Song Premiere: The Twins of Franklin, “Worry”
The Minnesota duo known for their captivating harmonies provide an exclusive early listen to a song off their upcoming album. Hear it first here!
The Twins of Franklin. Photo by Erika Osterbur.
Becky Shaheen and Laura Lou have been friends and collaborators since college—over 15 years—and have been performing as The Twins of Franklin since about 2017. During those seven years, the duo has seen big life changes and challenges both awful (our collective trauma known as COVID-19) and joyful (both became mothers around the same time). Persisting through it all, they released their debut album Low in early 2020 and are back with their second offering, This Life, which comes out this Friday, May 17.
The growth evident in this new record is remarkable—both musically and how far they’ve traveled as human beings. This Life shifts from the indie-pop leanings of their debut album to a rootsy, effortless-feeling Americana folk-rock sound. The music provides the perfect backdrop for soaring vocals so tight they really could be blood harmonies (though the two aren’t actually sisters) and the sage but profoundly emotional outlook on life they’ve come to since entering parenthood.
We’re honored to present an exclusive premiere of “Worry” from the upcoming album!
The track encapsulates the Twins’ fairly recent maternal perspective, recounting parents’ anxious reactions to their children’s new levels of independence with an empathy born of experience. “Most parents have a moment when they realize why their parents were so protective,” they explain.
The Twins of Franklin’s This Life album artwork. Photo by Erika Osterbur.
“‘Worry’ is a song about finally realizing why my parents always have a tendency to express their worries, even as I became an adult and now a woman in her 30s,” Shaheen elaborates. “I had a moment in the first year of parenthood where I was thinking about the next milestone of my daughter’s life, and if I would stop worrying so much. Ah yes. The worries will be constant, ever changing and just part of the job.”
Belying its title, “Worry” has a gentle, almost carefree indie-folk feel that carries the Twins’ harmonies along like bird songs on the breeze. “There’s a sparseness to it that’s a nice change of pace on an album full of driving and emotionally heightened tracks,” they say.
Listen to “Worry” now!
The Twins of Franklin will celebrate the release of This Life on Friday, May 31, at Icehouse in Minneapolis! The music starts at 8pm with Lucy Michelle & Band opening. Get tickets and more information.
“Worry” Song Credits
Music and Lyrics by Laura Lou and Becky Shaheen
Produced, engineered by Kevin Bowe
Becky Shaheen - vocals, guitar
Laura Lou - vocals, uke
Joe Shaheen - bass, vocals, keys, banjo
Brian Reidinger - drums
Jillian Rae - violin and viola
Cierra Hill - cello
Chris Koza - string arrangement
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carol Roth. Photo credit: Dan Lee.
Carol Roth is the primary writer, social media manager, podcast producer and event-calendar updater for Adventures in Americana. By day she’s a marketing writer/brand strategist. In addition to playing guitar and songwriting, she writes self-proclaimed “trashy” novels under the pseudonym T.A. Berkeley.
