Krista: There is a little real-life inspiration in there though. I am getting married this year, so there’s definitely a bit of a wink in the writing. My fiancé is amazing, of course, but it’s kind of like… “just in case,” you know? (laughing)
Kendra: The funniest part has actually been the reaction from fans. We’ve seen so many people saying they want to play it at their wedding, which we did not expect at all. We’ve written songs that we thought were perfect wedding songs, like really heartfelt, romantic ones, and then this is the one people latch onto.
Krista: Yeah, so now we’re like, okay… maybe this is the Tigirlily Gold wedding anthem. We’ll take it! (laughing)
With ‘Country & Midwestern' and now ‘I Do Or Die,' it really feels like the start of something new creatively for you both. Are these songs the opening chapter of a new album?
Krista: I feel like we’re in that stage where we can’t officially confirm everything yet, but what we can say is that this is absolutely the beginning of a new era for us. It really does feel like turning a page creatively. We’ve spent a lot of time over the last year writing, experimenting and figuring out exactly what we want this next chapter to sound and feel like, and these songs are very intentional in setting that tone.
Kendra: Yeah, we’ve been putting in a lot of work behind the scenes that people haven’t seen yet. Last year was very much about building: writing a lot of songs, narrowing things down, really asking ourselves what feels the most authentic and exciting for us right now. And now this year is about sharing that. It’s kind of our “launch year” for everything we’ve been working toward.
Krista: We’re actually still in the middle of it too. Even right now, we’re going back and forth between being on the road and being in the studio, continuing to shape what this project is going to become. So it’s very much a living, evolving thing at the moment.
Kendra: What we do know is that we want this next body of work to feel fun, full of personality and really reflective of where we are as artists right now. There’s a lot more confidence in it, a lot more willingness to lean into humour, storytelling and those slightly quirky, offbeat moments that make country music so special.
Krista: And I think fans can expect a lot more of that energy: songs that feel witty, a little bit cheeky, very alive. We want people to listen and feel something, but also to have fun with it.
Kendra: So while we’re not putting a full label on it just yet, this is definitely the start of something bigger. There’s a lot more coming, and we’re really excited for people to see how it all unfolds.
I don’t think we’ve spoken since you won ACM New Duo/Group of the Year in 2024, so firstly congratulations. Looking back on that moment now, what did winning that award actually mean to you both, not just in terms of recognition, but for your confidence, your belief in what you’re building and where you’re heading next?
Kendra: Thank you, that really does mean a lot. It was honestly a huge moment for us, especially from a confidence standpoint. When you’re grinding away for years, writing, touring, putting music out and just trying to get people to listen, there are definitely moments where you question yourself. So to have that kind of recognition from the industry, from people in Nashville who really understand how much work goes into this, it felt like a moment of validation. Like, “Okay, we’re meant to be here. We’re on the right path.”
Krista: Yeah, and I think that’s what made it so special. It wasn’t just the award itself, it was what it represented. It was our peers, the people in this town, essentially saying, “We see you, and we believe in what you’re doing.” That’s incredibly encouraging. Of course, awards aren’t everything, at the end of the day, what matters most is fans showing up to shows, streaming the music, connecting with the songs, but that kind of acknowledgement gives you a real boost.
Kendra: It also had a very real impact in terms of visibility. We performed ‘I Tried To Ring On' on the show, and seeing the reaction to that, watching new people discover the song in real time, seeing the streams jump, seeing people talking about it, that was really powerful.
Krista: And for us personally, coming from where we come from, it meant a lot to bring that moment back home as well. Seeing our family, our community, our home state react with so much pride made it all feel even bigger.
Kendra: We’ve been doing this together for a long time, and we always say we started with basically a prayer and a guitar. So to go from that to standing on that stage, winning that award, it really did feel like a “we made it” kind of moment.
‘I Tried To Ring On’ was one of my favourite songs of 2024. We recently featured it in an article called ‘5 Country Bangers That Should Have Been Number Ones.' It reached the Top 40: were you satisfied with that, or did you feel it should have gone further?
Kendra: I think when we look back at ‘I Tried To Ring On,' there are definitely two emotions that exist at the same time. On one hand, of course, we’re artists, we’re competitive, we’re ambitious and we always want every single to go all the way. You dream about that No. 1, you work towards it and you believe in the song so much that you can’t help but feel like it deserves to be right at the top. So naturally, there’s a little part of you that wonders, “Could it have gone further? Could we have pushed it more?”
But at the same time, when you zoom out and really look at what that song actually did for us, it’s hard to call it anything other than a success. It reached the Top 40, which is no small thing: especially when you consider how few songs by female artists are consistently getting that level of exposure on country radio. And beyond the numbers, it genuinely connected with people. We heard from so many fans who said that song helped them through something, made them feel understood, or just gave them a sense that they weren’t alone in what they were going through. That’s something you can’t really measure on a chart.
Krista: Yeah, and I think perspective is everything with a song like that. If you look at where we were as artists before that release and then where we were after it, there’s a clear shift. It introduced us to a wider audience, it opened doors, it gave us momentum and that’s ultimately what you want a song to do. You want it to grow your career, bring new people into your world and move things forward, and ‘I Tried To Ring On' absolutely did that.
So while, yes, there’s always that little voice that says, “Man, I wish it could’ve gone even further,” there’s also a much bigger sense of gratitude. Because not every song gets to have that kind of life or impact. And for us, knowing that it resonated, that it mattered to people and that it helped shape the next chapter of our career: that’s something we’re incredibly proud of.
Check out Tigirlily Gold's new song ‘I Do or Die' which is out everywhere today! You can see them on tour with Carly Pearce in the UK next week and at The Highways festival at the Royal Albert Hall next Saturday, May 16th. Tickets for all shows available right here
