The GiGi Sisters

When people think of a family band, your mind immediately goes to the cheesy classics like The Brady Bunch, right? While their message stays positive, the three sisters that make up the band The GiGi Sisters have a folk-pop edge to them that won’t make you cringe – quite the opposite actually. Alexandra, Stefanie, and Katharine Petkovski blend their passion for family and friendship with their vocal and musical talent to create beautiful yet fun music. The trio hail from Ontario, Canada, and we had the chance to chat with them a bit to see what they’re bringing to the musical table. Take a look below to learn about our new Highlighted Artist, The GiGi Sisters!

How did The GiGi Sisters form, and why should people listen to you?
The GiGi Sisters are three Canadian teenage sisters who song-write and sing in a hybrid indie/folk/country pop style of music. As sisters we promote honesty throughout all our music — and write our songs based on personal, and life-relating experiences we come across. Most importantly, we love to have fun! We feel that your readers should know about us because we stand for values such as family, friendship, education and self-empowerment and we want to influence as many people as possible in a positive way.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
Our biggest ‘highlight’ of our career thus far (in the eight months that we’ve been a band, haha) has probably been when we traveled and performed in Nashville, TN at The Bluebird Cafe and held Taylor Swift’s VMA for her song ‘You Belong With Me.’ It was awesome! We hope to accomplish many things in the future, including just generally reaching out to more fans, getting more airplay, touring and performing in places we’ve never been to!

You were recently nominated for Star Central Magazine’s Due/Group Artist of the year…can you tell us about that?
Our nomination for Star Central Magazine’s Duo/Group Artist of the year is really flattering to us, and we are so appreciative for said nomination. We had been previously nominated this past summer for Star Central Magazine’s Duo/Group Artist of the Month, so it’s nice that they have felt we deserve another nomination – but for the year of 2012! People can help us in winning this nomination by viewing our YouTube videos online, subscribing to our Youtube channel, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter. This way they can stay updated and be informed of when voting polls begin on Star Central Magazine’s forum and can vote for us online! We would love for as many people as possible to become apart of this process and hopefully help us win this nomination. The more the merrier!

Can we expect new music from you soon?
Yes, we are releasing an EP for this Spring/Summer! These next couple months will consist of multiple artist-collaborations, recording, songwriting and trying to create the best possible sound for all our listeners and future fans. Since we as girls in general are changing and growing, our music style is also growing and changing — and we think this will be reflected in the new EP’s overall sound. Currently our music direction has been veering in a more pop sound – and so far we are loving it!

Connect with The GiGi Sisters through their social media!
Facebook // Twitter // YouTube - Highlight Magazine

When people think of a family band, your mind immediately goes to the cheesy classics like The Brady Bunch, right? While their message stays positive, the three sisters that make up the band The GiGi Sisters have a folk-pop edge to them that won’t make you cringe – quite the opposite actually. Alexandra, Stefanie, and Katharine Petkovski blend their passion for family and friendship with their vocal and musical talent to create beautiful yet fun music. The trio hail from Ontario, Canada, and we had the chance to chat with them a bit to see what they’re bringing to the musical table. Take a look below to learn about our new Highlighted Artist, The GiGi Sisters!

How did The GiGi Sisters form, and why should people listen to you?
The GiGi Sisters are three Canadian teenage sisters who song-write and sing in a hybrid indie/folk/country pop style of music. As sisters we promote honesty throughout all our music — and write our songs based on personal, and life-relating experiences we come across. Most importantly, we love to have fun! We feel that your readers should know about us because we stand for values such as family, friendship, education and self-empowerment and we want to influence as many people as possible in a positive way.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?
Our biggest ‘highlight’ of our career thus far (in the eight months that we’ve been a band, haha) has probably been when we traveled and performed in Nashville, TN at The Bluebird Cafe and held Taylor Swift’s VMA for her song ‘You Belong With Me.’ It was awesome! We hope to accomplish many things in the future, including just generally reaching out to more fans, getting more airplay, touring and performing in places we’ve never been to!

You were recently nominated for Star Central Magazine’s Due/Group Artist of the year…can you tell us about that?
Our nomination for Star Central Magazine’s Duo/Group Artist of the year is really flattering to us, and we are so appreciative for said nomination. We had been previously nominated this past summer for Star Central Magazine’s Duo/Group Artist of the Month, so it’s nice that they have felt we deserve another nomination – but for the year of 2012! People can help us in winning this nomination by viewing our YouTube videos online, subscribing to our Youtube channel, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter. This way they can stay updated and be informed of when voting polls begin on Star Central Magazine’s forum and can vote for us online! We would love for as many people as possible to become apart of this process and hopefully help us win this nomination. The more the merrier!

