Beyond Girl Power
Sister Musicians Empower Women to Live Boldly.
Words by Abby L. Johnson | Photo by Gaby Deimeke
Tori, Sophia, and Tiffany Baltierra are no strangers to the spotlight. The trio of twenty-something sisters each discovered their individual musical inclinations early in life and, at the behest of their parents, came together as young girls to form the first iteration of The Tiarras: The Tiarra Girls.
With Sophia on drums, Tiffany on bass, and Tori as the lead vocalist and lyricist, the group began in 2011. In just a couple of years, the young band was performing regularly together at gigs where they were often the youngest in the lineup.
As exciting as this was, it wasn’t without challenges. “We started out so young, and we weren’t familiar with a lot of what other older musicians already knew. We were on the same lineup as them, but we weren’t really respected on the same level or treated the same…It just doesn’t start out all rainbows and butterflies,” Sophia explains.
With these early experiences under their belt, the siblings grew together as musicians and collaborators and began to develop the core values of their project. Despite the adversity they faced, the Baltierras pushed through as a family. Themes of resilience, empowerment, and inclusivity began to shine through their songs, both lyrically and in the way they seamlessly blend an eclectic range of genres.
“Part of our mission statement was always to be a voice for those who can’t be one for themselves,” says Tiffany. The trio also makes it their goal to change the landscape for upcoming artists. “For young bands that we meet, we hope to create something completely different for them because they deserve the same respect as everyone else…´the respect` we didn’t get when we started,” Sophia adds.
“Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we want to feed off the energy out in the crowd or in the environment that we’re in, and it’s not doing it for us, but we look at each other and we’re like, okay, we’re here together. We can do this, and we’re going to have a good show.” -Tiffany Baltierra
At the same time the band grew its audience and began booking larger gigs like ACL, the Baltierra girls were entering young adulthood. They decided to drop the ‘Girls’ and became simply ‘The Tiarras.’
It’s a unique experience playing music with siblings. “We trust each other a lot. And because of the way we’re close in age, we share an understanding of where we are in life…We’re not afraid to tell each other what we’re feeling,” says Tiffany. This trust lends itself to emotionally impactful, heartfelt songs. It also makes for incredible synergy on stage. “If we’re messing up on a song or if the crowd’s not into it, or if we’re late to the gig, we’re always going to find a way to make it work.” Tori laughs and adds, “Plus we’re goofy with each other and have telepathy powers whenever we’re performing.”
Up Next
Currently, the band is working on their first full-length album and can’t wait to share it with the world.
Musical Influences
The Baltierra sisters cite a wide range of artists and genres as inspiration. These include traditional Spanish and Mexican artists, Norah Jones, Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, and Run-D.M.C.
Contact:
thetiarras.com
@thetiarrasofficial
