Festival

by Andrew Leahey
Sisters Alexis and Lindsay Powell create the eclectic music of Festival, a Brooklyn-based outfit that swirls together folk, gospel, psychedelic pop, and vocal harmonies. Although both siblings share a lifelong talent for the arts, Alexis and Lindsay didn't collaborate musically until Christmas 2005, when a return to their childhood home inspired the duo to begin writing and recording four-track demos. The process certainly wasn't new to Lindsay, who also issues solo recordings under the stage name Cake Bake Betty. Nevertheless, Festival's musical hybrid was engaging, and the sisters decamped to Nashville in 2006 to begin recording sessions for their debut album. Enlisting help from their multi-instrumentalist brother Mike, as well as several other contributors, the Powell sisters emerged months later with their debut album, 2008's Come, Arrow, Come!