Von Grey

Like Van Halen, von Grey is a quartet featuring musicians with the same surname as the band’s moniker. But unlike Van Halen, von Grey comprises four classically trained musicians—sisters Petra, Fiona, Annika, and Kathryn—who made the move from classical music to heartland Americana-flavored pop. "What Am I" opens von Grey's eponymous 2012 EP; it's an acoustic ballad with lilting strings and gently played piano parts. Toward the song’s apex, the sisters von Grey play a dramatic crescendo with an edgy finesse and restrained emotion that gives insight to their marvelous musical talents. “Coming for You” follows with the magical congruence of sibling harmony—and knowing full well how astonishing it sounds when four sisters sing in perfect harmony, they play it up with the swell of a vocal orchestra. But even this is performed with enough space for the song itself to work its magic, as rootsy instruments play through an impassioned serenade. “Chained to You” plays with a palpable tension, this time adding electric slide guitar as those harmonies ring out like a hypnotic siren song.