The Harp Twins
One dynamic musical duo doubles the fun
When heavy metal rockers Metallica and Iron Maiden penned their potent classics, they likely never imagined that their melodies would eventually morph into lyrical versions played elegantly on a grand harp by identical twins from Northern Illinois.
Yet the Harp Twins have done just that - and much more.
Camille and Kennerly Kitt have not only produced impressive musical covers from a range of genres that include folk, rock, and heavy metal - they continually captivate audiences across the globe with their stunning arrangements of Celtic traditional music and their original compositions.
“We now focus far more of our time and energy on writing original music than cover songs, as this is where our true passion lies,” notes Kennerly. “But covering the likes of Iron Maiden and Metallica is so much fun, and we will probably always be arranging new versions of their tunes.”
Although the duo's 2020 album Iceborn may pay tribute to their Scandinavian heritage, their featured appearance on the PBS Special Celtic Heart, and a fair portion of their set list, reveals a distinctly Celtic affinity - perhaps intuitively derived from their recently discovered ancestry.
“Our roots are mostly Scandinavian (Norwegian) - however, our aunt has been doing some family research, and we have discovered new lines back to Scotland,” claims Camille.
As the only non-Irish participants in the Celtic PBS special, the pair cite this performance as a career highlight.
“It was an honor to work among some of the Irish greats, including former members of Celtic Woman,” shares Camille. “There is so much amazing Celtic music out there right now - from traditional music reborn to modern Celtic music influenced by other musical styles.
Such industry recognition is well-deserved, given their devotion to mastering the instrument since childhood, which, curiously enough, was the only instrument available to them at the time.
“Our mom put us in piano lessons when we were kids,” recounts Kennerly. “However, we didn't have a piano at home. We were introduced to the harp by a friend whose mom played the instrument, and she let us try. We were both instantly enamored. We had to earn the money ourselves for our first used lever harp.”
This fateful first introduction would prove to be as mystical as it was momentous.
“The harp is certainly not a mainstream instrument by any stretch,” says Camille. “However, to us it is the most magical. The strings create overtones that vibrate through your body in this amazing and therapeutic way. It is incredibly diverse, and when played well, it creates pure magic.”
For all their inspiration, the Harp twins' success has also demanded a fair measure of “perspiration” and plain hard work. In addition to participating in four World Harp festivals and headlining countless concerts, fairs, conventions, and comic-cons across the globe, the duo has been on a full European tour of 20 cities in 11 countries since early 2024, and has North America in their sights for the coming months.
“Being professional touring musicians is often exhausting,” admits Kennerly. “We spend countless hours honing our craft, writing music, editing music videos, sending e-mails, etc. - the list of things that need to be done is always endless, and yet we are blessed to have the opportunity to do what we love, and we love meeting the people who listen to our music.”
And there are certainly a lot of people to meet. With a fan base of 2.5 million strong across social media platforms and 155 million views and counting on their YouTube channel, the Harp Twins show no signs of slowing down in 2024.
“Between extensive touring, we are always working on writing and recording new music, filming new videos, and creating more fun for our Patreon community,” explains Camille. “Our latest original album, Twin Destinies, is a multi-media collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Debbie Viguié. The response has been almost overwhelming. This year, we are continuing work on the 2nd installment of the Twin Destinies series - slated for a late spring release. We are also working on an original album of Nordicinspired music with the Volfgang Twins.”
Their diligence notwithstanding, the Harp Twins place the primary focus on “leaving the mark of our souls on listeners” and remain dedicated to love more than labor.
“There is nothing more special than someone telling us that our music helped them through a hard time or brought joy to their day,” says Camille. “In life, there is no greater reward than being able to bring light to others.”
“We also now officially have a Celtic harp named after us! Blevins Harps created the ‘Harp Twins Serafym’ with Celtic artwork designed by our mom, Diane Carlson.”