#two castles

It makes all the sense in the world that Serena’s first foray into recording music would be a collaborative effort.  She’s the mastermind and curator behind local poetry zine Twig and by day works as a graphic designer. In other words, working with others to bring different kinds of art into the world is not only her passion and hobby – it’s also her day job. Collaboration is a huge part of who Serena is and what she cares about.

“I think it stems from my background in sports,” she said. “I always loved that feeling of being part of a team, getting to play off each other’s talents and complement each other. I also just get really inspired by my friends. They make me want to try new things and create more, so it makes sense to work together on stuff.”

The four-song EP has a sound the two describe as “dreamy sad girl pop” –  intoxicating beats layered underneath Serena’s soulful vocals. The music feels contemporary, but has a clear influence and atmosphere that is derived from ’80s synth pop – these are songs that would fit in well on the Drive soundtrack.

With Eau Claire’s own genius beatmaker Sloslylove playing the Eaux Claires festival this summer it’s a good time to be making electronic music in EC – the scene is growing and getting more attention than perhaps it ever has before. This is exciting for the duo behind Sniffle Party, but they don’t have any particular grand design for their music. They both describe it as an “in the moment” project designed for exploring, learning, and having a good time making songs.

Beyond that, Serena says she’s just excited to be a female pop voice/electronic artist in the Chippewa Valley.

“There are great female musicians in the Valley, but there can always be more, and especially when it comes to pop music there’s not a lot doing it in the area,” Serena said. “So even if this isn’t a thing in a year or whatever, I would hope another female musician – who is probably better than me – does it, and feels welcome.”