All Shook Up

Shook Twins

Shook Twins
Shook Twins

The Shook Twins live a charmed life. Whether performing their quirky brand of indie folk pop solo, opening for Blitzen Trapper or the Carolina Chocolate Drops or partaking in side projects like Morning Ritual with Portland jazz luminary Ben Darwish, people love them to death. Focusing on variety has certainly helped, especially with regard to their content.

“We write a lot about the way we live and what we see in our lives,” says Laurie Shook, who handles percussion and banjo and shares vocal duties with her sister, Katelyn. “There are definitely some fictional things too though, like chickens and riding a boat to the market because it rains so much. We try to draw from all those pools instead of just sticking to one.”

As their most recent album, 2012’s Window, proves, you never know what you are going to get from a Shook Twins song. Katelyn is as likely to bawk like a chicken as Laurie is to beatbox, so there is that. Even when they write love songs, sometimes the results are like “Long Time,” which is about, of all things, robot love. But the more atypical the song is, the more they seem to love playing it.

“We like trying new things and seeing what happens,” Laurie says. “We like playing music, having a good time and just trying to make people feel good.”

Shook Twins are performing as part of Grrrlz Rock with The Great Hiatum, Dale Tumbao Cuban Salsa, Boomchick, Talia Winship, Bridget Gavin, Riley Estrada, Naomi Ariel and Bounce Gymnastics. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring nonperishable items to donate to FOOD for Lane County.

Shook Twins play 6:30 pm Saturday, Nov. 23, at WOW Hall, $10 adv., $15 door.