BAILEN Siblings Find Their Distinct Voices in Debut Album
By Lindsay Emery
Three-part harmonies written and sung by three siblings is rare, but that is the concept behind the band BAILEN.
The group is led by a trio of siblings making music that includes artists David, Daniel and Julia Bailen. David and Daniel, who are twins, play the drums and the bass respectively, while Julia is their guitarist. Their parents are classically-trained musicians based in New York City, where the children were born and raised.
“They have been amazing inspirations to our music and they are also on our record,” Daniel Bailen said of their parents.
The music that the band makes is influenced by artists such as Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and Joni Mitchell, with a more modern sound, he said.
BAILEN released their debut album “Thrilled to Be Here” in April, have toured with Hozier, an Irish musician and singer-songwriter, for 18 shows and headlined at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles. They also finished their first headline tour in Europe last month where they had two sold-out shows in London and Brighton. They are currently on a short break where they plan on relaxing and writing some new music.
Performing with your brother and sister means there’s a connection on stage. Daniel said although they are siblings, they each have distinct voices.
“I don’t think it’s a sibling band where we’re all similar,” Daniel said. “I think we pull each other in different directions that balances each other out pretty nice.”
The three band members each have a unique writing style and one can hear the differences in the songs they have written. The band is looking forward to joining the festival circuit next year.
“We’re working on the next record already and just getting out there and playing for new people who are hearing us for the first time, growing our fan base and maturing as songwriters and our sound,” Daniel said.
BAILEN’s keyboardist, Pierre Piscitelli of Eastchester, who helped found the group, grew up attending the Pleasantville Music Festival and was excited to share this experience with the band. Daniel said that the band is looking forward to Saturday, especially with their local connection. They are scheduled for the 3 p.m. slot on the Main Stage.
BAILEN has been unconventional with the way it has spread their music. The band has eschewed putting their music online to be streamed because they believe that discovering music that way can be fleeting, making it difficult for a listener to actually retain the sound and become a fan.
“We really saw a huge reaction to that,” Daniel said. “The fans that we would make were really long lasting.”
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