With a vintage flair and genre‑shifting songwriting, the Anderson sisters continue shaping their distinct musical identity
Debec-born sisters and musical act Tracy and Amy Anderson, also known as Tin Pan Darlings, have been releasing music professionally for eight years. They debuted with their album Inside a Melody, a nine-song record released on March 16, 2018.
The duo released their new single, “Midlife Elegy,” on May 25, 2026. The song is part of their “POSTCARDS” series. The new series releases singles that are “snapshots in time,” spanning different genres and styles.
“We wanted to come up with a concept that would allow us to release a series of singles that are somewhat connected, and still Tin Pan Darlings, but also a little bit different than maybe a way that you’ve heard from us before,” said Amy.
Where the love of music began
Growing up in a musical family, the two sisters naturally acquired a love for the art.
“Music is a hobby in my family tree in my extended family. Both our parents come from big families with a lot of siblings. Our uncle Merlin used to take us out as children on the ‘variety show’ circuit around Carleton County,” said Tracy.
Amy remembers Tracy being her “first music teacher.” She’d been trying to teach her harmonies from a very young age.
“I remember her saying to me, ‘okay, you sing this note and I’m going to sing this note and we’ll sing them together’,” said Amy.
The two didn’t take music lessons until their early pre-teens, but they could be found participating in school music programs or heard singing at church.
The two officially began performing as teenagers.
Working with your sister
Working in a duo can be hard at times; as siblings, the Anderson sisters have their ups and downs.
Amy said it can be hard to work with a sister, especially because it’s one-on-one the whole time. However, she believes they’ve gotten good at handling disagreements over the years, as evidenced by the fact that they are still working together.
Tracy said both of them are headstrong, which can make for strong opinions. The two take turns being the “lead” on songs and projects. Tracy pointed out that Tin Pan Darlings is a duo, and “not the sum of only one person.”
“Like any human relationship, there can be ups and downs. At the core, we respect each other and what we both contribute,” said Tracy.
Amy says working in a duo with a sister gives them an advantage because their synchronization makes their harmonies stronger, thanks to their vocal timbres.
Writing process and inspiration
Amy says their typical workflow revolves around one sister bringing in an idea 80 per cent finished, and together they co-write the rest, then bring in their band for the finishing touches.
Amy highlighted how they collaborate with their band when writing.
“I had one little part of my song that was kind of challenging how to manage a transition in the music, and the bass player heard it. He’s like, ‘Oh, you can do this and this.’ And it worked,” said Amy.
Tin Pan Darlings’ writing process is centred around emotional depth. Tracy shared that she uses the writing sessions as a form of therapy. She sometimes feels like she’s in a rabbit hole of imagination between the sounds and feelings flowing in and out.
“You might pace the room waiting for inspiration to strike. It can be very inspiring and fast; you might get a song in 20 mins almost perfectly formed. Different people have different approaches, and I truly believe there is no right way to do it, it’s whatever works for the individual,” said Tracy.
Amy also mentioned they get a lot of their inspiration from artists or eras of music they’re obsessing over at the time of writing.
Although the sisters may have their favourites, Tracy noted the value in not restricting herself from exploring genres and artists she doesn’t typically listen to.
“It’s important to remain open to receiving new music,” said Tracy.
Group aesthetic
Tin Pan Darling’s musical and visual aesthetic is influenced by old-time classic fashion. Amy even gave credit to her grandmother’s closet and getting to rummage through it as a child.
“Maybe it was having spent so much time around our grandmother and older people. when you go up, and you can dig in the attic and there’s vintage clothes up in there,” said Amy.
Looking at their promotional pictures or even their 2018 silent short film Inside A Melody, you would think they stepped out of a 1930s movie set with their glamour waves pinned up and accessorized with big feature or flower pins, or in the decade-defining cloche hat. They often wear a classic midi dress or skirts with a button-detailed waist snitching top.
“It’s kinda fun, you know? It’s also a form of artistic and creative expression,” said Amy.
What’s next
The sisters went on a mini tour in September. They performed at Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton on Sept. 11, St. Andrew’s Brewing Co. on Sept. 12, and Second Wind Music Centre in Florenceville-Bristol on Sept. 13.
Tracy and Amy say they will also continue to release singles as part of the “POSTCARDS” series, including their upcoming release, “Outside the Frame,” a bluegrass-jazz song written by Amy.
The artists hope to continue making music as Tin Pan Darlings for as long as they can.
“We really like being musicians; it’s not an easy time to be a musician right now because the music industry has really changed a lot, but what keeps us going, I think, is we still feel like we haven’t done our best work yet. And no matter how old you get, you can always have fun with music, and you can always challenge yourself to get better,” said Amy.
“It’s not about stardom, it’s about personal expression and building a life ‘made by hand’. I also love collaboration and working with othergreat people. This gives me deep personal satisfaction. I hope to be able to continue making music into my old age, if I am lucky,” said Tracy.