Can we expect new music from you soon?
Yes, we are releasing an EP for this Spring/Summer! These next couple months will consist of multiple artist-collaborations, recording, songwriting and trying to create the best possible sound for all our listeners and future fans. Since we as girls in general are changing and growing, our music style is also growing and changing — and we think this will be reflected in the new EP’s overall sound. Currently our music direction has been veering in a more pop sound – and so far we are loving it!

Connect with The GiGi Sisters through their social media!
Facebook // Twitter // YouTube - Highlight Magazine

(Interview) - Reckless Fusion

(Interview) - Reckless Fusion

In the music industry we’ve seen family members come together to make music. This is evident in acts such as Kings of Leon, The Jonas Brothers, R5, and Before You Exit to name a few. The GiGi Sisters would be categorized under the same umbrella. The GiGi sisters is made up of Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski. The I.C.F.R.D. Pop (Indie Country Folk Rock Dance Pop) band recently played at Canadian Music Week.

Just looking at the amount of genres The GiGi Sisters have encompassed into one to describe their music, points to one thing and one thing only: a WHOLE LOT of versatility! I believe this is the reason that The GiGi sisters stand out from the crowd. When listening to their medley of High For This/I Knew You Were Trouble (watch it here), from the minute the song started you knew this wasn’t your ordinary cover. The GiGi sisters took two songs, and arranged them and made it to their own, they put their own signature on the song. They were creative and had fun with it.

Bittersweet Goodbyes -Review

I decided to listen to one of their original songs “Bittersweet Goodbyes.” The song further showcased how unique the GiGi sisters are. The individual solo’s illustrated what each member brings to the group but it’s the harmonies that sealed the deal for me. The GiGi sisters voices not only blend together nicely, but the tone of their voices just makes the song all the better.

I for one I’m very excited to see what the GiGi sisters have in store in the upcoming months. You can keep up to date with the GiGi sisters on the following websites:
http://Facebook.com/theGiGiSisters
http://twitter.com/theGigiSisters
http://youtube.com/user/theGiGiSiaters

By: Amandah - UMusicians

In the music industry we’ve seen family members come together to make music. This is evident in acts such as Kings of Leon, The Jonas Brothers, R5, and Before You Exit to name a few. The GiGi Sisters would be categorized under the same umbrella. The GiGi sisters is made up of Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski. The I.C.F.R.D. Pop (Indie Country Folk Rock Dance Pop) band recently played at Canadian Music Week.

Just looking at the amount of genres The GiGi Sisters have encompassed into one to describe their music, points to one thing and one thing only: a WHOLE LOT of versatility! I believe this is the reason that The GiGi sisters stand out from the crowd. When listening to their medley of High For This/I Knew You Were Trouble (watch it here), from the minute the song started you knew this wasn’t your ordinary cover. The GiGi sisters took two songs, and arranged them and made it to their own, they put their own signature on the song. They were creative and had fun with it.

Bittersweet Goodbyes -Review

I decided to listen to one of their original songs “Bittersweet Goodbyes.” The song further showcased how unique the GiGi sisters are. The individual solo’s illustrated what each member brings to the group but it’s the harmonies that sealed the deal for me. The GiGi sisters voices not only blend together nicely, but the tone of their voices just makes the song all the better.

I for one I’m very excited to see what the GiGi sisters have in store in the upcoming months. You can keep up to date with the GiGi sisters on the following websites:
http://Facebook.com/theGiGiSisters
http://twitter.com/theGigiSisters
http://youtube.com/user/theGiGiSiaters

