- Music and Sound -
The MonaLisa Twins, with real-life twins Mona and Lisa Wagner fronting the band, are one of the very few modern groups who continue the tradition of song-writing that took off in 1963. They bring back what has been started 60 years ago and write modern songs in the 60s Beat music tradition, reviving the genre with a fresh twist without sounding pop-ish or trivial. Their signature features are their tight twin harmonies, unaltered natural voices, relatable lyrics, twangy guitar sounds and inventive arrangements.
On their debut album When We’re Together, which they recorded at the mere age of 16, they present finest Rock ‘n’ Roll and Beat music, skillfully venturing out in Psychedelic, Folk and Latin genres, inspired by the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan or Simon & Garfunkel.
In comparison, their follow-up albums ORANGE and WHY? give a more mature, sometimes satirical, yet overall still light-hearted approach to topics we all deal with. Love, community, doubt, the past and future, and the generally unsettling direction society seems to be taking. While staying true to quirky, melodic 60s song-writing, plenty of harmonies and twangy guitar licks, these albums branch out into more psychedelic but also earthy, bluesy, even jazzy and funky tones for a very experimental, tongue-in-cheek side of the MonaLisa Twins.
While listening to and playing all different kinds of music genres in our youth, we stayed with the 60s song-writing, something we think is way too much neglected these days. We wanted to write and play music that had the magic and the same impact on people that those classic tracks had on us.
- Background -
They were born into a country (Austria) that celebrated classical and traditional folk music and which was rather detached from the humorous, easy going 60s spirit you associate with England or the States. They picked their parents wisely though. Their father is a musician/song-writer himself and, during the 80s and 90s, was running a recording studio producing renowned (inter)national artists including a Grammy winner. Together with him and their step-mother they fully concentrated on the Twins’ music and over the years built up a full-time family business.
- Achievements -
11 albums, 150+ music videos, 85+ million YouTube views, 200,000+ subscribers and a lot of blood, sweat and tears later, they are living and working in Liverpool/UK. With a host of live shows in Europe, the UK, USA and Australia, a recording session in Abbey Road Studios, a UK tour with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, a 2-year residency at the legendary Cavern Club, a Glastonbury performance and collaborations with Woodstock legend John Sebastian under their belt, they have come a long way since daydreaming about the future at the age of 13.
- Sound Of Music 2.0 ? -
What they are most proud of? They did it their own way. Every video they released, every song they’ve written, every album they put out, every blog post on their social media, and even their website comes from the collective brain juice of their small but mighty team. That doesn’t mean at all that they don’t want or need the help of other people, but it means they’re willing to work twice or thrice as hard so they don’t have to give away their creative freedom or values for any short-term success. They created their own label and took DIY to a whole new level.
If you, too, love and treasure the quality song-writing and positive, witty spirit that exploded in the Sixties, the MonaLisa Twins might be the band you’ve been waiting for for the last 50 years.
The Twins have received praise from many music icons of the “Swinging Sixties”. Listen to what others are saying about The MonaLisa Twins! You might enjoy them as much as your 60s idols do …
