Shook Twins come to shake up the San Juan Islands

Katelyn and Laurie Shook are often asked if they’re actually twins or if their band name – Shook Twins – is just a gimmick.

“I’m a twin, for reals! We get so many people saying, ‘Oh, are you really twins?’” Laurie joked. “Yes, it’s legit .… We’re the ‘twinniest’ twins we know.”

The sisters return to the San Juan Islands to perform for three nights in mid-July. The first show in the islands is at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 13, at Orcas Center. Tickets are $29 for adults, $21 for students, $2 off for Orcas Center members and subsidized tickets are available from the box office for $5. The twins play on San Juan the following night at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, July 14, at the San Juan Community Theatre. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for reserved student pricing and $5 student rush at the door. The final island show is on Lopez at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 15, at Lopez Center. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth, available online at www.lopezcenter.org or at the door.

Originally from Sandpoint in northern Idaho, the Shook Twins now reside in Portland, Oregon, where they’ve created music together since graduating from the University of Idaho with matching degrees in radio, TV and digital media production. It wasn’t until the twins were 17 that they learned to play guitar, but they’ve been singing for as long as they can remember.

“We do have an unfair advantage because we have the same DNA in our vocal chords,” Laurie said with a laugh. “We’ve been traveling around doing this as our main living for about 10 years. It’s been a fun life, hard at times, but definitely a great choice.”

Laurie describes the Shook Twins’ music as a mixture of eerie, psychedelic indie pop rock. Along with the sisters, the band is comprised of Sydney Nash on bass, Niko Slice on guitar and mandolin and Barra Brown on drums.

“We’ve been playing with those cats for between three and six years now,” Laurie said. “It’s been wonderful; they’re amazing musicians and make us sound super legit.”

The Shook Twins performed at the M-A-I Festival at Doe Bay Resort in February, and Laurie said she’s excited to get back out to the islands.

“Our booking agent presented it and we were like, yes! Definitely going to the islands,” Laurie said. “It was a no-brainer.”