Laura and Lydia Rogers came from a musical family but neither had seriously considered a career in music until Laura traveled to Nashville for an open audition, where she caught the ear of industry execs and producers. Asked to return for a follow-up, Laura brought Lydia along. Shortly thereafter, the Secret Sisters were on a plane to L.A. to record demos for their 2010 self-titled debut on Universal, produced by T Bone Burnett. Sophomore effort Put Your Needle Down followed in 2014. In the interim they toured with Bob Dylan and recorded with Jack White. Put Your Needle Down, a respectable album on the slick country-revival model, garnered uneven reviews. Then the Secret Sisters were dropped by their label, but they didn’t stop writing. The new You Don’t Own Me Anymore‘s cheeky title obliquely recalls the Secret Sisters’ major-label woes—as does much of the lyrical content—but the album (on New West) as a whole fits into a long tradition of country statements about survival past deep damage. Laura and Lydia will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week, Read our new feature on them.
Laura and Lydia: We first heard Courtney’s music last summer, just as her fourth and most recent record, Honest Life, released. Her lilting, Joni-esque vocals and to-the-point songwriting make us swoon with envy—our particular favorites include “Irene” and “Woman Of Many Colors.” To have already made four records by your mid-20s is no small feat, and we can’t wait to see how her art evolves in the years to come. Hey, Courtney: Wanna tour with us?