By: Amandah - UMusicians

It's been a busy few months for a trio of musical Mississauga sisters.
The GiGi Sisters - Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski - just returned from Nashville, where they met with industry reps and performed at local venues, including the renowned Bluebird Cafe, a Music City hot spot that hosts both up-and-coming and genre-topping singer/songwriters, including Garth Brooks and LeAnn Rimes.
The GiGi Sisters have also just finished a new demo EP of original songs.
After a busy summer of performances at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival and other shows, they're gearing up for fall dates, including the Port Credit Farmer's Market on Sept. 22. They've also received airplay on radio various stations across the country, including in Vancouver, Cornwall, Calgary and Kingston.
The band formed last December when the sisters decided to write a Christmas song for friends and family and were pleasantly surprised when more than 1,500 viewers clicked on the song's YouTube video.
Alexandra told The News in March that was a turning point for her and her sisters, who named their group after their favourite TV series, The Gilmore Girls.
All three are classically-trained in piano, and also play the guitar and ukulele to accompany their songs.
They describe their music as a mix of indie, folk and country, with musical inspiration from The Civil Wars, Adele and Taylor Swift.
For more, visit facebook.com/theGiGisisters. - Mississauga Newspaper

What started as a fun way to spread Christmas cheer has blossomed into a budding career as musicians for three Mississauga sisters.
Last December, Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski decided to write a Christmas song for their friends and family and were pleasantly surprised when more than 1,500 viewers clicked on the video posted on YouTube.
Alexandra, 19, said it was a turning point for her and her sisters, who together form The GiGi Sisters, named after the girls' favourite TV comedy-drama series, the Gilmore Girls, which ran from 2000-2007.
"For the longest time, we've been writing songs together, but we never took it really seriously," said Alexandra, who is currently studying music at Queen's University. "It's one of those things you don't really consider as a potential option. It just doesn't occur to you."
Alexandra says they felt pretty vulnerable putting their music on YouTube for everyone to judge, but have received positive feedback.
The girls performed some of their original works, as well as covers of popular artists, at the Regency Retirement Residence in Port Credit Saturday. They also recently posted their original song When We Are Young, dedicating it to Kony 2012, a viral video campaign that identifies Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army as the world's worst war criminals. The video has been viewed by more than 16,600 people. They're currently working on a demo CD to send to to major record labels.
Alexandra says it's a constant juggle of life, school and their musical career for her and her younger sisters (Stefanie is 17, Katharine 14) who are both studying music at Cawthra Park Secondary School. She says they practice as much as they can when they are together.
"It's a matter of we love it so much and we just want to do it," she said. "There are obstacles for sure, but we feel that in order to achieve our ultimate goal, we have to work hard."
Alexandra says music runs through their veins. She says they likely caught the performance bug from their father Miki Petkovski, who was a member of the popular Yugoslav rock band, Smak, in the 1970s and is classically trained in piano and the cello.
All three are also classically trained in piano and play the guitar and ukulele to accompany their songs.
They describe their music as a mix of of different genres that include indie, folk and country. It's pop driven by a desire to spread positive honest and truthful music.
A few of their musical inspirations are The Civil Wars, Adele and Taylor Swift.
"(The Civil Wars) sound is phenomenal," said Alexandra. "It's just a girl and guy and the gist of it is they sing together in harmonies with just purely guitar and purely piano."
For more information on The GiGi Sisters, visit about.me/gigisisters. - Mississauga Newspaper

What started as a fun way to spread Christmas cheer has blossomed into a budding career as musicians for three Mississauga sisters.
Last December, Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski decided to write a Christmas song for their friends and family and were pleasantly surprised when more than 1,500 viewers clicked on the video posted on YouTube.
Alexandra, 19, said it was a turning point for her and her sisters, who together form The GiGi Sisters, named after the girls' favourite TV comedy-drama series, the Gilmore Girls, which ran from 2000-2007.
"For the longest time, we've been writing songs together, but we never took it really seriously," said Alexandra, who is currently studying music at Queen's University. "It's one of those things you don't really consider as a potential option. It just doesn't occur to you."
Alexandra says they felt pretty vulnerable putting their music on YouTube for everyone to judge, but have received positive feedback.
The girls performed some of their original works, as well as covers of popular artists, at the Regency Retirement Residence in Port Credit Saturday. They also recently posted their original song When We Are Young, dedicating it to Kony 2012, a viral video campaign that identifies Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army as the world's worst war criminals. The video has been viewed by more than 16,600 people. They're currently working on a demo CD to send to to major record labels.
Alexandra says it's a constant juggle of life, school and their musical career for her and her younger sisters (Stefanie is 17, Katharine 14) who are both studying music at Cawthra Park Secondary School. She says they practice as much as they can when they are together.
"It's a matter of we love it so much and we just want to do it," she said. "There are obstacles for sure, but we feel that in order to achieve our ultimate goal, we have to work hard."
Alexandra says music runs through their veins. She says they likely caught the performance bug from their father Miki Petkovski, who was a member of the popular Yugoslav rock band, Smak, in the 1970s and is classically trained in piano and the cello.
All three are also classically trained in piano and play the guitar and ukulele to accompany their songs.
They describe their music as a mix of of different genres that include indie, folk and country. It's pop driven by a desire to spread positive honest and truthful music.
A few of their musical inspirations are The Civil Wars, Adele and Taylor Swift.
"(The Civil Wars) sound is phenomenal," said Alexandra. "It's just a girl and guy and the gist of it is they sing together in harmonies with just purely guitar and purely piano."
For more information on The GiGi Sisters, visit about.me/gigisisters. - Mississauga Newspaper

