Stagbriar overcomes sibling rivalry to make folk music

For the first 18 years of their lives, they lived under the cloud of sibling rivalry. "We hated each other growing up until we realized we were basically the same person," says Alex. "That took a while. We didn't know each other like we know each other now, but this collaboration has been a way for us to get to know each other in a new way."

The détente began when the pair both went off to college. Alex had left the nest before Emily, and they reconnected when she followed him to the University of South Carolina. She studied journalism at USC while he juggled music composition classes with his job at Papa Jazz Records. Emily played music around town on her own and was working on a solo EP when the McCollum siblings formed their first formal musical collaboration. "Alex started doing backup for my EP and helping out with it. That's when we decided we wanted to do music together," says Emily.

About two years ago, the siblings made it official and named themselves Stagbriar after the street the McCollums grew up on. "It was from a time when our relationship was completely different, yet an integral part to who we are now," says Alex.

Kalyn Oyer, Charleston City Paper

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