The West Coast has a distinctly smooth groove reflective of the easygoing but passionately funky people who inhabit it. This lush, laid-back sound can be difficult to capture, but singing sister duo Aly & AJ (Alyson and Amanda Joy Michalka) have tapped into their California roots in their latest album Silver Deliverer and their latest EP, More Silver.
Aly & AJ have been on tour since September travelling all over the country, and on Sunday, November 9, they’ll be closing out their tour here in Santa Barbara at The Arlington Theatre. Not only is the duo singing hits from their newest album, but they are also celebrating 20 years of their first album, Into the Rush, which got a live album release back in August.
For the sister duo, the tour is focused on connecting with their fans and providing an immersive experience that translates from their record and straight to the stage. “We have an amazing band, we’ve got four guys behind us, our show is really beautiful to look at, the lighting is really impressive, and we’ve got this beautiful projector behind us,” AJ said about their live performances. “It’s a powerful show and I think our fans feel like it’s a safe space to congregate with other like minded people but also that it’s going to feel extremely uplifting and you’re going to leave the show feeling better than you did when you entered.”
Covering every genre from acoustic sound to electronic pop and classic rock, the California groove both girls grew up with in L.A. is interwoven in all their music from the beginning of their career in the mid-2000s. Each song, written by Aly and AJ themselves, is reflective of their life stages and tailored to their experiences. A current favorite of theirs to perform off this latest album is “What It Feels Like,” which serves as a reminder that getting older is beautiful and aging just proves that we’re still alive. For Aly & AJ, this is “their most personal record yet that really represents growth and coming together as sisters during times that were both really painful and really beautiful.”
Not only do Aly & AJ want to connect with their fans, but they’re also focused on connecting with charities to raise money and awareness for different causes and activist groups. This tour, they’re working with Everytown for Gun Safety doing live calls for donations at their concerts with a goal of raising $100,000 by the time they reach Santa Barbara.
The duo has also taken to their Instagram to share ways to donate food resources and help those who are suffering from the recent loss of SNAP benefits, among other causes. “It’s such a no-brainer for us to be vocal about gun violence prevention, about LGBTQ youth, suicide prevention — all these things that feel very personal not only for ourselves but to our fan base,” Aly explained. “Music is a beautiful way to bring people together and why not involve people in an even deeper way and get them doing something good out in their community?”
Aly & AJ are also excited to end the tour in Santa Barbara — Aly and her husband, Stephen Ringer, recently moved here with their son, Jack. The family was together during the making of the album and has been on tour with the sisters. Their parents and friends will also be there at the Arlington and “sharing a drink with the band and crew” afterward to celebrate the end of their tour.
But their last show isn’t the only thing fans can look forward to. The sisters are already thinking ahead to their next album, planning to head back to Topanga Canyon to record and work with producer and musician Johnathan Wilson again, who they worked with on Silver Deliverer. “Next year there will be more shows and more music, so we’re not going anywhere anytime soon,” Aly said.
Tickets are still available at arlingtontheatresb.com.
