The sirens are calling: SOL on their sophomore release ‘PEACE’

Courtesy of Amy Lauffer Neff

14th December 2023

By Miriam Kimvangu

Self-describing their sound as eclectic, warm and dynamic, Sirens of Lesbos (SOL) recently released their second album, titled PEACE. The 13-track project is worthy of a nostalgic coming-of-age film with sounds ranging from mellow and groovy instrumentals to slightly more bouncy, lyric-heavy tracks. The album also boasts five incredible and uniquely sounding collabs with Treasure Bloom, dreamcastmoe, Joshua Idehen and most notably, Erick the Architect (soloist and ⅓ of Flatbush Zombies) and legendary Bootsy Collins. 

SOL have come a long way from their debut album, which they describe as a “first draft” in comparison to how their sound has evolved in PEACE. They said, “We tried to invent a vessel in which all of us could move and express themselves… The process of our sophomore album was much more fluid because many fundamental questions were already clarified.”

Courtesy of Amy Lauffer Neff

Although the project is cohesive, PEACE is not a concept album and showcases the versatility and thoughtfulness that went into creating while ultimately keeping the fun that can be found in each track intact. Adding to this, their attitude on collaborations is exactly the same. While SOL doesn’t have anyone specific they are looking to work with in the future, they’d love to continue to work with others who have nice energy and add value to their communities. Going back to describing their album as “nostalgic”, there is a retro quality to their music and with their modern twist on, SOL has created a sound that is truly their own. On this point, they said, “It’s cool to be excited about old music but still try to find your very own sound.”

The Swiss five-piece band formed quite naturally as they all lived in Berne and were already on their own journeys within the music space and came to the realisation that they needed each other to achieve their goals. “...at some point Jasmina worked for a magazine that wrote about the club that Arci co-owned and where Mel was a resident Dj. Besides being Jasmina’s sister, Nabyla happened to work with Arci in the office which was right on top of Mel’s music studio.”

Courtesy of Amy Lauffer Neff

There has been a movement in recent years, particularly by black artists calling out being put into genres that are considered urban (e.g. R&B, soul, etc) simply because of their appearance rather than the music they make which oftentimes are very genre-distinct. Sisters and SOL vocalists Jasmina and Nabila, having Sudanese/Eritrean roots and being black women, say that they have never faced issues due to not fitting “genre-related cliches”. However when asked about the importance of younger black girls to see them and know there is no limit to what they can create, they said, “Reproducing images and ideas might look like the only way to attract attention from certain people… if these images fit by random someone's way of self-expression -  perfect.”

The band is already in the studio, thinking about their next project but are not entirely sure where the journey will take them.

As they continue to grow and evolve, SOL is sure of one thing and that’s how they want people to feel when they hear their name.

“Sirens of Lesbos makes me happy.”

Courtesy of Amy Lauffer Neff

Talent: Nabyla Serag and Jasmina Serag from Sirens of Lesbos
Photographer: Amy Lauffer Neff
Stylist: Katie Gill Harrison
HMUA: Nabyla Serag and Jasmina Serag