It is with great pleasure to introduce Nikki Lynn and Samantha Rose Setian -- 15 year old identical twins from Russellville, Arkansas to the readers of Southern Fried Magazine. They are both talented and lovely young ladies that will knock your socks off when you hear and see them perform! You will hear a little Bluegrass, Country and Rock -- but most of all you will just hear Nik and Sam and the originality in their overall sound and lyrics. They write their own music….did I mention they were only 15 years old? I see a very bright future ahead for these two young ladies and there is no doubt in my mind that all of their dreams will come true. Step aside and watch them grab that torch that is being passed down to this generation of artists.

SF: How old were you when you actually started "listening" to music?
N&S: We’ve been listening to music all our lives. As a matter of fact, our parents used to play loud music like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Ozzy Osborne to help us sleep when we were babies.

SF: At what age did you pick up your first instrument and what was it?
S: I started playing the banjo at age 10.
N: Shortly after that, I started playing the guitar to accompany Sam.

SF: Are there other members in your family who are also musicians?
N&S: Our Dad is a musician and he plays a lot of instruments. We used to watch him play a few gigs. But…..we get our charisma from our Mom.

SF: Do you remember your first public performance? Where was it and how old were you? N: Our first public performance was a talent show.
S: It was a local show and it was a fund raiser for an organization called T.A.B. (Tumors, Accidents and Burns). We were 11 at the time.

SF: How many instruments do each of you play? Were you self-taught or have you had some formal training?
S: I play the banjo, dobro, guitar and bass. I take banjo lessons but the rest of the instruments are self-taught or my Dad showed me.
N: I play the guitar and mandolin. I took a few guitar lessons and my Dad showed me stuff too. But lately I’m learning a lot on my own.

SF: Do you write most of the songs you perform? If not, what covers do you do?
N&S: Yes we do write most of the songs we perform, but we like to throw in classic cover songs like House of the Rising Sun. We do a lot of Dixie Chicks songs, traditional bluegrass like Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Alison Krauss, and Patty Griffin.

SF: What are some of your favorite songs to play?
N&S: Of course we enjoy playing our original music the most, but as far as cover songs there so many to choose from it is hard to pick just a few.

SF: You're songwriters -- do you both write lyrics and music or how does that work? Does anybody else write with you?
N: Yes, we write both lyrics and music. One or both of us may come up with a story or lyric and then we will put music to it or we will have a melody line or chord progression then put lyrics to it.
S: We write with our Dad some and we have also written with other songwriters. We just returned from Nashville doing some co-writing.

SF: Your life looks pretty interesting and fun for a couple of 15 year old girls. Other than playing music, what else do you like to do?
S: We like the outdoors and anything that has to do with being creative such as drawing and painting. We also have horses and have competed in rodeos and horseshows.
N: Of course we love to shop, watch movies and cook.

SF: How do you balance school work and your music?
N&S: This year we started home-schooling and it works great because we have such a flexible schedule.

SF: Is there a strong support in your community for music and the arts in our schools? How do you feel about that issue?
N: We come from a small town where music and the arts are not as big as sports, but our community is very supportive.
S: I wish there was more emphasis on music and the arts.

SF: Have your parents always been supportive of your passion for music?
N&S: Yes, they have been very supportive the whole way. We are their first priority.

SF: What kind of venues do you usually play and what would be the ultimate dream venue?S: We play a lot of festivals and a few theme parks, but we also play a lot of benefits and charities. N: Our ultimate dream would be large stadium venues.

SF: What was the most exciting show you ever played?
N&S: We opened up for SheDaisy in Hot Springs, Arkansas in front of 6,000 fans.

SF: If you were able to choose, who would you like to share a stage with?
N&S: Dixie Chicks!!

SF: Are you planning on playing music as a profession after you graduate high school or do you have plans for college?
N&S: We plan on playing music as a profession and we would like to go to college someday.

SF: Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
S: We would like to be touring as a major artist with a few albums recorded and released.
N: We would like to be nominated for or win a music award, even a Grammy.

SF: Are you trying to get signed with a record company? If so, how is that going?
N&S: We are currently working with Warner Brothers on a recording project and it is going great.

SF: Is there anything you would like our readers and your fans to know about you that we haven't talked about?
N&S: We’ve always wanted to be an inspiration to all and we want this to continue into the future. We want to be taken seriously as musicians and songwriters.

SF: Ok, last question -- but a real important one. What's your favorite brand of boots?
N&S: Frye Boots and Justin Boots.

You can learn more about Nik and Sam on their websites. Enjoy!!

http://nikandsam.com/

http://www.myspace.com/nikandsam