The Watson Twins

Here is a very old interview conducted on February 24th, 2006, with The Watson Twins, Chandra and Leigh Watson. They are most famous for their collaboration with Jenny Lewis for the album Rabbit Fur Coat, but they have also released their own solo album, Southern Manners. Their music is labelled “indie folk” and they have been featured on the show Grey’s Anatomy.

You are What You Love- Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins

 Shoot the Lights Out- The Watson Twins

>> buy Rabbit Fur Coat

 >>buy Southern Manners

How did you begin your musical career?
We’ve been singing since we were little, started in church choirs and then took some guitar lessons in high school… we had a couple bands in college and then when we moved out to Los Angeles and started a band with some fellow musicians called Slydell. We also sang back-up in that band. The Watson Twins is the first project in many years where we are the main vocalists.

Have you both always loved singing?
Singing is something we have both always enjoyed and it seemed to come naturally for us, don’t know if that is because we are sisters or twins… but some people think that siblings generally have an easier time singing together. We’ve always wanted to pursue music and feel lucky that we’ve met folks along the way who have helped that happen.

You’re from Kentucky. Did you live in a more rural, fields-y area, or a more urban area?
Louisville, Kentucky is a beautiful place… very green, rolling hills, the river, etc.
We grew up in a neighborhood much like most kids, but the cities are small… so, although you might live in a neighborhood the rural areas aren’t far and we had relatives who lived out in the country so it was part of our experience while we were there.

Are your voices (speaking or singing) identical?
Our voices are very similar, but we like to think there is a difference.

Many twins get frustrated because they are seen as one entity instead of two separate people. Since you two work together and your group is known as the Watson Twins, is that difficult for you?
It’s never been an issue with us, we are different as people and our close friends and family recognize that. We have always been best friends and feel fortunate to have each other.

What music did you listen to growing up? What do you listen to now?
We listen to everything from old country to classic rock, R&B, Soul, jazz etc. a lot of these genres are reflective of what we grew up on.

You’re featured with Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service fame) on her solo debut album, Rabbit Fur Coat. How did you meet up with each other?
We were introduced through Blake of Rilo [Kiley]. She’s a lovely person in general and very easy to work with.

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, and two members of Maroon 5 are also featured on the album. What was it like working with them—some of who are such huge proponents of indie music?
We didn’t work with Ben directly, but Conor, James of Maroon 5, and Johnathan Rice— all of them are very down to earth and really sweet guys.

You released your first solo album earlier this year. Why did you decide to name it Southern Manners?
We wanted something that represented where we come from and let’s be honest, manners are very important.

Do you both make up the lyrics and music together?
We generally write songs separately and work on harmonies/arranging together.

You’re backed up by instrumentalists Jason Soda, Aram Arslanian, and Russ Pollard, who are members of other bands. How did you get connected with them?
These are fellas that we met here in Los Angeles, just by playing around town… that sort of thing just happens here, because there are lots of people who are interested in playing music.

On one website they called your style “alternative country”. What does that mean?
Alt Country has been around for many years and some artists included in that genre are… Neko Case, Wilco, Cat Power and the new Jenny Lewis record… Labeling bands is difficult because we are all are influenced by so many styles it’s nearly impossible to stick to one genre.

I love the cover art on Southern Manners and the design on your website—it’s very reminiscent of fields and sunny days. How did you decide how you wanted it to look?
We have a good friend, Natalie Sud, who does collage art… she’s from Kentucky and she knows us really well, so we knew we wanted her to make something for the cover and she did and the website is a scan of one of her pieces… we are very happy with both the cover and website… they definitely have the feel we were looking for.

Are you signed with a label yet? Are you planning on making more albums?
We are not signed as of yet and hope to make a full length album with in the next year.

Are you planning on touring solo anytime soon?
We hope to do a little solo tour when we return from the Jenny Lewis tour.

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