Project Calm – July 2019

51

FIRST AID KIT

A folk duo, Johanna and Klara Söderberg are
Swedish sisters with albums full of strong lyrics
and powerful harmonies. Growing up in a musical
family, Johanna and Klara wrote songs and taught
themselves instruments from an early age. The
sisters say in interviews that they hardly have to think
about it when they harmonise together, so strong is
their connection. From The Lion’s Roar and Te nd e r
Offerings to Rebel Heart, they sing of empowerment,
love, heartbreak and sisterhood. Rebel Heart,
released in their 2018 album, Ruins, was written in
the desert after a night of experimenting with an
oujia board and is about identity, femininity and self
destruction. The video features only women, with the
red moon representing a sense of sisterhood. Often
away from home, they have matching tattoos in the
shape of a native American sign for protection,
a reminder of sisterhood and also home.

Songbirds Johanna and Klara Söderberg

Tell me why do I keep trying

To be someone I’ll never be

I keep seeing her in everyone

Everyone but me

But I know you truly saw me

Even if just for a while

Maybe that’s why it hurts now

To leave it all behind

REBEL HEART, FIRST AID KIT

VENUS AND SERENA

WILLIAMS

“It’s our ambition to just take over tennis,” said

the sisters in 2000, in the midst of winning three

of five Grand Slams and winning doubles gold at

the Olympics, with Venus taking home the gold in

singles too. To date, the Williams sisters have won

30 Grand Slam singles titles between them, plus 22

doubles titles. Spotting their talent early on, their

father homeschooled Venus and Serena to give

them more time to practise tennis and they both

turned professional at 14. Serena won her first Grand

Slam in 1999 at the US Open, becoming the second

African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles

tournament. This US Open was also when the sisters

won the first of their doubles titles. Early matches

against each other were known to be charged

with emotion. Serena saying: “Unfortunately and

fortunately we have to play each other. We make

each other better. We bring out the best when

we play each other. It’s what we do.” It’s definitely

worked, both have ranked at number one in their

careers and are true sports icons.

A formidable force in world tennis

“My first job is big

sister and I take that

very seriously.”

VENUS WILLIAMS

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