Country Queer

Lifting up LGBTQ+ voices in country and Americana.

CQ Corral: My Sister, My Brother – “My Sister, My Brother” (Track Premiere!)

By Christopher Treacy

If it isn’t already apparent to you, let us state the obvious: something magical happens with Garrison Starr and Sean McConnell get together. Especially if they’re going to write songs and sing. With My Sister, My Brother, the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts, which is really saying something about a pair of singer/songwriters that each possess formidable musical chops that set them well apart from the herd. The duo’s self-titled, five-song debut dropped about a week before the world began locking down back in March of 2020, but they’re emerging triumphant with a new set of seven tunes, My Sister, My Brother II (out September 29), the third advance track from which (following “Cry Me a River” and “Another Life“) we’re thrilled to premiere today as the inaugural CQ Corral post*.

Self titled songs seem like chancy endeavors, but MSMB serve up a track that underscores their affection for one another—a mutual pledge of allegiance that embodies their spiritual affinity. The hymnlike cadence takes us to a welcoming, queer church while the song remains firmly planted in an Americana template.

“My Sister, My Brother” is one of two songs written remotely during Covid,” Starr told us. “I remember thinking it would be cool to have a song with the band’s name in it, and at that time everybody was writing songs about togetherness and missing each other.  Being together.  The confusion and isolation we were all experiencing at the time… “My Sister, My Brother” was there staring right at us.”

https://soundcloud.com/my-sister-my-brother/my-sister-my-brother/s-DHEHaUY8A8B?in=my-sister-my-brother/sets/my-sister-my-brother-ii//s-rWt5a0IjkBj

“The song didn’t take long to write,” Starr added. “It was one of those that just fell out like it was waiting to be said.  The message is so hopeful and accepting at the same time. It has an easy way about it.” 

For more information about My Sister My Brother, visit their website or follow their socials! Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube

*The CQ Corral is an emerging feature at Country Queer that will bring you new music several times weekly, culminating every two weeks in the CQ Roundup our readers have come to expect. As the songs get covered in the CQ Corral, they’ll get added to our Rainbow Opry playlist on Spotify. We have a small backlog of songs to cover, but as always, we’re looking for new artists and new material. If you think your work could be a good fit for coverage at CQ, fill out our submission form!

Christopher Treacy has been writing about music and the music industry for 20 years. He’s contributed to The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Herald, Nashville Scene, and Berklee College of Music’s quarterly journal, as well as myriad LGBTQ+ outlets including the Edge Media Network, Between the Lines/Pride Source, Bay Windows and In Newsweekly. He’s the Managing Editor for CQ and lives in Waitsfield, VT.