Cape Breton duo ‘Hearts of Kin’ releases new single

Musical duo Hearts of Kin chat about their new single “Natural.”

Hearts of Kin has been steadily carving out their place in the East Coast music scene.

The Americana pair made up of sisters Shellie Tobin and Danielle MacDonald released their latest single called “Natural” Friday, marking another milestone in their growing career.

“It’s the ultimate love song,” said MacDonald. “It’s just kind of like about that person that you just wake up in the morning, your heart beats for them.”

The song is accompanied by a music video.

“Two beautiful Cape Breton farms are the backdrop for this,” says Tobin. “Beautiful country scenes. We’ve got some hound dogs, we’ve got some hay, we’ve got some horses.”

Though music has always been a part of their lives growing up in New Victoria, N.S., the siblings only officially formed Hearts of Kin in 2020.

“We’ve been singing together at Cape Breton kitchen parties since we were wee babies,” said Tobin, who says it was MacDonald who came up with the idea to take it to the next level.

Last year, their self-produced debut album, “Beautiful Burn,” won Country Album of the Year at the Music Nova Scotia Awards.

“Just really honoured to get the recognition and definitely motivation to keep going.”

Following their award-winning album, Hearts of Kin is now focusing on releasing singles rather than a full album.

“We’re trying something different, one song at a time, letting each one breath before moving on to the next,” said MacDonald.

The sisters are also gearing up for a packed 2025, with new festival performances and shows on the horizon. Fans can catch them live at their single release show on Feb. 22 at The Red Farm in Cape Breton.

“We’re just being ourselves, staying authentic, and having a lot of fun along the way,” said Tobin.

Hearts of Kin’s new single “Natural” is available now on streaming platforms.

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