The Grahams’ story is that of two lives lived well together—a relationship that dates back to childhood that led them to start an accomplished musical project and found their multifaceted 3Sirens Music Group in Nashville. All these decades later, they’re still together and strong – and the latest chapter of their tale comes with their most personal album, The Bridge, which will be expanded with the release of a Deluxe Edition on March 6th. Now Alyssa and Doug Graham put the spotlight back on the album by sharing the single The Worst Parts Of Me

Most of your songs are storytelling – what inspires you to write them?

I think all the best songs are musical forms of storytelling. I come from a family of accomplished writers, including my brother, who is a professor of creative writing and a three-time novelist, and my sister-in-law, who is an accomplished author and Pulitzer Prize finalist as well as a renowned journalist. Songwriting is a different kind of storytelling but one that marries the art of music and the written word. It’s fascinating, as for most of our past songs and albums, we have spent a lot of time making up stories about the people and places we have been. Signing and writing about the imagined story in a very voyeuristic way. On our new album, The Bridge, we turned inward and decided it was time to tell our stories. This shift has made all the difference. It turns out that while being creative and imaginative about others as a storyteller has an impact, being honest and vulnerable as a storyteller is crucial.

Doug has Scottish heritage – has any of the Celtic music influenced you?

Absolutely! I think there is a very deep connection between what we call “Americana” music and authentic/traditional Celtic music. All of our roots play a part in the music we write and perform, but Celtic music is so endearing and so pervasive in the musical choices we make. I think that all of the early "folk" and “country” music from the U.S. is steeped in the traditions of Celtic music. Who knows how the American musical landscape would have taken shape without this powerful influence? Also, I make Doug wear a kilt once in a while.

How would you describe your music?

We were just talking about your work today. We went to see a friend of ours (Ruston Kelly) perform in Denver last night. He writes songs. He has a very consistent and honest style, and you know it’s him every time you hear one of his tunes. I think The Grahams have a style, but it is a lifelong accumulation of all the music we have been passionate about over the years. It’s a mix of our 80s and 90s upbringing, our youth in New Jersey and New York, our three-decade-plus love affair of playing and writing together, our daughters’ musical inheritance, and most importantly, our never-ending curiosity about music. We never do the same thing twice. Our songs bring in various genres, including jazz, folk, rock, psychedelia, singer-songwriter, R&B (rhythm and blues), and a little punk rock. You may not always be able to identify a Graham's song, but you certainly can follow the course of our life and experience through our musical journey.

Why did you decide to open the Three Sirens recording studio and record label?

We have always felt like outsiders in Nashville. We are New Jersey/New York kids who moved to Nashville for our music careers, but we never quite fit in. A lot of folks flocked to Nashville in the early 2000s from all over the country. It is an amazing city, but it can also be isolating. We wanted to create a space that brought artists of all kinds together. This was not limited to only country or folk artists. Songwriters, producers, engineers, painters, literary artists, and artists who didn’t fit into the typical Nashville scene. We wanted to essentially create a salon where artists of all kinds could come together to create, talk, share, perform, and record without judgement or competition. 3Sirens has been a labour of love, and now we have parlayed that experience and also started an arts foundation called DAG Foundation, which supports innovative artists in music, literature and visual art (www.dagfoundation.org). We love making music and performing, but on a grand scale we want to help beauty get out into the world, and so our life’s work is to help other artists. 3Sirens and DAG Foundation are small steps in that direction.

Is the Nashville music scene still looking in excellent shape?

I think so. Like any great city, Nashville is experiencing an influx of people that can sometimes feel overwhelming and diluted. However, the heartbeat of the city is still there, and there are still incredible artists working at their craft and sharing their music. It can sometimes get you down when you look at housing costs and fancy restaurants and just the general cost of living, but as New Yorkers, Doug and I know that’s what happens when people find out about a great city. You can’t dwell on that. I think what really needs to improve in Nashville is the power of the other arts outside of music. There isn’t very much of an art scene or a literature scene, but I guess it’s “Music City” for a reason. Maybe 3Sirens can help work towards a more well-rounded arts scene.

Coming to the UK in March to play some live gigs, have you played shows here previously?

We have spent years and years building our audience in the UK, and it is by far our favourite stop on the road. We have always been very welcomed; the audiences always show up both physically and emotionally to support us, and best of all, they come talk to us after the show and take our music home! We are coming this time with our full band armed with all the music from our new album, The Bridge. We are also bringing beautiful new vinyl copies of the record and much more. We have spent time all over the UK for the past decade, performing everywhere from Bury to London, from Newcastle upon Tyne to Cornwall. This should be a very exciting return, as we have not been back since 2022. See you all at the shows!

What can people expect who come to the concerts?

Honestly, we are travelling with our full band (our best friends), our daughter Georgette (who has the first radio hit from the album named after her) and our new music. We are filled with love, gratitude and enthusiasm. We are going to do our very best to put on an exciting, honest and impactful performance every single night. The audiences are our partners, and we need y’all to show up so we can do what we do best and take you on a musical journey for 90 minutes.
The Grahams bring the songs of The Bridge’ to the UK for the first time with a headline tour. Tickets for the northern shows are available from:

https://www.thegrahamsmusic.net/tour

MARCH
16th - Newcastle, The Cluny
23rd - Sheffield, Greystones
29th - Bury, The Met