Two years ago, Lydia and Laura Rogers, the Alabama siblings who harmonize together so enchantingly as The Secret Sisters, looked like they had it all figured out. They’d built a sterling reputation with critics and a strong fan base. T-Bone Burnett was their record producer and they were in demand. But behind the scenes, the artists were suffering, at times despondent and afraid all they’d built and all they wanted to do was being torn away from them. They’d been cast adrift by their label. Faced with insurmountable legal bills, they took the extreme step of declaring personal bankruptcy. But they kept that a secret, if you will, from their fans.
But it got better. They leaned on family, faith and an ace in the hole, the friendship and mentorship of folk star Brandi Carlile. They called on their fans for what would be a make-or-break crowd-funding campaign. And they came out with a triumph, an album far more mature, revelatory and contemporary than anything they’d made before. It was the Grammy nominated You Don’t Own Me Anymore. Lydia and Laura spoke with The String before a show at the City Winery in Nashville.