Unearthing forgotten feminist histories through myth and landscape, Sister Wives weave wild tales braiding the Welsh and English language over their signature glam-droog-acid-stomp. Haunting 4-part harmonies drift atop heavy psychedelia, avant space rock and ferocious fuzz-laden folk.

The band’s songs deal with ever shifting expectations and injustices, forgone heroines, the divine feminine and the veiled mysteries of ancient lands.

‘Malady’ is about “an inner ‘beast’ waking up inside your body; backing you up and empowering you to stand up to bad men,” they share. “It’s also about how strong females frighten said bad men and historically this power is perceived as a sickness, madness, or malady…”

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New track ‘O Dŷ i Dŷ’ is about the Welsh folkloric custom of South Wales, The horse headed Mari Lwyd. The song discusses the tradition and questions whether she has been culturally appropriated, and if she has, whether this is a bad thing or not. The earliest accounts of the horse headed Mari date back to 1798, but the tradition declined in popularity in the early 20th century. The tradition saw a resurgence towards the end of the 20th century and then in 21st century has increased its popularity with the iconic image and use of the Mari spreading as far as North America. O Dŷ i Dŷ’ translates as ‘From house to house’, referencing how she attempts to gain entry to houses, where a musical battle would commence to gain entry, like a poetry slam.

“The song questions whether this is a way of celebrating Welsh culture or whether this is a form of cultural appropriation” says the band. “It mentions how ‘the mare runs free, let’s see where she ends up landing’ and asks for people to reflect on whether those who have resurrected her in other countries are guilty of stealing her skeleton.”

Meanwhile, ‘Streets at Night’ is a literal, visceral description of what it feels like to fear for one’s life when walking at night. Paired with a retro organ and a pulsing changeable tempo, the track imbues a distinctive sense of dread – almost emulating a classic horror movie soundtrack. “The song was written as an outlet for this experience that we’ve all felt” says the band. “The speed of the song changing halfway through influenced the lyrics and we hear heartbeats speeding up and slowing down throughout, mirroring the feeling of being on high alert when out walking alone.”

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The track’s simmering verses give way to a lively, electric hook; it’s simultaneously a protest song and a party song that celebrates freedom and choice. “We wanted to expose the absurdity of having our bodies and choices so heavily monitored and managed by society, and laugh in the face of it,” the band explain. “We know our worth isn’t changed by child bearing, we are not disposable or “geriatric” after age 35, and we refuse to partake in the shaming of ourselves or others for our/their choices. And we deserve autonomy over our bodies, always!”

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The album’s title is inspired by the ancient burial site on Anglesey, Barclodiad y Gawres, which translates to “The Giantess’ Apronful”. While giants are central to the nation’s folklore, it’s rare to hear of female giants. The idea led the Sheffield-based band — consisting of Donna Lee (vocals/keys/synths), Rose Love (vocals/bass), Liv Willars (vocals/guitar), Lisa O’Hara (vocals/drums) — to picture a devastating, nurturing, awe-inspiring, and most importantly feminine force of their own.

“’Greater Place’ is our love song to joy,” say the band. O’Hara wrote the chorus lyrics as a reflection on the hope and safety that the band provides. Meanwhile, Willars provided the verses as a tribute to her infant son. “My son was born a few weeks before the first lockdown and we spent the first year of his life almost in isolation. Even being alone at home during such a dark time, joy still managed to tear through,” she shares. The band add, “We wanted the lyrics to be a tribute to a lot of different emotions and discoveries in life, where there’s a giant, positive shift and suddenly our world feels renewed.”

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