The Monster Rock Orchestra, with help from a laser light show and waterfall backdrop, kicked off the 16th annual Mississauga Waterfront Festival with a bang last night at Port Credit Memorial Park.
The long-running event began with an opening concert featuring the Monster Rock Orchestra, a 19-piece group that mesmerized the audience with a journey through the last half-century of rock 'n' roll.
The GiGi Sisters also performed and several additional musical acts are on tap for the three-day, free-admission festival.
Port Credit will be swarmed with countless vendors, exhibits and culinary acts as well as Canada's largest sandbox, a classic car show and several other activities for all ages.
Festival founder and chair Pat Anderson says it's hard to believe it was 16 years ago that she stepped outside of her church in an effort to do work with the community for families and children in need.
"I started the Mississauga Waterfront Festival to give opportunity and create a very holistic approach to life within my community and to make sure that those individuals that are marginalized were given (equal) opportunity," she told The News.
Since its inception, the festival has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Ontario Festivals and Events for nine years in a row. - Mississauga Newspaper

The Monster Rock Orchestra, with help from a laser light show and waterfall backdrop, kicked off the 16th annual Mississauga Waterfront Festival with a bang last night at Port Credit Memorial Park.
The long-running event began with an opening concert featuring the Monster Rock Orchestra, a 19-piece group that mesmerized the audience with a journey through the last half-century of rock 'n' roll.
The GiGi Sisters also performed and several additional musical acts are on tap for the three-day, free-admission festival.
Port Credit will be swarmed with countless vendors, exhibits and culinary acts as well as Canada's largest sandbox, a classic car show and several other activities for all ages.
Festival founder and chair Pat Anderson says it's hard to believe it was 16 years ago that she stepped outside of her church in an effort to do work with the community for families and children in need.
"I started the Mississauga Waterfront Festival to give opportunity and create a very holistic approach to life within my community and to make sure that those individuals that are marginalized were given (equal) opportunity," she told The News.
Since its inception, the festival has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Ontario Festivals and Events for nine years in a row. - Mississauga Newspaper

The GiGi Sisters are gearing up for their performance at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival on June 15 and 16.
The three sisters — Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski — will open for the Monster Rock Orchestra both nights at 7 p.m.
Admission to the festival by the lake is free.
Alexandra, 19, said the band is excited about a busy summer ahead of them.
Not only will they perform at one of the most popular summer festivals in Mississauga, but they'll also sing at a charity gala June 16 at the Sagra Famee Furlane Club in Woodbridge.
They're putting the finishing touches on a demo CD they hope to distribute to radio stations in the next few weeks as well.
The band formed last December when the sisters decided to write a Christmas song for their friends and family and were pleasantly surprised when more than 1,500 viewers clicked on the video posted on YouTube.
Alexandra told The News in March it was a turning point for her and her sisters, who together form The GiGi Sisters, named after the girls' favourite TV comedy-drama series, the Gilmore Girls, which ran from 2000-2007.
"For the longest time, we've been writing songs together, but we never took it really seriously," said Alexandra, who is currently studying music at Queen's University. "It's one of those things you don't really consider as a potential option. It just doesn't occur to you."
All three are also classically-trained in piano and play the guitar and ukulele to accompany their songs.
They describe their music as a mix of of different genres that include indie, folk and country. It's pop driven by a desire to spread positive honest and truthful music.
A few of their musical inspirations are The Civil Wars, Adele and Taylor Swift.
"(The Civil Wars) sound is phenomenal," said Alexandra. "It's just a girl and guy and the gist of it is they sing together in harmonies with just purely guitar and purely piano."
For more information on The GiGi Sisters, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theGiGisisters. - Mississauga Newspaper

