The Sisterhood Band Reveal Their Secret Weapon
When country duo the Sisterhood Band opened for Rod Stewart, the legendary rocker told them they couldn't hire a band to fill the stadiums they'd be playing. So they improvised.
Ruby Stewart (Rod's daughter) and Alyssa Bonagura invented "Lupe," the magical (really it's just smartly programmed) loop pedal they bring with them for acoustic shows. He's a valuable member of the team, usually.
“Sometimes he turns off mid-set and that’s always embarrassing,” Stewart says, smiling, as Bonagura cracks a laugh.
Despite having successful musical and entertainment careers prior to teaming as a duo, the women say they're embracing being new to something once again. Rod Stewart only gave them the chance because he felt they were ready for it, something both women say their parents (Bonagura is the daughter of Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura of Baillie & the Boys) did throughout their entire lives. They tested them.
“Just the two of us and a loop pedal in front of 28,000 people?" Stewart says. "You really decide if you wanna do it."
"Lupe" represents the "Get Up and Go" duo's secret weapon. Bonagura, the bubbly, vibrant and sweet dark-haired member of the duo, becomes a tightly focused, very serious pro when she's behind the control board of a recording studio; something she's done for Jessie James Decker, Jo Dee Messina and more. Her sound engineering and producing background might be what sets this pair apart. It's not because she's a rare female producer. It's because she's good and right for the band.
“For awhile I didn’t think I was good enough because I was being told by a lot of producers that, like, ‘You don’t need to produce your own record,'" she tells Taste of Country after the Sisterhood Band's set at Hometown Rising in Louisville, Ky. “In my heart and my soul and my head I heard all these parts, and I wanted to produce.”
“I’m not sure if there’s ever been a female duo on a major label that’s producing their own record, but we are and we’re ready to slay it," she adds.
There's no timetable for the Sisterhood Band's debut EP or LP on Sony Music Nashville. "Bullet" is another song in their catalog that's elicited a strong response. It's about being in an abusive relationship and was written from personal experiences.
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