Robyn & Ryleigh At Mill Lake Saturday

Rising Fraser Valley country music stars Robyn & Ryleigh will be performing at Mill Lake this Saturday from 6 to 8pm in the Envision Concert In The Park Series presented by the Abbotsford Arts Council.

In advance of their performance, Today Media interviewed the sisters and previewed some of their songs.

Today Media: How are you guys adapting to the added pressure on your lives of the success you’ve been having?

Robyn & Ryleigh
Truthfully, we really feel like we were born to do this. Any pressure that we may feel is the same as we would feel in any other career. It can be consuming at times, as we’re shuffling between musical responsibilities like rehearsals, gigs, writing music, and touring. At the end of the day, though, we love it and embrace it because the moment we get on stage, it makes it all worthwhile and instantly relieves the pressure.

TM This must be a very exciting time in your lives, is it difficult remaining grounded?

R&R
Yes, this is truly the most exciting time for us! We are really having a great time with it all, but we keep it in perspective as much as we can. As sisters, we naturally keep each other grounded. It’s one of the best part of being a sister duo. As long as we’re able to sing, perform, and share our music, we’re happy

TM Robyn – Is it difficult to keep up the songwriting when you get busy performing live?

Robyn
Songwriting is one of my favourite things to do and it’s always been an outlet for me, so it’s part of my daily life, no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

Anytime inspiration hits, I just have to write it down, even if I have to scribble it out in point form on our way to a show.

If I don’t write it down, my mind will keep me up at night if the ideas don’t come out.

So while it is a busy time, I still make a point of writing the ideas down, so I won’t forget them and I can come back them when there’s time to develop them.

TM Ryleigh – What is it like performing to audiences who know you and are coming specifically to see you, some for the second or third time?

Ryleigh
It is a really special feeling to perform and see people singing along with us and dancing at our show. If they are seeing us in concert for the second or third time, it means they’re making that much more of an effort to join us on our musical journey.

We want people to like our music and our concerts, so having fans continue to support us and believe in what we’re doing gives us the confidence to keep moving forward and give them even more the next time around.

TM Are your roots something you’re going to have trouble staying in touch with as you are forced to travel and perform more and more?

R&R
We were born and raised in Langley, BC and fell in love with country music here. All of our dreams were built here and our entire family is here. This is where it started for us, so we won’t ever lose our roots. We are fortunate to have had the support of our hometown family, friends, and fans who have supported us from the beginning.

TM Have you noticed your music changing at all yet? Do you expect it to?

R&R
Our music has definitely changed from when we were 13 and 11 – when we first started and were singing about Teddy Tea Parties! So much of our music is based on our personal experiences that we will continue to mature in our songwriting as we grow in our own lives. Where sound is concerned, we’ve written some songs that have a pop vibe and others that rock out a little bit more, but we will always stay true to our country roots!

TM This is a big summer for you. What do you hope for once all the touring is done?

R&R
Every summer means new shows and the opportunity to gain more fans. This summer, we’re going across the Pacific Northwest with some stops in Chilliwack (July 12th), Abbotsford (July 27th), Maple Ridge (July 28th), Vancouver (August 15th), and Lilloet (August 23rd), but we also have the opportunity to play in Oregon and Washington State, as well, before going to Nashville in the Fall.

For us, the main purpose of touring is to get our music out there and meet new people, so we want to finish our tour by winning more hearts and fans through our concerts wherever we go.

TM Anything you want to say to your growing number of fans?

R&R
We want to say thank you to every single one of you for supporting us and listening to our music. We appreciate you so much and we love your enthusiasm. Thank you for encouraging us through the making of our album and we can’t wait to share it with you. We hope you’ll visit us on RobynandRyleigh.com and keep up with us on social media so we can keep sharing our adventures with you.

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Check out Robyn & Ryleigh and listen to their music on their website.

Robyn & Ryleigh Summer In The Valley 2013

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July 1st
Langley Canada Day – McLeod Athletic Park – Langley, BC, Canada

July 12th
Party in the Park – Chilliwack, BC, Canada

July 27th
Mill Lake Park – Abbotsford, BC, Canada

July 28th
Maple Ridge Fair – Maple Ridge, BC, Canada

Robyn & Ryleigh

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The Langley sisters are a talented emerging country/pop duo whose sound is a reflection of their country upbringing, their favourite musical influences, and traditional country acoustic elements blended with the energy of modern rock.

Robyn – the duo’s lead songwriter – began writing songs at age 12. As she taught herself to play guitar, she put her experiences of loneliness, young love, and heartbreak into lyrics and music. Ryleigh began adding her own harmonies to her older sister’s songs and their pure joy from singing together inspired them to pursue an entertainment career.

In 2010, Robyn & Ryleigh were discovered by veteran country music producers/managers David Wills and Paul Shatto, who were impressed by their blossoming stage presence and energy.

Known for their success in launching the careers of acts like The Higgins, AJ Woodworth, and The Matinée, Wills and Shatto turned their attention to Robyn & Ryleigh and fine-tuned their sound in a studio setting. This collaboration led to Robyn & Ryleigh’s debut EP, Love Always, and live showcases including the 2010 BC Summer Games, the 2011 BC Country Music Awards, the 2011 Merritt Mountain Music Fest, and the 2012 Canadian Country Music Awards.

Following 2012 BC Country Music Award nominations for “The Horizon Award” and “Group/Duo of the Year”, Robyn & Ryleigh became a centerpiece of Raincoast Music, the new Canadian artist management and music production label founded by Wills and Shatto. This affiliation led them to join the MDM Recordings family – with artists like Chad Brownlee, Hayley, and Jess Moskaluke.

The 2013 release of their first full-length album, Robyn & Ryleigh, marks an exciting step forward for the sisters. As a polished display of their sibling harmonies and country flavour, the album also includes songwriting contributions from Taylor Swift, Steven Lee Olsen, and Kathleen Higgins.

Part mud, makeup, glamour and fun, Robyn & Ryleigh are authentic Canadian country girls who immerse themselves in the country lifestyle in unique ways. Robyn can be found working on her own car, while Ryleigh enjoys quadding. As they sing about fast cars, boys, and hot summer nights, Robyn & Ryleigh are the perfect recipe for a couple of girls you’d like to get to know better.

Cover Photo Credit: Karolina Turek