We had a fun chat with hotly-tipped twin sister duo The KTNA
Fun, uncompromising and unapologetically northern, twin sisters Millie and Hope Katana are collectively The KTNA, a duo crafting stirring and uniquely candid R&B sounds that have seen them grow in acclaim and reverence over the last few years.
The outfit really seem to be approaching the peak of their powers as of late and their newest release ‘Can’t Stop It’ is a shining example of the massive potential that the duo possess. As part of our partnership with CloseUp, we had a chat with The KTNA to get some deeper insight into the creative process of the duo and their outlook.
The KTNA! It’s great to have a chat. We love your music as you well know. Tell us a bit more about the world of you two?
Thank you so much! Well we are twin sisters who basically came into the world singing (in harmony ofc!!). We honestly have always, always made music even from before we could remember! All of our earliest memories involve music. My mum has the most amazing taste in artists and it has really rubbed off on us! She blasts music on the weekend for 12 hours straight from Anita Baker, Luther, Earth wind and fire, Michael McDonald, boyz 2 men and our biggest inspiration/ non-biological music father, Stevie Wonder. All of these amazing artists from the past have had such a profound effect on our music! That combined with our love of all music like soft rock, country, Brit pop, classical and hip hop is what really makes the KTNA sound!
What part of the musical process do you enjoy most, and why? is it performing live, creating your tracks, or..?
Our favourite part of the process is definitely making the songs and being in the studio! There’s something so magical about creating something new from scratch.. seeing whether the idea is better or worse in reality than it was in your head. Usually 8/10 times it’s better than what you heard in your head. However we do LOVE live! We feel so at home on stage, so connected to our music and to the audience and their emotions, it’s such a powerful thing!
The last 18 months and the pandemic have been crazy for musicians, how much has it had an effect on your music?
Definitely making music during a pandemic has been difficult. As creative beings we write about our experiences, everything is inspired. So being in the house all day locked down wasn’t that inspirational to be honest. However MILLIANA did learn how to play bass during lockdown and I worked on my production skill! So I guess it was nice to have time and not feel guilty about it as everybody was in the same boat! Usually as musicians we self loath after having some time to ourselves!
If you could create a ‘KTNA Festival’, which 3 artists would you have headlining? (Fri, Sat, Sun)
This is such a tricky question! However after deep contemplation. Our headliners for the KTNA fest would be..
> Friday night – Frank Ocean
> Saturday night- Chaka Khan & Rufus
> Sunday – Earth wind and fire & Stevie Wonder
(I know we kinda cheated but 3 days is just not enough)
Your new single is out now, give us a bit more info on the next chapter of The KTNA, should we be expecting more music soon?
The next chapter of KTNA has started and you definitely won’t be waiting very long for the next instalment! Expect a new single very soon and RESURGENCE in September! We’ve been working hard and got lots of tricks up our sleeves! We’re really excited to share all with the world! This next single is a beauty!
You play our CloseUp stage at Liverpool’s notorious ‘Sound City’ festival, let us know what we should be expecting from a live set of yours!
You can expect from any KTNA show full commitment! VOCALS!! HARMONIES! Lots of northern banter, emotion and for us to leave everything on the stage! Prepare to surrender to the darkness and be entertained!
