Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Richard Staw, Alex Lambrechts and courtesy of Bloom Twins

Sonia and Anna Kuprienko aka Bloom Twins aren’t your typical pop siblings. Sure they’re incredibly addicting style of musical noir is undoubtedly intriguing upon first listen, but digging deep into their history, what you’ll find are a pair of classically trained multi-instrumentalists and singers who have literally been steeped in the art form for most of their lives. Since releasing their cover of the Kish Mauve track ‘Fahrenheit’, followed by their haunting rendition of Bob Marley’s classic song ‘Get Up Stand Up” in support of the people of Ukraine during the midst of political turmoil a couple years back, the Kuprienko sisters have gone on to create a few astounding recordings, ink a deal with IMG Model Management and tour with iconic musical giants Duran Duran. It’s safe to say that Bloom Twins are staring at a future as bright as the midday sky.

Raised in the Ukrainian town of Brovary, on the outskirts of Kiev, Sonia and Anna Kuprienko’s musical roots stem back to the age of five. Growing up in a household where music was a part of everyday life, the girls went on to learn the flute, the harmonica and keyboards. By their teen years, the sisters’ talents were more than evident. Although limited within the confounds of certain restrictions that were prevalent in Ukraine, Bloom Twins were contacted by Lenka Chubuklieva of the band Sister Siren, who found the two via Facebook. Looking to recruit them as new members of the group, Sister Siren eventually split. During this period the Ukraine also underwent a slew of political chaos with Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to sign the European Union Association Agreement. Whilst a future in music was uncertain amongst the Kuprienko twins, it was Chubuklieva’s suggestion to move with her to London that would ultimately change their lives.

Only in their mid-teens by the time they arrived in London, the Kuprienko sisters not only faced the challenge of being unable to speak English, but also had to bear the burden of leaving their family who were still living in Ukraine during the country’s troubled period. Recording their debut song ‘Fahrenheit’, a cover of the British band Kish Mauve’s track found on their 2009 LP Black Heart, Bloom Twins caught a wave of attention with the release of their version of Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up Stand Up’. Standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, the talented twins landed placement in the UNICEF #IMAGINE campaign which included Katy Perry, Idris Elba, will.i.am, Courtney Cox and more. In 2014 Bloom Twins released their third single ‘Blue’, a moody taste of electronic pop that was musically steamy, sensual and enticing. They would also capture the attention of Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran who immediately begin working with the twins, helping to craft their forthcoming debut album.

Inking a contract with IMG Model Management, Bloom Twins have gone on to grace a range of magazines including Vogue, Numéro, Untitled, UK InStyle, i-D and more. A force in the fashion industry, the pair have worked with some of the biggest photographers in the business.

Bloom Twins’ latest cut ‘Amnesia’ is a massive crossover tune that’s guaranteed to storm multiple charts. Currently supporting Duran Duran on tour, they are not only poised to dominate the music industry, but are shining and proud examples of hope for those not only back home in Ukraine but across the world.

Although you were classically trained as kids, was there ever a goal of becoming musicians professionally?

Sonia Kuprienko – Before we met our manager, we were meant to go to University. Anya was into math, and I wanted to be an opera singer, so only half of us always considered becoming a musician professionally. I guess twins always have to be together, and I won. We did it my way!

You grew up near Kiev but eventually left to go to London. Whilst the past political turmoil is well documented, can you describe some of the beautiful things about the city that you miss?

Sonia Kuprienko – We miss the beauty of Kiev, which is not only stunning, but also ours. Let’s not forget about the delicious food too! Ukrainian cuisine is amazing, if you haven’t tried it, you are definitely missing out. There’s also an unspeakable beauty, even throughout the political turmoil, and we tried to capture it in our video to ‘Get Up, Stand Up’. In the video, you can see everyone coming together as one, united, fearless. No one stood back. Everyone was going forward and proud to say ‘We Are Ukrainians’.

Can you talk about meeting your manager and her impact on your musical career?

Sonia Kuprienko – We first met over social media, decided to meet up and sing a few songs, and before we know it, we were in London. It sounds like a fairy tale, but I guess some dreams are meant to come true. Our music career would not even exist if it wasn’t for our team. Bloom Twins have far more equal members than just the two of us.

You also have firm careers as models. Was that something that you wanted to pursue initially and what have been some of the highlights for you?

Sonia Kuprienko – Music and fashion go hand in hand. You cannot separate the two. They are like twins – different, but cannot be without one another. Music is the way fashion sounds, and fashion is the way music looks (in our case). We are honoured that we had a chance to have shoots for Vogue, Numero, InStyle, i-D, and very lucky that we got to meet Nick Rhodes at a shoot, which has changed our music career completely.

Last year you were a part of UNICEF’s #IMAGINE campaign. How did that come about?

Sonia Kuprienko – We still think that there’s no way that we’ve done nearly enough to have an opportunity to be a part of such a beautiful and life changing project. We stood with very influential people from around the world, singing one of the most meaningful songs, to raise awareness of something which is far more important than music sometimes. There is nothing else I would rather want music to do then to influence people to help others. All of us could be role models and make a difference.

You are working with legendary musician Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. What has that experience been like and what new things have you learnt from him in terms of recording and musicianship?

Sonia Kuprienko – The experience is unforgettable. There was no particular style, but something felt right. There was no awkwardness, but just freedom of everything that me , my sis, Joshua Blair and Nick Rhodes were feeling at that moment. It was just a natural balance between each other. We have learnt to play with the right feeling right from the beginning, and the difference between analog and digital keyboards. Oh, and that moog rocks!

Your latest single ‘Amnesia’ is a great track. You worked with Anthony Marshall on this one. What was the inspiration behind the song and when you were recording it, did you already get a sense that this was going to be a big single?

Sonia Kuprienko – Firstly, thank you very much for calling it a big single! We definitely enjoyed writing it – there were lots of moog, lots of weird dancing and lots of shouting. We’ve all had those times when we are blindly in love. We saw everything we wanted to see; hence they were moments that we chose to forget. This is something that kills us slowly. So we have to stop fooling ourselves and to start living.

Since living in London you have been in numerous fashion magazines, played lots of shows, been praised by the press for your music and more. Does it all still feel like a dream or has the feeling finally settled in?

Sonia Kuprienko – Sure it feels like a dream. Hopefully it will always feel like a dream. We look back and we can’t believe what happened to us in such short period of time. Leaving our home country at a very early age with no family, no friends and no English felt like a gamble, but it took us no time at all to come up with the answer “hell yeah, we’re going!” At that time we didn’t know what was about to happen because we would never believe it would. Touring the UK’s biggest arenas is still pretty surreal and knowing that we are doing another tour in a week in Italy – also feels like a dream.

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