New Band of the Week: ALT BLK ERA

Teenage sister duo ALT BLK ERA have taken their R&B, soul, reggae and rap roots and fused them with heavy guitars, orchestral and unnerving sounds to create a diverse sound they describe as “powerful, sincere and creepy” – which had us immediately fascinated.

The Nottingham duo of Nybrobi (19) and Chaya (16) have been singing together since they were very young, and their favourite memories include doing the dishes together while singing Leona Lewis and Rihanna at the top of their voices. The sisters fused their backgrounds with elements of rock, metal, rap and electronica to create music that aims to offer empowerment to the “freaks and misfits.”

They also offer up two types of songs: Solar, which are filled with electric guitars and tongue-twisting raps, and Lunar, which are darker and more atmospheric led by strings and haunting harmonies. And they often release Solar and Lunar versions of the same tracks.

On the concoction they’ve brewed up, the duo told us: “Our sound is unrestrained, unapologetic and free. It can be full of rage – sometimes it’s heavy-hearted, touching on some tough issues, sometimes we get a little twisted where horror elements seep through. And we sometimes offer contrasting perspectives through our Solar and Lunar songs.

“To be honest, we’ve given up trying to categorise what we do – we just make what music we want and call it ‘Alternative’ to cover all bases!”

We chatted to ALT BLK ERA following last month’s release of I’m Normally Like This, which they say is aimed at the “Alt gatekeepers” telling them they don’t belong in the community and “Normies” telling them they should change the way they act, dress and make music. It opens up with a sinister pulsing bass and growing synth sounds with spoken vocals coming in, starting with the line “They say we’re too moody, the normies never liked that” and building up to a big shoutalong chorus built around the lines “I don’t give a damn if they like it, I’m normally like this.” A slightly more upbeat second verse, featuring the line “And who do you think you are to dismiss us, Did they make you vindictive?” feeds into another lively chorus.

On the track, the duo told us: “The reception has been unbelievably positive! From the very first time we’d performed it live to a brand new audience, they were screaming the lyrics back at us, jumping and holding their middle fingers up in the air!

“Also, we had a powerhouse endorsement from Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon who shared our track to his Insta. That was HUGEEEEE for us! If you haven’t listened to it yet – this song is speaking up LOUDLY for anyone who has felt excluded or intimidated by others – just for being who they are. It’s liberating & powerful – mixing DnB, Metal, Rap and Pop.” Check out this awesomely angsty track in the stream below:

That followed the release of last year’s deliciously feisty Rockstar, which opens up with a darting riff that builds into heavy chorus vocals “I need a Rockstar, I’m into tyrants, Playing strings with violence
A bridal riot, Why would I need your man when I’ve got Nine?, He’d control me but I’m really not that guy.” Chunky guitars continue as it flows into rapped vocals answered by vicious retorts, which feed into another intense chorus. Wild cries come in as the guitars continue, then drops into a more laid-back section led by clean vocals. They then trade rapped vocals, before concluding with a final blast of the chorus. Check this superb track out here:

More recently, they released Misfits: Solar 10 days ago, which opens up with light vocals over a pulsing synth and twinkling electronic sounds. Rapped vocals jump in and feed into more intense, fast-paced vocals that end on huge screams and a more melodic chorus “Make way for the Misfits, Who do you think you are? People laugh cause we’re different, Crying all alone, until I found the ones who get this,
We’re the mother freaking Misfits, Who do you think u are? That you laugh ’cause we’re different?
Get this Normie out my business, Thought I’d die alone cause nobody ever gets this, Until I found the freaking Misfits.” Check it out here:

ALT BLK ERA have plenty more music to dig your teeth into, including the huge Mosh Girl Summer, the wild Off With Their Heads and the slightly creepy Obsession, which has Lunar and Solar versions. And if you like things a little more mellow, check out the Lunar version of Even If We’re Not.

The sisters grew up on old-school reggae, soul and RnB, including artists like Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill and Rihanna, who inspired them to become artists. But when they started to make music they found artists Stromae, Ashnikko and The Prodigy to light their creative fire and help them reflect their personalities.

And on what inspires their music, they told us: “Growing up as ALTERNATIVE kids we both had our own hard experiences. We started writing about how we felt, our fears, dreams, revenge thoughts, friendships that didn’t work out. Then, when we started performing, we found other people like us who have had those same experiences.

“So, with our upcoming EP, we really want to reach anyone who feels alone or feels like there’s not a place for them in this world. A lot of older Alternative people have said that they wish they had us in their lives when they were growing up which is really valuable feedback for us – knowing that we can potentially be making other ALT kids’ lives a little easier.”

It’s safe to say the sisters have had an exciting year, including playing Glastonbury and headlining the BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds Festival last month. On that experience, they told us: “We’re still pinching ourselves after Glastonbury. The name and the place are so iconic and we were on the bill with Skindred and H99o9 – thanks to Earache Records who took the leap to book us.

“It’s really exciting to be playing the festivals we dreamed of as children. On stage is where we’re both the most comfortable so it feels incredibly natural for us – and what Glastonbury showed us was the bigger the stage – the better – so bring it on!”

ALT BLK ERA have two headline shows coming up at The Grace in London on 13 September (tickets here) and Rock City Beta in Nottingham on 16 September (tickets here). These two shows will launch their debut EP Freak Show and carry the theme of ‘No Freak Left Behind.’

On the EP, Nyrobi told us: “It’s more than an EP, it’s the reality that too many of us are alone feeling misunderstood and neglected. We want to do more through our music. We want to build a community where we’re heard and appreciated.”

And Chaya added: “It’s what we wish we had growing up. And maybe through this, we can inspire other young and elder ALT people to live fearlessly in their truth.”

We’re loving the sound of Alt Blk Era, and the contrast between their delicious Lunar and more intense Solar tracks. And it’s pretty obvious that an alternative, rock and metal community that’s supposed to be welcoming of everyone is the perfect home for this supremely talented sister act.

You can follow ALT BLK ERA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.