In the hushed, dimly lit backstage of a bustling venue, amidst the faint scent of anticipation and the electric hum of pre-performance nerves, Say Lou Lou finds themselves in familiar territory. For the twin sisters behind the artist name, Miranda and Elektra Kilbey, music isn’t just a passion—it’s a way of life, a shared journey woven into the very fabric of their existence.

Growing up under the sway of musician parents, the sisters found themselves navigating the peculiar blend of embarrassment and inspiration that comes with being raised in a musical household. “You find yourself sitting backstage waiting to play a show in a smelly, tiny venue in the middle of nowhere and you’re like ‘SHIT’!” Miranda chuckles. “We don’t have anything to compare to, but having our parents and other family members in music and theatre made us feel like expressing ourselves through music, visuals, films, etc. was a natural and essential part of life.”

Their journey as collaborators has mirrored their personal growth, evolving alongside the ebb and flow of their relationship. “Learning to have more patience and gratitude and acceptance for our individual selves has made it easier to have it for each other,” Elektra reflects. “But with that said, a part of our dynamic is really close and intense (both in a fantastic and sometimes chaotic way) and it’s a part of what gives our project energy and life but also makes it hard to handle and frustrating for others to be around.”

Their latest EP, “Dust, Pt.1,” serves as a poignant exploration of the emotional terrain of heartbreak. Through their music, the sisters have found catharsis and growth, gaining new perspectives on love and loss. “The only way through is through, and when you’re in it, you’re in it but it’s so temporary,” Elektra reflects. “You’ll always come out on the other side with more wisdom and clearer perspectives.”

The unique bond of twinship infuses every chord and lyric, shaping both their personal lives and their artistic endeavors. “Having an unbreakable closeness, synchronicity and understanding makes us secure and confident,” Miranda explains. “There’s always someone to give you a reality check, an honest answer, someone who can tell what you’re thinking without you having to say a word.”

Yet, with closeness comes challenge, as the sisters navigate the pitfalls of shared insecurities and inner criticisms. “Our shared inner criticisms can get in our way a lot,” Elektra admits. “We’ve gotten better at seeing studio time as a fun way of bonding and deepening our love and respect for each other’s differences rather than fixating on each other’s flaws and insecurities.”

Relocating to Los Angeles, a city steeped in dreams and creativity has added a new dimension to their musical odyssey. “LA is such a strange and interesting place,” Miranda muses. “There’s no center, it’s so spread out and everyone is tucked away in secret hiding places that you don’t find unless someone introduces you to them.”

As they look to the future, Say Lou Lou is poised on the brink of new horizons, with plans to release singles and EPs leading up to their album ‘Dust Pt.2.’ Yet amidst the whirlwind of their musical journey, the sisters remain grounded, cherishing the simple pleasures of life’s quieter moments. “Finding time for doing nothing, swimming in the ocean, going on long walks with our dogs,” Elektra smiles. “These are the things that keep us inspired and alive.

Team Credits:
Words by Hannah Magnusson
Photography by Ellen Nykvist at MINK MGMT
Styling by Sandra Ekenstam
Makeup by Jasmine Ärnström at Mikas Looks
Hair by Amanda Lund at Lund Lund
Photo assistant: Lisa Larsson

Fashion Credits:
1) Miranda wears top by Hildur Evenlind. Skirt by Korlekie. Tights by Alisa Cayoo. Boots by Rombaut. Rings by Sara Robertsson and Laôma Atelier.
2) On the left: Elektra wears a Bolero and skirt by Linda Dekhla. Sleeves by Hildur Evenlind. Stockings by No Dress. Mules by & Other Stories. Rings by Laôma Atelier.
On the right: Miranda wears a top and skirt by Anna Lastro. Knee-high boots by ATP Atelier. Elektra wears two different tops by Albin Granaas. Trousers by Christian Dior. Earrings by Freya Douglas Ferguson.
3) Miranda wears a top by Keta Gutmane. Skirt by Hildur Evenlind. Tights by Alisa Cayoo. Mules by Tiger of Sweden. Rings by Sara Robertsson and Laôma Atelier.
4) Miranda wears a top and skirt by Anna Lastro. Knee-high boots by ATP Atelier.
5,6) Miranda wears top by Hildur Evenlind. Trousers by Lowe Lind- blad. Elektra wears top by Hildur Evenlind and skirt by Wera. Rings by Sara Robertsson and Laôma Atelier.
7) Miranda wears dress by Albin Gra- naas. Elektra wears two different tops by Albin Granaas.
Trousers by Christian Dior.
8) Elektra wears a leather jacket by Keta Gutmane. Flaming bra by Perlensau. Skirt by Albin Granaas. Boots by Tiger of Sweden.
9&10) Elektra wears Earrings by SYDORIA.
11) Elektra wears blazer sleeves and a corset by STHLM MISC. Earrings by SYDORIA.
12) Miranda wears top and skirt by Anna Lastro.
13) Miranda wears top by Hildur Evenlind. Trousers by Lowe Lind- blad. Elektra wears top by Hildur Evenlind and skirt by Wera. Rings by Sara Robertsson and Laôma Atelier.
15&16) Miranda wears top by Hildur Evenlind. Trousers by Lowe Lind- blad. Elektra wears top by Hildur Evenlind and skirt by Wera. Rings by Sara Robertsson and Laôma Atelier.
17) Elektra wears top and skirt by Linda Dekhla. Sleeves by Hildur Evenlind. Stockings by No Dress. Rings by Laôma Atelier.
18) Miranda wears coat by Keta Gutmane. Rings by Sara Robertsson. Boots by Rombaut.

