As young as 4 and 2, Kristen and Cathy Henderson were picking up spoons, banging on boxes and forming bands in their neighborhood. So, it’s no surprise that as adults, the two pursued music for a living, and teamed with drummer Dena Tauriello and lead singer, Nini Camps as part of the popular all-female country rock band, Antigone Rising.
“It’s what we’ve always done,” Kristen Henderson says. “My sister and I really push each other in those live moments and it’s not the same thing every day and we like to try new things on stage. It’s an exciting process and keeps things fresh and interesting.”
Antigone Rising was the first band on Starbucks Hear Music Label and has opened for a who’s who in the music world, including acts such as The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Rob Thomas, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Bangles and The Indigo Girls.
The band’s latest release “23 Red” has been a critical success and its newest tune, “That Was The Whiskey” is already a fan-fave. It’s one of the songs that can be expected to be played when Antigone Rising hits Jammin’ Java at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 12.
“We’ve got a new EP coming out next month and we’ll be doing some new stuff from that,” says Kristen Henderson. “We also have our really good friend Trina Hamlin opening the night for us. She’s a multi-instrumentalist and she’ll be sitting in with us quite a bit, accompanying us to beef up the show.”
Antigone Rising is no stranger to Jammin’ Java and has many fans in the DC-metro area who come out to support the band.
“It’s definitely one of our favorite rooms to play,” Henderson says. “It’s the intimacy of the room—you feel like you can really connect with the crowd. It’s a great music room and listening room.”
Since releasing its first album “She’s Gone a Little Mad,” in 1996, Antigone Rising has been touring extensively and tries to keep the fans as engaged as possible.
“For us, the fans have always been the livelihood of our band,” Henderson says. “For us it’s important to hit the ground and meet people and get in front of faces to be seen and heard. Word of mouth has helped us with longevity. It’s a critical part of our formula.”
The group has long used crowdsourcing campaigns to help make and market the records and its latest for its Whiskey & Wine Vol. 2 is currently up at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/antigonerising.
“It’s awesome. If you think about it, they will buy the CD anyway, so they are pre-purchasing it, and more often than not, they are way more generous,” Henderson says. “It’s a cool way for us to know who really appreciates the music and gives us an opportunity to give back on a grander scale and get to know the fans on a deeper level.”
