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Twin sisters Carly and Martina Spiro might only be in their teens, but they are already making a huge impact around the world with their music.
You could say their carreers began at the age of 4, with classical and jazz piano lessons coinciding with a love affair with the classic pop sounds that filled their Chicago home courtesy of their father.
Still, it wasn't until they were 11 when they decided to pursue songwriting in earnest, putting pen to paper as a creative and cathartic outlet to combat the effects of bullying.
Turning that negativity into a positive yielded their first single, "Make Me Happy," and things skyrocketed from there.
"It was all about saying, 'You don't get to have any control of my emotions. I get to make myself happy,'" explained Carly.
Carly and Martina's anti-bullying anthem caught fire and helped the strong-willed siblings build a massive fanbase, not just on social media (with over 200,000 followers on Instagram alone), but also through their many philantropic pursuits, such as a partnership with United Way of Metro Chicago that empowers local youths through songwriting.
They had the opportunity to reach even more people in 2017, as they presented and impressive TEDx Talk about their expriences using music as a way to instill confidence in others.
The fact that Carly and Martina made it to that lofty stage is impressive, considering they have truly created their own success with a staunch D.I.Y. mentality.
"After we wrote 'Make Me Happy' and a few other songs, we would go to these local coffee shops and play for three hours at a time, three to five times a week, just covers, originals as much as we possibly could," said Carly. "It was also just so much fun because you get to see people come back again and again for your sets, because they like what you're doing and they like your music. They're requesting songs that aren't online, they've heard them once. And that was just so cool to hear."
"We were starting to produce our own music and started building up a social media presence, because in Chicago, there is no Capitol Records building, or no Music Row," said Martina. "It was natural for us to think, 'Alright, you just gotta do it yourselves,' and that's what we've been doing ever since."
As Carly and Martina have grown, so has their prodigious talent. You can regularly find them posting videos to their popular YouTube channel playing the keyboard, guitar, bass or drums. And along the way, they've collaborated with ace songwriters, like Victoria Shaw (Garth Brooks, Christina Aguilera), Big Al Anderson (Zac Brown Band, Meghan Trainor) and Marty Dodson (Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney).
What's more, their single, "Block His Number," was one of the most-requested songs on Radio Disney this summer, and their follow-up track, the recently released "Love Me Later," also rose to the top of the Radio Disney charts and showcases yet another step in their sound.
Interestingly enough, the inspiration for "Love Me Later" came from a scene in the film The Wedding Planner starring Jennifer Lopez. They took a simple quote from that movie back to a writing session in Nashville, and their next hit was born.
"(It's)is our take on a traditional love song," they explained. "We wanted it to be sonically and lyrically 'happy,' from the sparkly guitar lines to the confident perspective the lyrics came from. It's unlike anything we've released before and is the next step in the progression of our sound."
Considering their uplifting message and tireless determination, it's clear that there are big things on the horizon for Carly and Martina.
As they continue to build their catalog and work with other notable songwriters, they also plan on playing more shows and connecting with their fans on a personal level. If there's two people who know how music can inspire and connect people, it's Carly and Martina.
"Honestly, our main goals are putting out really good songs, meeting people on the internet and in person, and performing," said Martina.
"(Our fans)are amazing, and we love reading the comments," said Carly. "To everyone who's looking to get into guitar but doesn't really know, to those who know it's a lot of hard work and are not really sure, or who want to get into the music industry at all, you can do it. We did it, and we knew nothing about it."
*Learn more about what continue to inspire Carly and Martina and advice they have for the next generation of musicians in the video above, check out "Love Me Later" here, and visit their official website to get even more updates.
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