Rituals of Mine

Sacramento, California electronic duo Rituals of Mine is the symbolic rebirth for singer/songwriter Terra Lopez and producer Dani Fernandez. Formerly known as Sister Crayon, the pair has been performing together since 2010. Although Lopez created Sister Crayon, Fernandez joined the fold and they released two albums (2011's Bellow and 2013's Cynic) of beat-focused dark synth that was inspired by trip-hop and '90s hip-hop. While recording the third Sister Crayon album, Devoted, in 2015, a series of tragedies befell Lopez: the deaths of both her father and her best friend. After the twin losses, the pair decided to change their name, both as a way to put their loved ones to rest together with the name they knew in life, as well as to brand themselves with a moniker that fully belonged to both women. They signed with Warner Bros. and continued work on Devoted. Along with producers Wes Jones and Dave Clauss, Lopez and Fernandez also called upon the mixing talents of Tom Coyne (Led Zeppelin, Adele) for recording sessions in St. Augustine, Florida. Writing credits for the release also included contributions by Omar Rodriguez Lopez (At the Drive-In, the Mars Volta) on the title track. In 2016, they released "Ride or Die," influenced by the sounds of Portishead and Massive Attack. Before the release of the LP, they would further build their audience with opening stints for Deftones and Tricky. ~ Neil Z. Yeung