ALT BLK ERA: On identity, influences and the live acts that inspire them
Q+A with the MOBO award winning sisters
From Nottingham’s alternative scene to becoming one of the UK’s most exciting emerging acts, ALT BLK ERA have built a world entirely on their own terms. The sister duo of Chaya and Nyrobi have never been interested in fitting into one category, instead blending rock, metal, rap, electronic and pop influences into a sound that is completely personal. With their debut album Rave Immortal showcasing their genre-spanning approach and fearless creativity, we caught up with ALT BLK ERA to discuss finding their own lane, making music as sisters, their dream festival line-up and why refusing to be boxed in has always been at the heart of who they are.
When you first started making music together, were you trying to find your place within alternative music, or were you always focused on creating your own lane?
We grew up listening to pop music with our school friends and Neo Soul and Reggae from our home. When we first started making music, we didn't really know what Rock or alternative music was, so we just wrote songs that felt natural to us.
One day in the studio, we were trying to get to a sound that was more gritty than the tools we had been using and impulsively decided to add an electric guitar to a track just to see what it would sound like. Everything kind of snowballed from there. We had no idea what genre it was and we had no idea about the kind of people who would listen to what we had just made.
We started visiting places like Rough Trade and alternative clothes shops around Nottingham, asking people what kind of music they thought we were making. They recommended loads of bands and venues that might be interested. This is also how we met our drummer, by asking him if this was the type of music he would listen to. That’s really how we started discovering the alternative scene.
From there, we began playing shows with rock and alternative line-ups. We're still constantly experimenting with our sound. We absolutely love electronic music, rap and pop, but no matter what we're creating, we always find ourselves bringing electric guitar into it somehow. It's become a big part of who we are.
You're curating your dream festival. You get three headline slots, from any era or genre. Who are your three headliners, and what makes that the perfect line-up?
Chaya: That's such a difficult question! My dream headliners would have to be Movements, EXO and Billie Eilish. They represent pretty much every side of my music taste: rock and emo, K-pop and pop. They're all artists who I love in different ways, so having them all on one line-up would be amazing.
Nyrobi: Mine would be Stromae, Michael Jackson and ONE OK ROCK. They all bring something completely different to the stage. Stromae is such an incredible performer and songwriter, Michael Jackson is obviously one of the greatest entertainers ever, and ONE OK ROCK have that perfect huge rock sound.
What do you think you understand about each other's ideas that another band might struggle to communicate?
We've been singing together since we were about six and nine years old, so making music has always been part of our relationship. We've learned how each other thinks without even having to explain it.
We're also incredibly honest with each other. If we don't like a lyric, melody, beat or idea, we'll say it straight away. We never sugarcoat things because we both know it's coming from a place of wanting the song to be the best it can be.
We could never take it personally because we know the true and unfiltered words are always out of love.
We've also got totally different personalities, which is reflected in our music tastes. What is great is that ALT BLK ERA reflects both of us. There isn't one that outshines the other, but we make sure that we shine in our own way and in a way that we are comfortable with.
Do you think labels help artists find their audience, or can they sometimes hold creativity back?
For us, we've been lucky enough to always feel supported in following whatever direction feels right creatively. Of course, over the years people have had opinions about what they think we should sound like, but we've always had a strong support system around us.
Our mum and our close team members have always encouraged us to stay true to ourselves rather than fit into one box. We've also got each other, which makes us so strong in our conviction.
Even when we were signed to our first label, which was very rock and metal-focused, our Rave Immortal album explored so many different genres. We were a little nervous about how people there would react, but it was really reassuring to hear that some of their favourite songs were “Straight To Heart” and “Hunt You Down”, which aren't the heaviest tracks on the album.
That reminded us that great music connects with people regardless of genre, and that's something we've always believed in.
With ALT BLK ERA continuing to explore new creative territory, the duo are already working on new music, while also appearing at 2000trees and Splendour Festival. As we await the next chapter from the band, now is the perfect time to revisit Rave Immortal or discover the tracks that have helped define their sound so far. We recommend starting with “Straight To Heart”, a track that perfectly captures the mix of intensity, emotion and genre-blending creativity that makes ALT BLK ERA such an exciting band to watch.