MUSIC & CLUBS
TYBEE TALENT
TWO SISTERS MAKING WAVES WITH MUSIC
Sisters and singer-songwriters FREELANCE CORRESPONDENT Clara and Hope Waidley are Michigan transplants bonded through a shared love for surfing and sound. After settling on Wilmington Island with plans to relocate to Tybee in the coming weeks, the two have fallen in love with the Coastal Empire, relishing the natural beauty and proximity to the ocean — things they are particularly passionate about as surfers. “We’re such water people. We love surfing and being on the coast. We grew up learning to surf on Lake Michigan,” said Clara. “Just the coast here and the islands and how wild it is. Growing up in Michigan, we grew up in the woods and it feels like the scenery and nature feels similar to how we grew up there. Just having so much land and that kind of wilderness that is just so untouched. I love that part of it. And obviously, the town of Savannah is just stunning. The design is just incredible.” Before moving down South, the sisters each spent some years in California, taking full advantage of the surf culture and music scene there. Coming from the Golden State, they were pleasantly surprised to discover the dynamism and verve of greater Savannah. “Out of everywhere that we’ve traveled — and we’ve By Chantel Britton
seen quite a bit of America — there’s just nowhere like Savannah,” said Hope. “It’s difficult to find somewhere that has the ocean and islands and the marsh, and then also has a city as beautiful as Savannah is. It’s different and historic and has lovely architecture and the ocean. It just feels like a one in a million place.” Surrounded by the abundant history, lush beauty, and charm of the Georgia coast, the Waidley sisters find ample inspiration for their music. The two perform separately with Clara releasing music under her name and Hope performing under the alias Pearl. They grew up performing in recitals in their youth, so music and appreciation for the arts was instilled within the sisters from early on. “I started writing songs when I was six. It just became a way to process, and I got older and in high school realized if God could use these songs to help me, then they can be used to help other people,” said Hope. Clara shared the sentiment, recognizing the power of songs to provide solace, saying, “I just feel like it’s just a gift that if it can comfort me, I’ve always felt it could comfort other people. I realized when I was younger, I think, for me, wanting to write and do music and perform, it was a process of elimination. I didn’t want to do anything else, so it felt like it was what I was called to do. Just any opportunity to play, I look forward to and writing has been such a way to help process and explain the world and have it make sense.”
CONNECT SAVANNAH | 30 | JUNE • 2024