The GiGi Sisters are gearing up for their performance at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival on June 15 and 16.
The three sisters — Alexandra, Stefanie and Katharine Petkovski — will open for the Monster Rock Orchestra both nights at 7 p.m.
Admission to the festival by the lake is free.
Alexandra, 19, said the band is excited about a busy summer ahead of them.
Not only will they perform at one of the most popular summer festivals in Mississauga, but they'll also sing at a charity gala June 16 at the Sagra Famee Furlane Club in Woodbridge.
They're putting the finishing touches on a demo CD they hope to distribute to radio stations in the next few weeks as well.
The band formed last December when the sisters decided to write a Christmas song for their friends and family and were pleasantly surprised when more than 1,500 viewers clicked on the video posted on YouTube.
Alexandra told The News in March it was a turning point for her and her sisters, who together form The GiGi Sisters, named after the girls' favourite TV comedy-drama series, the Gilmore Girls, which ran from 2000-2007.
"For the longest time, we've been writing songs together, but we never took it really seriously," said Alexandra, who is currently studying music at Queen's University. "It's one of those things you don't really consider as a potential option. It just doesn't occur to you."
All three are also classically-trained in piano and play the guitar and ukulele to accompany their songs.
They describe their music as a mix of of different genres that include indie, folk and country. It's pop driven by a desire to spread positive honest and truthful music.
A few of their musical inspirations are The Civil Wars, Adele and Taylor Swift.
"(The Civil Wars) sound is phenomenal," said Alexandra. "It's just a girl and guy and the gist of it is they sing together in harmonies with just purely guitar and purely piano."
For more information on The GiGi Sisters, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theGiGisisters. - Mississauga Newspaper

A small group of retirees enjoyed an intimate performance by an up-and-coming group of Mississauga sisters today at the Regency Retirement Home.
The newly-formed GiGi Sisters, made up of real-life sisters Alexandra, 19, Stefanie, 17, and Katharine Petkovski, 14, volunteered to perform at the retirement home.
"We like to go to hospitals and old age homes because people there usually can't get out to see shows and we want to share our music with them," said Alexandra, who's studying for her Bachelor of Music at Queen's University.
Both her sisters are attending and studying music at Cawthra Park Secondary School and Alexandra said the performance was technically just their second gig as a band.
"We've always been writing songs together, but we just recently formed an actual band to go out and start doing some shows."
The performance lasted just under 30 minutes and featured cover songs and originals.
"I don't have the best hearing aids, but they sounded really good and I'm glad they stopped by," said Harold Henry, 88, a resident in the home.
"If they ever come back, I'm going to be sure to get a closer seat."
Janice Petkovski, the sisters' mother, said her daughters are just beginning to branch out from their classical music training and she suggested the venue because they're not yet ready to hit the bars.
"The youngest is only 14, so this is a great start for them and the crowd really appreciates it," said Janice.
The girls have posted a few YouTube videos to jump-start their careers and one of them has already received over 15,000 views. - Mississauga Newspaper

A small group of retirees enjoyed an intimate performance by an up-and-coming group of Mississauga sisters today at the Regency Retirement Home.
The newly-formed GiGi Sisters, made up of real-life sisters Alexandra, 19, Stefanie, 17, and Katharine Petkovski, 14, volunteered to perform at the retirement home.
"We like to go to hospitals and old age homes because people there usually can't get out to see shows and we want to share our music with them," said Alexandra, who's studying for her Bachelor of Music at Queen's University.
Both her sisters are attending and studying music at Cawthra Park Secondary School and Alexandra said the performance was technically just their second gig as a band.
"We've always been writing songs together, but we just recently formed an actual band to go out and start doing some shows."
The performance lasted just under 30 minutes and featured cover songs and originals.
"I don't have the best hearing aids, but they sounded really good and I'm glad they stopped by," said Harold Henry, 88, a resident in the home.
"If they ever come back, I'm going to be sure to get a closer seat."
Janice Petkovski, the sisters' mother, said her daughters are just beginning to branch out from their classical music training and she suggested the venue because they're not yet ready to hit the bars.
"The youngest is only 14, so this is a great start for them and the crowd really appreciates it," said Janice.
The girls have posted a few YouTube videos to jump-start their careers and one of them has already received over 15,000 views. - Mississauga Newspaper