Siblings have been collaborating in the music industry for countless years. A modern rendition of this collaboration is Charm of Finches, a duo of sisters from Australia named Mabel and Ivy Windred-Wornes. The two have found success through their touching indie folk sound, with their new single, "Clean Cut," serving as the newest addition to their distinct discography.
Charm of Finches' sound is characterized by its songs' simple openings that gradually crescendo into stirring and intricate folk ballads. The duo’s music is never without stunning harmonies and ethereal background instrumentals, all of which combine to create a melancholy and gracefully bewitching style.
The two sisters have been featured on Spotify's Lush + Ethereal, Infinite Acoustic and Fresh Folk playlists. Charm of Finches also won Best Folk Album at the 2022 Australian Folk Music Awards and Music Victoria's Best Contemporary Folk Act in 2021. Its music has been nominated twice for the coveted Australian Music Prize.
The duo's debut album, "Staring at the Starry Ceiling," is a beautiful introduction to Charm of Finches' style. The lead single off that album, "Sky Watching,"begins with a charming yet melancholy ukulele pattern. The song features harmonies with moments of strategic dissonance, demonstrating the pair's knowledge of music theory. A deep undercurrent of bass strings is slowly introduced, giving the song more depth as it continues. The poetic lyrics are portrayed through contrasting vocal quality, a deep and sorrowful voice paired with another light and naive one.
The duo's second album, "Your Company," features two leading singles. The first song, "The Bridge," is haunting from the opening bells. It is a folk ballad featuring harmonies over a simple background of acoustic guitar and other stringed instruments. This song puts a heavier emphasis on the singers' Australian accents, enhancing the folksy atmosphere of the song. The focal points of the song are the vocals and harmonies for which the lyrics serve as a poetic vessel.
The second single off "Your Company” is "Lies," a more upbeat track developed using the same instruments of the sisters' previous work. The song demonstrates the artists' versatility, putting more focus on the individual voices instead of harmonies. Small moments of harmony create intensity as the song ends which is enhanced by staccato strings and increased dissonance in the pairing of voices. The song also differs from the duo's usual style of ending songs with a controlled cacophony of voices and strings.
"Wonderful Oblivion" is Charm of Finches' most recent album, with standout songs being "Pockets Of Stones," "Treading Water" and "Concentrate On Breathing." It was released in 2021 through a New York-based label called AntiFragile Music. "Pockets Of Stones," features the duo's most personal lyrics, an example being "And I told you my quick breathing was just anxiety breath / Scared of the silence, being left alone and everything leading to death." The song is rhythmic and contains the folksy authenticity of The Cranberries.
"Treading Water" is emblematic of Phoebe Bridgers, creating a nostalgic and pained atmosphere through immersive energy and aching harmonies. "Concentrate On Breathing" is an ethereal track featuring more focus on the lyrics and theme of the song as well as more percussion and brass accompaniment.
Charm of Finches' new song, "Clean Cut," is a single off its upcoming album, "Marlinchen in the Snow," which is set for release on April 19 through SPUNK! Records. The album's inception began in February 2023, when the sisters spent a month in rural Nova Scotia recording with acclaimed Canadian producer Daniel Ledwell, basking in the frozen landscape and ruminating on their transient life on the road.
"Going away on tour served as the catalyst for a break up and 'Clean Cut' is some self-advice,“ the duo said in an interview with Wildfire Music + News. "We stayed with a lovely lady in Oslo, Norway, who let us play her gorgeous grand piano and the first part of 'Clean Cut' was penned."
"Clean Cut" is riveting from the beginning, where light melodic breaths set the tone and pace of the song alongside persistent percussion and restrained acoustic guitar strumming. The lyrics flow like a river that never ceases its surging. The dark harmonies and entrancing strings all come together to create a divine folk-pop experience.
"We created a music video for this song with the help of lots of friends who were willing to dress up as dolls and clowns,“ the duo said in the Wildfire Music + News article. "This was a huge 22-hour shoot in a warehouse in Melbourne, creating the world of a mysterious haunted doll museum."
Charm of Finches is set to tour the UK from May to August 2024. The duo has already toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and Canada. Its indie folk style and sibling connection have a unique presence in the music industry that is sure to advance and continue developing with upcoming projects.
