Sisters Kalina & Kiana have branded their own genre called “poetic-pop". Their sound is distinguishable by chart topping song-writing skills, great production, engaging lyrics, and pop flavored vocals and harmonies. The two sisters have been singing and playing music together since they were children; Kalina on the piano and Kiana on the guitar. Today, the girls have a resume that includes opening for acts like The Bangles, Justin Bieber, Andrew McMahon, Natasha Bedingfield, Lifehouse, PawnShop Kings and Red Hot Chili Peppers! They have also written for Zag Animation’s The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and for Maggie & Bianca: Fashion Friends, which can currently be seen on Netflix.
Their path to success is inspirational. At a young age, the girls formed a band called The Raymies and landed a role with Disney via their longtime friend John Stamos. As show business goes, Disney was only interested in Kalina & Kiana and the band imploded, squashing the deal. That didn’t stop this dynamic duo. The girls pushed forward and started Rocky’s Revival (voted “Best Indie Band” in Orange County). In 2014, as Rocky’s Revival gained momentum, Kalina was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Fortunately, she is in complete remission! The songs written during her cancer treatments were coined “gigs with wigs” and as the young women opened for The Bangles and Justin Bieber, Kalina sported a wig onstage. Their EP ‘Say What You Want’ is a testament to their unstoppable talent - the five songs will “wow” you with chart topping material.
‘Say What You Want’ opens with the song “It Had to Be You.” From the moment the music starts, the energy hits you through stellar production work and a catchy as hell chorus performed with pop perfect vocals. The first impression is that the song could easily be a number 1 hit on the charts right now. Check out Kalina & Kiana's inviting video performance of "It Had to Be You".
The next song, “Shame on Me” changes up the mood with a moving mid-tempo that drives forward with a deep heartbeat undertone before busting into a very memorable chorus. “Shame on me for kissing you with my eyes closed so… Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I should have seen right through you.” The song is incredibly relatable and could also easily top the charts.
Track 3, titled “Say What You Want” demonstrates the group’s poetic and meaningful lyrical aptitude. “People seem to stay the same. Never meaning what they say. I don’t want to hear lies. All I want is to find someone to say what they think without feeling guilty.” This song grabs you from the start with it’s upbeat message about letting people say what they want and remaining resilient and true to yourself. The poetic lyrics never interfere with the group’s pop sensibilities which remain center stage as the hook and melodic content are infectious.
“That Girl’s In Love” is an impressive, stand out, upbeat pop song that perfectly describes love’s euphoric state, lyrically and musically: “My head is somewhere in the clouds. Drifting by them, I swear I won’t come down. Lost in euphoria - I’m a goner now.” The chorus just bursts out on this song commanding a sing-a-long and a smile. One listen and you will be singing it all day..
As a special treat, Kalina & Kiana offer up a stirring version of “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel. Their rendition puts the song into a larger mix with incredible production. It showcases their musicality with word-painting interpreted in incredible harmonies and instrumental effects that paint the song's images.
They say the cream rises to the top no matter what and this is the case with Kalina & Kiana. With a talent this strong, nothing can stop this duo. Their songs can easily stand toe to toe with best pop songwriters and performers on the scene today and surely will.