STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – Playing outdoor shows in the middle of winter has its challenges for any artist. The Shook Twins are not only up for the challenge, but excited by it – even if it includes tuning their instruments before, during and after every song. 

“It creates this amazing energy between the audience and the band, because we’re performing for each other, keeping each other moving,” Laurie Shook says. “There is this reciprocated effort that has to happen in order for everyone to stay warm. 

“I’m a sucker for a small winter town, because Katelyn and I grew up in a small ski resort town in north Idaho. It has such a nostalgic feel to it,” Laurie says.

Twins Laurie and Katelyn Shook have been singing their whole lives, evidenced by backyard home videos of the girls belting out Sinead O’Connor tunes while styled with mullets at age six. They both began teaching themselves guitar around the time of their graduation. “We were pretty late to that scene, which we kind of regret now, but for some reason it never crossed our minds,” Laurie explains. 

Their early music out of Idaho had themes of nature, small-town life and and their daily experiences. In 2010, The Shook Twins moved to Portland, which shifted their music to more of an indie tone with electronic elements. They’re currently experimenting with textures and soundscapes that create emotion, drawing influence from some of the indie rock artists in Portland as well as the fellow artists they meet while performing.  

“We aspire to be the kind of music you want to listen to when you go on a really nice walk or a beautiful drive – to kind of the be the background for contemplating,” Laurie says. 

The twins look forward to revisiting Steamboat and a playing this year’s WinterWonderGrass. “I love Steamboat. I kind of got a feeling last time we played in town that I could live there. Which is a really rare feeling for me to get,” Laurie says. 

“Every festival is like a family reunion,” she adds. “There is an awesome comeraderie. WinterWonderGrass is a well-greased machine; it’s very organized, and the team works really well together.”  

The harmonious, airy, indie, folk-pop sounds of the Shook Twins are inventive and contemplative. You can learn more about them at https://www.shooktwins.com