CHKBNS

Growing up in Russia's southern city of Stavropol, sisters Aneliya and Emily listened to bootleg Nirvana and dreamt of faraway Seattle. Recently, this dream became reality in a way they could have never imagined: the band Chkbns – for which Aneliya writes the lyrics, sings and plays guitar; where Emily is the drummer; and their friend Slava practices a kind of witchcraft on synthesizers – has not only visited the so-called Rain City, but also recorded their new album there as well as being broadcast live at the cult indie radio station KEXP. Prior to this, the trio – which was formed in St. Petersburg in 2012 – performed in Sweden, England, Canada, South Korea, Hong Kong, China and Vietnam. Harmonically combining haunting female vocals, romantic synthesizer, resonant guitar and explosive drums, the music of Chkbns is wholly accessible and requires no translation, no matter where it is performed. Their songs speak the universal language of indomitable idealism and utopian love.