“These gems in the rough from rural Arkansas don’t need much polishing,
just more opportunities to do what comes naturally.” – Pam Tillis
The country legend could not be more on point. Growing up on their family’s farm in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, sisters Mary-Keaton and Stella were introduced to music at an early age. Their natural ability to harmonize lead to writing their own music and they began to perform at local talent shows and other events. With hard work and more appearances outside of the Arkansas circle, The Render Sisters entered 2020 ready to make their mark. They released their incredible debut single “Lost Boy” this summer, following up with their second release “Count On Me, Count On You“ available today.
We caught up with the uber talented teenage sisters to talk about their introduction to music, their recent releases and the lovely Pam Tillis.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
RS: We are a county duo called the Render Sisters. We are 14 and 16 years old and we live in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on a farm. We love music and living our lives to the fullest.
CN: Your grandmother, who was a music teacher, is credited with introducing you both to music. What are some of your memories with her?
RS: Our grandmother, who we call “MomMom”, would always play the piano for us when we were really little and we would sing together. She was a music teacher and a piano teacher and she shared her love of music with us from the moment we were born. She introduced us to the movie, “The Sound of Music”, and from there we developed our love for singing.
CN: Which song from “The Sound of Music” is your favorite to sing?
RS: Stella’s favorite is “My Favorite Things” and Mary-Keaton’s favorite is “16 Going on 17”. We kept the DVD in our car and we would watch the movie and sing along every time we were travelling.
CN: At what moment did you realize that you both wanted to pursue music professionally, and together as a duo?
RS: We never really thought about it since we were so young, but in 2018 we were introduced to PCG Artist Development in Nashville through our local music school, Jettway Performance. Once we began working with PCG, they realized how much we complimented each other with our harmonies and the duo emerged from that. We were 11 and 13 when we began “Render Sisters” and started to pursue music professionally.
CN: Which musicians, country or not, have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
RS: Both personally and as an artist, country music superstar Pam Tillis has been an incredible influence in our development and growth. She has been a constant mentor and teacher, and advises us in pretty much all aspects of being an artist. We are very thankful for having her to lead and guide us through the waters of development. She is such a positive role model who has impacted our lives in so many ways.
CN: With everything that’s going on in the world in regards to COVID-19, we hope everyone in your circle is safe and healthy. As you are both teenagers, how was your school year affected by the pandemic?
RS: School was greatly affected by the pandemic. It ended abruptly in the spring and we had an extended summer vacation. We were quarantined most of the time so we did classes via Zoom and online. We recently went back to school for face to face instruction while following the CDC guidelines. It has been a challenge being at school wearing a face mask all day and not being able to socialize/congregate and hang out with friends while at school. We hope this ends soon so we can go back to ball games and fun events.
CN: With more time at home, have you been writing any new songs?
RS: Yes! We have recently written and recorded 3 original songs with our producer, Britton Cameron. We are super excited for all of you to hear them in the near future.
CN: Can you take us through your songwriting process? Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you prefer to write together or solo?
RS: We have been taught multiple ways to write a song, but the process that seems to work best for us is to write the song “backwards” – Starting with the chorus, verse 2, then verse 1 and then adding any extra as it progresses. We draw most of our inspiration from our own lives, the situations and scenarios we have seen or been involved in. We prefer to write our songs together; our brains just work better together.
CN: As sisters, do your musical strengths differ? Does one prefer to sing lead vs. background? Does your choice in instruments differ?
RS: Yes, our strengths do differ to some degree. Stella mostly sings the harmony and Mary-Keaton sings the lead but occasionally, we switch those two roles. It is neat that we are able to flip-flop and do this from time to time to offer some variety in our songs. Mary-Keaton plays the guitar and Stella plays the keyboard.
CN: You recently released your debut single “Lost Boy” which you co-wrote with Britton Cameron. This mature song gives hope to those who may feel lost at times – a very universal feeling for both teenagers and adults and especially during these current times. What led you to write about such an emotional place?
RS: We wanted to shed light on the idea that anyone who has felt helpless or hopeless at one time or another that there is always someone you can lean on or turn too. There is hope! Many times, there are others experiencing the same feelings or emotions and we aren’t alone in this world.
CN: The legendary Pam Tillis co-directed the “Lost Boy” music video alongside Josh Sikkema. What was it like to work with Pam not only as a director but also as a mentor? What did you learn from her?
RS: Wow, Pam is such an amazing lady! We are so humbled to have her assisting and directing us along in this process. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience! Plus, she is super creative! When we were shooting the video, Pam was very work-oriented and goal-driven. She expected us to be on our “A” game and focused. We have learned from her that hard work, dedication, and being committed are the keys to success.
CN: Besides being sisters, you are also best friends. Have you both always been so close? Any sibling-rivalry ever?
RS: When we were younger, we had the usual sibling disagreements and we still do sometimes now, but we have never disliked each other. We are only 22 months apart so we have shared the same interests growing up. We love each other and at the end of the day, we would do anything for each other. We have spent so much time together whether singing or socially that we often complete each other’s sentences or answer questions in harmony.
CN: “Count On Me, Count On You” is your next single and talks about that bond you have as sisters. What was it like to write a song about the relationship you two have?
RS: “Count On Me, Count On You” was the first song we ever wrote together. Since it is about our direct lives and our relationship as sisters, it was the easiest song we have ever written. It reflects the fun times we have had and also the reassurance that we will always be there for each other.
CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be?
RS: If we could work jointly with an artist, we would choose Luke Bryan. We love the energy he possesses and brings to the stage. It is evident that he loves what he does and he has a positive attitude, which are qualities that we want to have. We want to bring out the best in people and make them smile.
CN: If you could describe yourselves – individually and as a duo – in one word, what would it be and why?
RS: This is a hard question, whew! Individually: Stella, entertaining and Mary-Keaton, empathetic. Everyone always says that Stella is entertaining no matter what mood she is in. She is always cracking a joke or making us laugh. Mary-Keaton holds everyone close to her heart and shares their feelings with them…..when they hurt, she hurts….when they are happy, she is rejoicing with them.
CN: What’s next on the horizon for you?
RS: We are going to continue writing songs and hopefully have an EP out in the near future. We will continue our training, practicing and pushing forward.
Be sure to tune-in to The Heartland Network’s Country Music Today, Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 2 pm ET/PT for the music video premiere for “Count On Me, Count On You.”
Stream/download “Count On Me, Count On You” here.
For more information on the Render Sisters, visit their website at https://www.rendersisters.com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.