Stella Explorer

Stella is truly a unique individual and performer, highly visible and audible both in her music and her answers to our questions below.

“I am closing in on a position where most things seem irrelevant in relation to the state of society. I keep on trying to see something meaningful in interpreting that. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes it’s impossible to listen to your own footsteps. I try to remain positive.”

Stella has been called “an artist of the future” on Swedish radio. When asked what such praise means to her, she gives a thought-provoking answer:

“It depends on which part of the future you’re talking of. Thinking of what has happened this past week, it’s difficult to imagine a future (as an artist) in general. In a dystopia, we’ll probably sit under a windbreaker singing ‘Redemption Song’, if capitalism wants us to.”

This year, Stella gave the world the Lost Kingdom EP. The title carries great meaning for its creator.

“Lost Kingdom is my home where everything I’ve ever wanted and lost – what I haven’t dared and what I’ve envied – lives. It is a place that arises as a consequence of some kind of self-acceptance, or at least self-insight. It is a celebration of failure. It takes me a bit closer to myself, a little further away from the enemy. I believe it will lead me toward the sacred, the air and a wider, more beautiful landscape. Perhaps with flying jellyfish over the tree tops.”

Ellen Krauss

Singer/songwriter and HBTQ+ rights advocate Ellen Krauss rose to fame in 2019 with her single ‘The One I Love’. Four years and one album later she is releasing new music and getting ready to face the household-name status that will surely come from her upcoming appearance in one of Sweden’s most beloved TV shows, ‘Så Mycket Bättre’, this autumn.

“Music becomes an important haven for me and a good weapon for spreading a message of hopefulness and openness,” she says. “When it comes to the threat against culture today, I am sure that one solution is just to continue to create and come together. And I go on more now than ever about getting to love whoever the fuck you want!”

Ellen’s heartfelt tunes have been called consoling and encouraging, to which she reacts humbly: “I don’t really know if I am a role model, but that my music has been described as comforting feels nice. I think that has to do with the fact that I am human and that I don’t hide behind anything. I represent a minority and my music tends to be self-revealing and intimate. And then maybe everything feels like that.”

Miynt

Following her 2019 debut album Stay On Your Mind with last year’s semi-concept album Lonely Beach, alternative pop singer Miynt covers universal topics such as solitude in her dreamy tunes.

“I have to be lonely once in a while, which opens up the door to boredom and from boredom there is a straight path to creativity (if you don’t open your phone in between). I just spent 10 days alone on an island in the archipelago to finish my next album. It was amazing but also a bit eye opening because I realized how easily occupied I am with my surroundings. It felt a bit extreme that I had to become an eremite to finish my music. My goals for this autumn are to find a bit of balance and stop procrastinating. Quit Instagram and not download TikTok.”

This year, Miynt came out with single ‘Data Life’, which she calls “a metaphor of the space that happens between the parallel world that can occur in your head (or in your phone) and the ‘real world’ that we live in. I feel like the time when we are present has narrowed down to a minimum and a lot of times when things happen in life it is more about the story we tell in our heads or the photos we post on Instagram rather than what is actually happening. Everyone is just full of the idea of themselves and what their life is about, sometimes without even being in it. It’s sort of the backlash of our time.”

Sarah von Reis

After leaving bubblegum pop group Dolly Style around four years ago, Sarah von Reiss has taken on a more introspective solo career that has now started to blossom through the unveiling of her own individual style of dark pop.

“I released my debut EP Melancholia High Season this spring and it’s been incredibly liberating,” she says. “The whole process was delayed because of the pandemic, so some songs have been with me for long and they represent a time in my life that I’m ready to let go. I process a lot of my emotions through music, both darkness and light. This EP in particular contains a lot of the darkness.”

The step into this new solo project has clearly been a vehicle for Sarah’s personal, as well as creative, growth.

“I am trying to let go and learn to love life in constant change. It’s a luxury to be active in a genre-less time where everything is available but also overpowering and frightening at times. I attempt to pick the cherries off of what resonates with me, and to boil that down to something personal.”

In September 2023, Sarah released the single ‘Phenomenon’, a song she describes as “a lesbian anthem that I wasn’t ready to share a few years ago. My debut album is very personal. Everything else feels boring.”

Talents: Stella Explorer, Ellen Krauss, Sarah von Reis, and Miynt

Team Credits:

Photography by John Scarisbrick
Styling by Anna Sundelin
Hair by Sofia Geideby
Makeup by Johanna Nordlander
Words by Filip Lindström

Fashion Credits:

1-3) Stella Explorer wears earrings by Sister Morphine
4-6) Ellen Krauss wears necklaces by Alisa Cayoo
7-8) Miynt wears top by Keta Gutmane
9-10) Sarah Von Reiss wears top by Korlekie