ANTIGONISH, N.S. — ANTIGONISH, N.S. — As the holiday season approaches, many people have their ears tuned to the latest weather report.
They want to know if there will be snow on the ground for a white Christmas, just like the ones Bing Crosby used to know.
In their new single, "No Snow", described as a “quirky Christmas tune," the sister singing duo Moira and Claire MacMillan have their wish come true for snow on Christmas Day.
But after enjoying their fill of sledding and making snow people, they want their wish to melt away after being snowed in a month.
“It was a lot of fun,” Moira MacMullin said of their effort, as her younger sibling, Claire, nods in agreement.
They laugh as they talk about the holiday song — the third tune they have released as an act — which they penned two years ago.
With the help of their father, Blaise, a photo and videographer, the sisters also shot a video in the backyard of their Antigonish home.
“There wasn’t even much snow that day,” Claire quipped.
The video — which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhEVaHgRtI — features everything from the sisters making snow angels to the frustrated pair pining to get out of the house while the outdoors is in winter’s grip.
The sisters note the video, like the song, is “intentionally cheesy.”
The colourful artwork for "No Snow" is the creation of Sophie Lawrence, a friend and former classmate of Claire’s at Dr. John Hugh Gillis High School. She is now a first-year art student at Mount Allison University.
The sisters, bundled up for the weather, are surrounded by green grass and trees; no snow in sight.
‘Our creative energy’
Since moving to eastern Canada with their family in 2014 and making their home in Antigonish, the sisters have been writing songs and singing together, more and more.
“I think it is a great place for us to put our creative energy,” Claire said, noting harmonies are her strength, which she discovered from Tom Cochrane’s Canadian classic, "Life is a Highway."
It is a great way for the siblings, who are both St. F.X. students, to take a break from their busy university schedules. Moira, a junior, is studying psychology and music; while Claire, a freshman, is focused on engineering and earth sciences.
The recorded their first single, "Your Voice", a couple years ago at Joel Plaskett’s New Scotland Yard studio in Dartmouth.
“It’s a love song, kind of,” Moira said.
They laughed while noting they completed their second single, "Again", in their parents’ bedroom. It is a celebration of Maritime beauty, based on their love for the classic Anne of Green Gables series.
Along with their vocals, the duo plays ukulele, piano and guitar.
“But not very well,” Moira said, with a chuckle, when describing their instrumental talents.
Performers Moira & Claire had a busy summer that included performances at Big Spruce Brewery in Nyanza, Cape Breton, along with the Antigonish Art Fair and Antigonight – Art after Dark.
The also sang "Again" and provided back-up vocals for Ria Mae, on the Granville Green stage in Port Hawkesbury.
Moira has also been working on a solo EP.
The sisters will be singing "No Snow" along with other holiday and original tunes as part of an upcoming Community Café at the People’s Place Library in Antigonish. The holiday gathering is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 4, starting at 2 p.m.
The new single is streaming at http://hyperurl.co/tt2di2
