afropunk premiere: indie-folk sister act xylaroo drops feel-good first single, ‘sunshine’

Xylaroo is a tight-knit, London-based sister-duo making feel good indie folk music for the wander’s soul. Their first single, ‘Sunshine’, is a dose of infectious lightness coupled with pure optimism you might only find from people who have seen and experienced many different ways of life. Which makes a lot of sense given the sister’s nomadic upbringing. Only two years apart in age, Holly was born in Papua New Guinea while Coco was born in Hong Kong. Their family’s travels took them to places like Sri Lanka where the lifestyle and sounds of the island inspired the frank and vibrant tone of their sound.

The duo, who have studied anthropology and psychology, share a deep interest in philosophical and transcendent ideas and moments which greatly informs their lyrical content. ‘Sunshine’ is introspective comfort that reminds you to bask in the positive rays of light, no matter what, because “all the good is worth the hard shit.” “Sunshine was inspired by a quote by Dolly Parton “the way I see it, if you want the rainbow you gotta put up with the rain.” It’s about embracing the good and the bad as the hardships of life make you stronger and more grateful. There’s also a little homage to Johnny Cash with the burn, burn, burn lyric,” the band tells AFROPUNK.

Listen to ‘Sunshine’ and their B-side cover of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ down below and stay up-to-date with Xylaroo news right here.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor

In the UK and want to see Xylaroo live? They’re currently on tour supporting Will Varley:

10/02-16 Newcastle, Cluny 2
11/02-16 Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
12/02-16 Glasgow, King Tuts
13/02-16 Manchester, Night & Day – SOLD OUT
02/03-16 Plymouth, The Junction
03/03-16 Falmouth, MONO
04/04-16 Southampton, Joiners – SOLD OUT
10/03-16 London, Scala
More info:

www.facebook.com/xylarooband
www.soundcloud.com/xylaroo
https://twitter.com/Xylaroo
*Erin White is AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.