Hey Mister, it's Kid Sistr! An Interview with Sara Keden
Graphic by Rose Luczaj
What do you get when you combine infectious stage presence, instrumental mastery, and female badassery? Kid Sistr.
The up-and-coming pop-rock trio rose to viral popularity after they took their talent to TikTok at the beginning of the pandemic. To understand where Kid Sistr is now, it’s important to look at their beginnings: the band first formed after Sara Keden (bassist and co-vocalist) introduced her childhood bandmate Becca Webster (drummer) to her college friend Sabel Englert (guitarist and co-vocalist). I grew up playing alongside Webster at a local music school in our home state, where Keden also served as a mentor and House Band director. I remember witnessing their dedication to the craft from the start as they shared their passion for the art of musical expression with our younger neighbors.
Before their formation, the three explored and belonged to other musical projects. Kid Sistr is so special because it offered an opportunity for each member to experience the infectiously affable energy of an all-female group for the first time. Keden recalls times during her adolescence where she felt inclined to enjoy certain genres of music or master faster bass techniques due to the influence of male musicians around her.
“Art and music really is an expression of your experience, so when you’re surrounded constantly by expressions of masculinity, you feel pressured by that,” says Keden. She described the first time she played as a group with Webster and Englert to be a realization, saying “Oh my gosh, you’re like me, I’m like you!” Being able to “speak the same language” as her band has helped create a musical product that is more true to who Keden is as an artist.
Sara Keden pauses her guitar playing to interact with fans during a live set. Photo courtesy of Kid Sistr
After recording their EP in a small studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Englert, Keden and Webster found themselves back home on the East Coast in 2020; no longer able to tour, the three decided to channel their energy into Tik-Tok instead of the stage. The temporary solution to promote their new music at the time transformed into a career-changing move dictating their success for the next two years.
In the first few months of making their profile, Kid Sistr amassed over 150,000 Tiktok followers. Their music appeared on viral playlists shared through the platform.
“If COVID hadn’t happened, we probably wouldn’t be where we’re at. We wouldn’t have taken the approach of turning to social media and really honing our ability to make content… on these platforms that are so important to the business aspect. Every person on our team has come from social media. Our agents, our management, and then through them, the people we collaborate with — it’s all because we blew up on Tiktok,” says Keden.
During their social media whirlwind, the group moved to Los Angeles and began touring with well known artists like WILLOW and Chloe Moriondo. They’re currently getting ready to embark on their next journey with K. Flay.
I had the privilege of seeing them perform as the opener for WILLOW’s Boston concert at The Royale. The pride of my personal connection only increased the awe I felt while relishing in their stage presence. Their ability to draw in the crowd (most of whom were unfamiliar with them) blew me away. I could tell that they had gained an incredible number of fans that night by the group of excited teens gathered around their merch table, anxious to get their t-shirts, shoes, or even foreheads signed. Keden reflects on their performances filled with jumping and crowd engagements, emphasizing how essential it is for Kid Sistr to make an effortful and emotional connection with the audience.
“I want our music to really serve as an outlet for the people who listen to it. Writing things that are expressive and for people to scream along to, to dance along to, or to cry along to is more important than impressing anyone,” says Keden.
Kid Sistr performs to a crowd of enthusiastic fans. Photo courtesy of Kid Sistr
Keden also stresses the importance of reaching certain demographics she can relate to.
“I think what’s really important to us is making music that allows people like us — especially women, queer people, mentally ill people, and people who have felt like they’re on the outside of things for the majority of their lives — to have a song they can just scream along to with their friends,” she says.
“Please Dump Him” gives you exactly that. “Little Sister Song”, on the other hand, offers a more in depth look at the younger sisters of Englert, Keden, and Webster who inspired the band’s name. My personal favorite off of the album is “Dallas”, a daydreamy masterpiece about infatuation with an instrumental breakdown that leaves me with goosebumps.
I probed Keden for insight into Kid Sistr’s upcoming releases — something, anything for a music journalist, long-time fan and former student to cling onto for the time being — but to be expected, her response remained excitingly ambiguous.
“Soon. That’s all I can say.”
Her large grin said more than could ever be put into words anyways.