Artist Interview: Sistern

Sistern

Sistern have been around since the early 90's, blending the ethereal and lush textures of My Bloody Valentine with the catchy, harmony-rich songwriting of Big Star. Their music is a mesmerizing fusion of fuzzy, swirling guitars that blanket jangly, melodic hooks. Think walls of shimmering sound with crystalline vocal harmonies cutting through the haze. As they prepare for the release of their new EP, All You Made Up, I asked Sistern's Stevie Girton to catch us up to speed.

For listeners who are new to Sistern and may just be hearing you for the first time, can you give us a little background on the band, from the early days through today, and how has the band changed or evolved?​

Stevie Girton: When Sistern got started in the early 90s I was working as the sound engineer for the Afghan Whigs, which meant that Sistern was on-and-off for many years because I would go on tour for months at a time. The core lineup, which also includes bassist Scott Haggerty and drummer Brent Donaldson, spent a lot of time writing and recording at the legendary Ultrasuede Studio in Camp Washington during those early years. Sistern evolved into a four-piece in 2022 with the addition of another sound engineer, Anna Bentley, who brings more songs along with her guitar and vocals. It was a natural fit to fill out Sistern’s evolving sound. 

Tell us about the new songs. How did they come about?

SG: In a lot of ways, the new EP, “All You Made Up” was a result of Anna’s contributions inspiring the band to actually record and produce. Plus we practice in a historic music studio (Herzog) where songs like “Lovesick Blues” were recorded. This had to happen at some point. 

The songs on the new EP sound great. Other than the album release show, do you have any other shows lined up and do you plan on playing outside of the city?

SG: Thanks! I handled recording and mixing and Anna did the mastering. We hope to play more shows in the coming months now that we’re done with the record. Always open to suggestions at sisternband@gmail.com. 

The music scene in Cincinnati has really been vibrant for the last several years. Having been a part of the scene for a while, how does it feel to still sound like a new band on the scene?

SG: Anna and I are constantly working with Cincinnati bands as part of our jobs. It’s always fun to watch groups evolve and mature, and that includes Sistern. It’s also true that this is the first album we’ve put out in a long time, so there is sort of a weird debut feel to it.  

Can we expect more music from Sistern in the near future, possibly a full-length album?

SG: We have such a backlog of unreleased material so anything is possible at this point. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. The last word is yours.

Do you have anything else you'd like to share? 

SG: Stop by the Tavern this Friday! 

Sistern will be celebrating the release of their new EP, All You Made Up at the Northside Tavern in Cincinnati this Friday, August 22 at 8pm, with special guests The Hiders and Annie D.

Interview by Matt Lacefield

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