by Carly Bush
Anna and Sonya Kupriienko’s signature sound—dark, ethereal, hypnotic—haunts you in the best way imaginable. At only seventeen years old, the sisters, who go by the name “Bloom Twins,” have already accomplished far more than some of their older contemporaries by crafting thin, delicate melodies and lacing together otherworldly harmonies to create a picturesque, peaceful ambiance that pervades all of their music.
The Bloom Twins originally hail from a small town in the quaint outskirts of Kiev, Ukraine. “Our small town made us who we are,” Anna says. “”Cause as we were getting older, we were more and more concerned that we [would] need to live in a bigger city where we would have more opportunities to create our own music—in the world which never sleeps. This big dream made us work harder and harder. But we never thought that our dream would come true that early in our lives and bring us not to just a bigger city.”
Many aspiring musicians from across Europe feel the allure for a wider audience and the desire to relocate to London, the biggest hub of music on their continent. The twins strongly wished to find their footing in the United Kingdom, where they felt they would have better chances of success than remaining solely in the Ukrainian industry, although their small-town roots are obvious; in spite of their promising future and highly mature musical skill, they remain sincere, true to themselves, and consistently humbled by their ongoing success.
Having grown up listening to classic, legendary groups from Britain, they followed their hearts to London at a young age and attempted to break into the music industry. “We always loved British bands such as Radiohead and Massive Attack,” says Sonya. “They always were and still are our inspirations. When we first discovered them, we realized that they needed to be in London, and when we first arrived here, there were no doubts that London was the capital of music in the world. We are really grateful that we started our music career exactly from London.”
The feeling, it would appear, is mutual. London’s booming music industry has aided Bloom Twins through every stage of their musical development and allowed them to chase their dreams, illuminating the road ahead for the young artists and presenting them with opportunities even they had never expected. Close to two thousand people were in the audience when Bloom Twins took to the stage at the Miss USSR show this past year. When asked what their favorite experience in London has been thus far, Anna and Sonya’s delight and appreciation for this brilliant opportunity was evident.
Anna says, “It’s tough to describe this feeling as well as these feelings when we write our songs or when we feel happiness. That was the best experience in London.”
Despite their passion for music in the alternative rock vein such as Radiohead, Portishead and Muse, the girls have also been hugely influenced by some of today’s biggest female balladeers, stating that they love Lana del Rey and Adele, among others. The fusion of influences is obvious, as Bloom Twins combine the hypnotic, dreamy quality that Radiohead fans will recognize, and crystalline, sparkling vocals that give them their own uniquely feminine essence. Equal parts haunting and beautiful, Bloom Twins allow both sides to shine.
(photo credit, Kal Griffig)
Considering the level of emotion on display in each of their songs, one might easily assume, accurately, that Bloom Twins are keen and intuitive, willing to feel things strongly and allow their emotions to flow through their art. Their creative process is directly fuelled by their experiences and observations of the world around them. “Everything new inspires us to write songs,” Sonya says. “For example, when we first arrived to London we turned into different people. We started to think differently, we changed our priorities, and we started to look differently.”
They even took upon the responsibility of writing their own original music due to London’s overpowering influence. When they first arrived to London, they began to think differently and changed their priorities. This shift in direction inspired them to write their first song, entitled “She’s Not Me.”
Since then, the Twins have gathered close to 17,000 views on YouTube with their most well-known track, an ethereal and trance-like interpretation of Jim Eliot and Jemima Stilwell’s “Fahrenheit.” Bloom Twins used the track as a starting point and layered their vocal harmonies over a simple yet exquisitely arranged piano accompaniment. The result is indicative of the aforementioned changes brought on by the girls’ relocation to England; they are clearly mature here, not to mention sophisticated, with an undeniable ear for what sounds just right.
There are many different instruments used in Bloom Twins’ music, and the arrangements are always precise. When asked if she had a favorite instrument, Anna explains that she favors her Keyboard Nord Stage 2, which allegedly gives the girls’ music its signature melancholy. What she likes about the instrument is that it is “a perfect bright red electro piano with a lot of electro, vintage, [and] bass sounds that bring darkness to our songs.” On the other hand, it also includes “amazing piano string sounds that bring softness, sweetness, and soul to our songs.”
Sonya is less attached to specific instruments on a personal level, but likes to explore new sounds. “I don’t have any favorites,” she says. “I think I like all instruments equally.”
But what about their personal lives? Twins, particularly those who are creative, have strong emotional connections to one another, making the artistic process feel greatly natural and seamless when they combine their ideas and insight. Bloom Twins are no exception, although they admit that occasionally their connection since birth can be painfully divisive in the studio.
Perhaps due to their similarities, they find themselves disagreeing as much as anyone else working in a creative partnership. “When we write our songs sometimes it is pretty hard to find something that both of us would enjoy but when we find it we understand that it is exactly what we were trying to find,” Sonya says.
They are both grateful for and occasionally discouraged by that intimate connection, because when they write together, at times it can be fairly difficult to find something that both twins agree on, although when they find that particular “something,” everything else seems to fall perfectly into place. Seemingly, the struggles always lead somewhere positive.
