Friends since meeting in their first week at secondary school, Christie Gardner and Helen Dixon write songs that cut deep, reflecting the life of twenty-somethings, in and out of love and luck. While informed by a deep love of folk music, with references to Karen Dalton and Julie Collins a regular occurrence, their music is also in line with the likes of Julia Jacklin, Laura Marling and Mitski. Signed to Dalliance Recordings (Francis of Delirium, HighSchool, Gia Margaret, Rowena Wise), their debut album, ‘Blood Ties’ as its title suggests reflects the pair’s enduring bond after years spent together. Coupling feelings of numbness, break-ups and hardship with day dreams, an open heart and moments of happiness, ‘Blood Ties’ is a record of understated beauty. You start to understand the significance of the album more when you hear them describe it as “a little window into our lives that we get to keep forever.” Such is their symbiosis that it’s often difficult to separate one voice from another; “We live intertwined lives and as a result, we write about each others’ experiences as much as our own.” ‘Blood Ties’ feels a moment, placing lilo firmly on the map, the band now living up to the potential shown in their earlier EPs and live shows.