The Chapin Sisters are a folk music duo comprised of siblings Abigail and Lily Chapin. With their new single “Bergen Street,” the Chapin Sisters transport listeners to a place they may have never been before but will long to return to nonetheless. This new release is their first since their 2017 album Ferry Boat and is set to be released on March 31st under Lake Bottom Records.
The Chapin Sisters come from a proud family tradition of music-making, with their father, Tom Chapin, being a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, their late uncle Harry Chapin being a legendary artist and social justice activist, and their grandfather Jim Chapin being an esteemed jazz drummer. They carry on this tradition with “Bergen Street,” an expertly crafted and humble ode to a Brooklyn street that has special meaning for their family.
The sisters’ “blood harmony” lends an emotional depth to the song that only a family band can provide, and the bittersweet lyrics reflect the feelings of leaving a beloved place behind. Lily wrote the song as she was leaving Brooklyn to move back to the Hudson Valley village where they grew up. It’s an ode that captures the essence of a place with everyday sights and sounds, such as “soot in the window ruts” and “air that smells of the tire dust.”
The sisters’ Brooklyn memories stretch back many generations, and the place remains a touchstone for their family. They recall their Manhattan-born grandmother claiming she had never been to Brooklyn until she moved there at age 30, and their father and uncles playing their first concerts as The Chapin Brothers in the early ’60s. Even though they now build their memories outside of Brooklyn, the familial togetherness continues, and not just in front of the microphone.
They recorded “Bergen Street” at Lily’s house, which presented some unexpected challenges. With four young children between them and their husbands involved in the recording process, they had to rope in grandparents to take turns watching babies, cooking meals, doing dishes, and swinging on swings in the yard. This collaborative and intimate approach to recording has given their new songs an even more personal and heartfelt sound.
While leaving the city is a theme in their lives right now, the Chapin Sisters are not leaving Brooklyn behind for good. Their memories and emotional connection to the place will continue to inspire their music-making, and “Bergen Street” assures us that it will never leave them. This thoughtful and emotional tribute to a special place captures the essence of what it means to leave behind a home and hold onto the memories that make it unique. The Chapin Sisters’ new album, featuring songs that reflect this theme, is highly anticipated, and fans will be eagerly awaiting its release.
“Bergen Street” Video Teaser | Single Release Date: March 31, 2023
Source: Fanatic Promotion