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King Willow

King Willow sisters Amanda & Julianna Salguero; photographed by Krizia Cruz.
King Willow sisters Amanda & Julianna Salguero; photographed by Krizia Cruz.

Those looking for some San Francisco sunshine will find it on the debut self-titled EP from King Willow available now via 11th Avenue Records. Siblings Amanda & Julianna Salguero deliver harmonies & melodies that offer up honest expressions of observations of outward & inward & manners that sound like city strolls with your thoughts. The opener “California” will instantly appeal to all with the hook of “I’m not doing good, but I’ve been doing better & that’s good enough now” that skips off the heels with hope for tomorrow. “City Lights” offers up a song for late SF excursions illuminated by the peninsula’s elclectic array of light, island dreaming escapism of “Galapagos”, to the mirror gazing moments dwelt upon in “Selfish”.
The track “California” also tackles those restless feelings in an honest & organic fashion, keeping the harmonies that rise up in an ascension of excitement heard on “City Lights”, swimming out to the island retreat of “Galapagos”, to the pensive thought streams heard on “Selfish” that has the cadence of a cassette tape recorded journal (complete with perfect harmonies, and arrangements that operate in such earnest that the finale will bring even the toughest to tears).

San Franisco's Amanda & Julianna Salguero of King Willow; photographed by Krizia Cruz.
San Franisco’s Amanda & Julianna Salguero of King Willow; photographed by Krizia Cruz.

Amanda Salguero described the making of their self-titled King Willow EP with the following exclusive insights:

Julianna wrote “California” just days before we moved to San Francisco—a city we’d never even visited before. I had spent what would have been my college years in small town Connecticut in my childhood bedroom, and while the idea of moving out was exciting, it was also terrifying. The chorus I’m not doing good, but I’ve been doing better was the ultimate battle cry for me at the time. It’s the simple statement that you don’t need to have everything together to take a leap—you can take a chance, push yourself, and still not know what the hell you’re doing. The EP is in many ways a reflection of what can happen when you allow yourself to take that leap. We began recording shortly after arriving in SF, and the four tracks are a combination of older songs and songs inspired by our new life out here. We wanted to make an album that was vulnerable and personal, but still hopeful. Making it was a leap of faith for us both—we hope it’s inspiring to everyone who’s still figuring things out.

Catch them on the following tour dates:
April
28 NYC, NY – Postcrypt Coffeehouse
May
05 Washington, DC – The Commune
06 Lowell, MA – UnchARTed
10 Burlington, VT – Radio Bean
11 Amherst, MA – House Concert UMass
12 Brooklyn, NY – TBD
13 Jersey City – TBD
King Willow’s self-titled EP is available now from 11th Avenue Records.