There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned family band, and Salem natives Kassia, Alexa, and Isabella Russell are taking their sister act to a whole new level. Their high-energy, electro-pop trio Savasha hits the stage at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Thursday, July 21.
The Russell sisters grew up playing music. Encouraged by their father, a musician himself, the three girls all studied classical piano from a young age. As they got older, they expanded their musical talents, Isabella learning to play the drums, Kassia the bass guitar, and Alexa experimenting with vocals. Kassia, the eldest of the three, graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2014.
The idea of an actual career in music hadn’t been on the sisters’ radar until they performed at a charity auction as a jazz trio.
“We never expected to take it further than that,” said Isabella, now the drummer and one of the lead vocalists of Savasha. “But then, when we were playing the auction, a bunch of people started coming up to us and asking to actually book us for weddings and events, and we were kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh!’”
So many people showed interest that the girls rapidly went from three sisters playing music together to a full-fledged band. They had to choose a name for their group on the spot, combining their own names and calling themselves Kalisa. Eventually, the band transitioned from playing covers to writing and performing their own music and adopted the name Savasha.
https://youtu.be/j2i9aTvAk8o
It can be difficult to stand out in a local music scene, playing bars, restaurants, and other venues that host new acts on a near-daily basis. But Savasha’s style of performance sets them apart. Drawing inspiration from artists like Beyoncé and Rihanna, who are famous for putting on dynamic, entertaining live shows, Savasha incorporates dramatic lighting effects, choreographed dance moves, and even video segments into their performances. During shows, Alexa and Isabella spend most of their time at the front of the stage dancing and pumping up the crowd.
“I think something that sets us apart is that (Alexa and Isabella) really put on a show, whereas a lot of bands don’t have front people or dancers,” said Kassia. “That makes us a little unique.”
The band members said it can be difficult to find venues where their kind of show fits, as the dancing and lighting demand a larger space. Aspects of their performance change from venue to venue, including one notable show when an electrical equipment failure led to an impromptu acoustic set. Still, the most important part is keeping their shows exciting and entertaining for the audience, they say.
“No matter where we are, whether it’s for five people or 500 people, we always try to keep it entertaining and different,” said Alexa.
Despite the challenges of playing small venues, the group’s ability to entertain has drawn some notice within the music industry. Savasha has received airplay on Boston-based radio station 92.5 The River. And L.A.-based mix engineer Manny Marroquin, a Grammy winner who has worked with Rihanna and many other stars, made a complimentary mix of the band’s original song, Is It Real.
From left to right, Kassia, Isabella, and Alexa Russell of Savasha.
Following the show at The Press Room, Savasha plans to take a break from live performance and spend the month of August finalizing their first studio album, “Misses and Misfits,” which is slated for electronic release sometime in September. Part of their family home in Salem has been converted into a recording space, and the album is continually evolving.
“Isabella writes constantly,” Alexa said, “and we’re always having new ideas. We have new influences every day.”
The sisters laughed about how difficult it has been to make cuts and be satisfied with the mixes.
“Right now, we have an album with like 40 songs,” Alexa said.
Though Alexa and Kassia teach piano a few days a week, the majority of the Russell sisters’ time goes into making music and the various projects that accompany it. From choreographing dance moves to learning the ins and outs of sound engineering and working on designs for their upcoming line of merchandise, Kassia, Alexa, and Isabella have their hands in every aspect of the band.
“We try and get involved in everything, even if we shouldn’t,” Alexa said, laughing. “We’re always like, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it, we’ll try it.’ And people say, ‘Let someone else do it,” and we’re just like, ‘No, we’ll do it.’”
Kassia explained that virtually everything they know about recording and mixing music they learned through online tutorials, as well as trial and error. Still, it’s something the musicians love to do.
“It’s not really a chore to learn it,” said Isabella. “It’s just kind of a really fun hobby that turned into our job.”
Savasha performs a free show at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Thursday, July 21, at 9 p.m. For more information about the band, click here.