KTJ & Carly are back with their highly-anticipated single, “Almost True”. The sister duo is making a wave into the music industry with their audience-packed performances in LA to landing spots in featured films such as “God Save The Queens”.

Diving head first into stardom, their new single, “Almost True,” KTJ & CARLY reflect on the unique way we present our perfect life to the world. When we never really know what’s happening beneath the surface of a smile, it’s easy to take everyone at face value.

The atmospheric synths meld into a booming rhythm that provides the perfect vehicle for their dynamic, soulful vocals. Each verse contains a story of its own, building on the idea that we’re all hiding a little pain inside. The duo, who consistently mixes urban pop influences with introspective lyrics, hit yet another single out of the park on “Almost True.” 

PopWrapped (PW): . For those who are unfamiliar with you ladies, you two are sisters who have gained the attention from many great publications, were selected to play NAMM Dynaudio Unheard 2020, and have signed on with a feature film, “God Save The Queens,” which is HUGE for upcoming artists like yourselves. How does it feel knowing your hard work is paying off?

KTJ & Carly (KT/C): We are just beyond grateful to be working with so many knowledgeable and talented artists/industry people! No matter where we go on our musical journey, our goal is to keep improving and continue to collaborate with people who have the same goals in mind; to spread as much joy and relatability as possible through music.

PW: We tend to paint our lives in much more positive ways than what really might be, which you dabble into in this track, “Almost True”. The atmospheric synths paired with a stunning vocals, and great rhythm allow you to convey your message in an upbeat, fast, way. How did you know you wanted to make this a pop song — rather than going maybe a pop, or classical route? What inspired this track?

(C): When we write a song, the process always changes. Sometimes we go into it with a topic in mind, sometimes we produce and write at the same time, other times we will produce and then write to it later, and at most times we write it on the piano and then produce it later. We wrote and produced this song simultaneously, so I feel like the tempo and vibe kinda fell together. I knew for this song I wanted a story telling vibe, similar to Cage the Elephant songs, in the sense that there is a storyline throughout the verses, bridge, and final chorus. I had been wanting to write the topic of Almost True ever since we moved to Los Angeles. The inspiration behind it started the first time I flew here. I couldn’t help but notice how many strangers I was seeing throughout the airport. They were all in their own little worlds and I had absolutely no clue what was going on in their own personal lives and their heads. I turned to Katie and told her, I HAVE AN IDEA. We kept talking about this concept for a while. It’s crazy to think of all the stories and all the hardships strangers will hide from you because people naturally want you to think that their lives are sublime. It’s human nature. Especially with social media now, people are faking their lives all the time and making their lives seem so much better than they are. Everyone is guilty of it. We all are; we want people to think our lives are better than they seem. This song challenges that idea and brings awareness to it. The lines “we are taught to fake it till it’s almost true” references how this kind of behavior is taught to us at a young age. That was the inspiration behind the song, but it could mean so many things to people. It’s open for interpretation!!

(PW): How do you find the time to focus on music while being online students as well? I went the online route myself, and I find that sometimes the loss of motivation is reflected in school performance or my career. Where do you go to for inspiration for tracks like “Almost True” when you start to slip? Is motivation something you ladies struggle with?

(Katie): We generally love to stay busy with music and acting, as it’s something we truly enjoy doing. When we have free time, we do online school. It’s way harder than I thought it would be initially going into it. There are no breaks— just a straight 12 weeks for each course, with a few assignments due each week for each class. There’s a smaller time period to ask questions due to the fact that it’s all online, so time management is key. It can get hard to balance it all, as people enrolled in Berklee Online are from all over the world so everyone is working at different times. Carly and I are good about reminding each other about the things we need to do and get done. I wouldn’t say we consistently run a lack of motivation, (everyone) has those days where no fucks are given). The best way to put it is if I had to choose between performing a show tonight with my sister over finishing an assignment, I will always choose sharing music with the world, then afterwards I finish my homework.

(PW): Going along with painting that “I’m happy, I have no worries” or…. “Almost True” picture per se, how do you make sure that you are always honest with your audience and the people around you such as each other, your team, etc?

(C): It can be really hard, the music industry. I mean we don’t put it on full blast, but we are always honest about it. I think it is so important to have a team that is honest with each other. I mean they are on your team for a reason, so it’s always important to stay honest with your team. We are all guilty of trying to fill an aesthetic or quota online, but we always stay true to who we are. I think also just writing truthful songs. And I don’t mean writing songs about true stories necessarily, but just based off of a true emotion or an honest feeling, topic, idea, etc. that way we stay authentic and give a chance for us to open up to our audience.

You can stream “Almost True” on all major music platforms. You can also follow KTJ & Carly along their music journey on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and their Official Website.