For local band Caardia, music is a family affair. The sister duo, Annie and Celia Siriopoulos, have been releasing original music together for nearly a decade. “We were always singing in the house,” Annie tells us. After independently pursuing vocal lessons when they were growing up, Caardia came together for small Toronto gigs and local news performances. “Ever since we were young, we’ve always seen it being more than just a hobby,” says Celia. “Doing it with my sister is really helpful, because we could be honest with each other, and we could grow together,” Annie recounts.
The group has just recently finished recording their newest album Locket, with producer Devon Lougheed, set to be released in early 2027. The project takes on a new sound for the duo, drawing on rock and 90s grunge influences. “This is a defining album for what we want to sound like,” Celia says. “I think when people listen to the album, they’re gonna hear us in it, because we took so much creative liberty on it, and it’s finally a piece of work that we’re proud of,” Annie shares.
During recent performances at Toronto music landmarks, like Rivoli’s Breaking Sound, the Horseshoe Tavern, or spending Valentine’s Day singing at Sneaky Dee’s, the sisters have been focusing and testing their new sound with live audiences. Ahead of their upcoming slate of performances and new single releases, Caardia sat down for an interview with Met Radio to talk about their new direction.
Met Radio: With new songs like Cranberry, you’ve been shifting from your past alternative sound and leaning into a rock direction. Are there any specific artists you were listening to during the production of this record that you drew influence from?
Annie: I think because we were writing this album over the duration of a year and a half, our direction for music has changed a lot. Bands that we listen to have switched so much. I know we started with, like, softer rock. At the beginning of the album, I was listening to The Beatles. Then by the end, we were listening to Alice in Chains, Turnstile, Wunderhorse, Radiohead, and a bit of Geese. So there isn’t one direct band, it’s more a general rock vibe that we gather from our music. Also, a huge influence throughout the duration of the album has been old 90s music that our dad has introduced us to.
Celia: We’ve developed our music taste throughout creating this album. It’s been a journey for ourselves, as well as for the music in general, and it’s gone hand in hand. What we’re making and what we’re consuming as artists has grown into a more grungy sound, which we love.
Met Radio: One of the new songs you’ve been performing, More Than Friends, has built-in audience participation. Now that you’ve been doing a lot more live shows, do you think about how a song will play live when writing?
Annie: It’s not something that we write with the intent of, but it’s rather the outcome of the song. Having audience interaction is so fun, because we’re not just performing at them, I feel like we’re performing with them, and have them incorporated into our set. But I think if we wrote a song with the intention of a call and response to the audience, it wouldn’t happen as organically.
Celia: The last song that we made on the album, it’s called Cellophane, it’s a much harder rock song, and as we were making it, we were in the studio, and all we were thinking about was how fun it would be to start playing live. That was our main thing when we wrote it, because it’s just so heavy, but also really captivating with the crowd. Since the live show is such a big part of our band, we’re always thinking about how this will translate.
Met Radio: How have you noticed your approach to recording and studio time has changed over these many years of recording? Do you do things differently now than when you first started out? How do you walk into a session?
Annie: I used to always dread studio time, because it was so stressful. I always felt like I had to present something, and I’d always freeze up. I would seek the producer’s approval, and as a byproduct, it would just be the producer writing his own song, and we’re just doing the vocals on it, because I wasn’t brave enough to speak my opinion on what I want in the studio.
Celia: It can be scary. Making art is a very vulnerable thing, and sharing our experiences for inspiration for a song, especially when we were younger. We started out as kids around 12 and 14. We didn’t really have the guts to say how we felt. We didn’t have the life experience to inform the lyrics for a song. So, it was definitely a bit more intimidating in the past.
Annie: Oddly enough, I think working in a restaurant and going to university and having to be in a position where you speak your mind more has really helped with this album as well. I’ve always been more reserved, and obviously performing has helped out a lot, but with this new album, I remember saying with Celia when we presented it, that this is gonna be our baby. One of the reasons why I’m so proud of this album is because we advocated for ourselves. This is our album. This isn’t someone else’s music. This is completely our music. We wrote everything. We were part of the whole creative process, and I’m so proud of us.
Celia: I think also, our producer, Devon, was a huge part in giving us that creative freedom. I think that the team you make your music with has such a big influence on how it’s gonna sound. From the get-go he trusted our vision. He built our sound with us and gave us the confidence to speak our mind.
Met Radio: Now being a decade since you started with Caardia is there advice you would give your younger self, or to any new up-and-coming independent artists?
Annie: If you are an up-and-coming artist, so many people are going to be giving you their opinion. Especially when you’re younger, everyone has a say, and everyone has an opinion on what creative direction they want you to go. I would just say, trust yourself at the end of the day, because you’re the artist, and you know the direction you want to take. Some people will tell you that you need a certain type of music, and then they think that they’re part of the band. They’re not on stage with you, they’re not in your room writing your songs. Trust yourself, and trust your creative direction.
Celia: Also, it’s important to be comfortable knowing that your music is going to change and you need to be open to new changes. For a long time we had this brand based on who we were as young children, and we were using that because that was the most marketable. But, if you close yourself off to change, you’re not gonna find your true artist identity. I think even right now, we truly believe that we’ve found who Caardia is, but we’re not gonna restrict ourselves from continuing to develop our sound into what we feel is right. As we’re releasing this album, we want to get back in the studio and work on our next project. We’re gonna continue to allow ourselves to develop and change and learn from people. Four years ago, I didn’t think that we’d become a rock band and be influenced by heavy metal music. It’s important to be open to learning new things, learning from each other, and working as a team, and not being stubborn. Because as sisters, you know, that could be a little fun aspect, but I think that we’ve learned to work really well together.
Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Photo credits: Shebonti Khandaker