The Sullivan Sisters have dazzled audiences since childhood with their unique blend of fast bluegrass picking and captivating sibling harmonies, with music ranging from lyrical originals to timeless folk classics to blazing instrumentals.
Inspired by the bluegrass community in North Carolina where they were born and raised, Soraya and Luciya began taking guitar and banjo lessons at ages 8 and 6. Their music drew influence from the bluegrass community surrounding them, and they carried their love of the genre with them when they relocated to Chicago.
Over the past ten years, The Sullivan Sisters have toured the country as featured performers at Merlefest, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum’s Romptober Festival, IBMA’s Bluegrass Live Festival, the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Evanston Folk Festival. Their instrumental talents have garnered them national distinction, including First Prize in Banjo and Third Prize in Guitar at Rockygrass 2023, First Prize in Fiddle, Second Prize in Guitar, and Third Prize in Mandolin at RockyGrass 2025, and Second Prize in the 2024 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Bluegrass Banjo contest. Additionally, The Sullivan Sisters won Third Prize at the 2025 RockyGrass Band Competition.
The sisters have recently formed a five-piece band by joining forces with three phenomenal teen pickers and longtime friends: Oscar Caudell on mandolin, Finn McGuinness on fiddle, and Sammy Mougin on bass. The new band launched its debut to a sold-out, standing room audience in Chicago in January 2025, and followed up with tours in 2025, including TWO sold-out shows in Chicago in January 2026.
"Good Time to Say Goodbye", one of Soraya's first co-writes - along with songwriting luminary Jon Weisberger, is a fast-paced breakup song packed with attitude and defiance. With blazing instrumental work and tight harmonies, it tells the story of a woman who finally walks away from a faithless, no-good man. This song brings an exciting, defiant energy to The Sullivan Sisters' catalog, and gives the band a chance to show off their instrumental skills.
Penned by Tim Stafford and Soraya Sullivan, “Cold Front” is a feisty bluegrass track that weaves freezing weather into a story of heartbreak. The song takes an unexpected turn courtesy of producer Stephen Mougin, who introduced an improvised jam section mid-track and a harmonized outro. The result stands out as one of the band's most unique and favorite recordings, injecting a spontaneous energy into a classic roots foundation.
A haunting story of love gone wrong, Devil's Got a Hold On You is a ghostly old-time ballad sung from beyond the grave. Written by Luciya and Soraya Sullivan, it tells the story of a love that descended into violence and ended in tragedy. Featuring a distinctive melody on clawhammer banjo and fiddle, Devil's Got a Hold On You shares the perspective of a silenced woman who finds her voice within the song.