An Exclusive Interview with Courtney and Arden, the Talented Twin Sisters Behind DØUBLE IDENTITY

Hawk-IT Interviews
15 hours ago
18 min read

In this exclusive interview, I'm joined by Courtney and Arden, the talented twin sisters behind the rising pop-rock duo DØUBLE IDENTITY. Together, we take a deep dive into their journey—from growing up as identical twins and discovering their passion for music at an early age to building a band that reflects their creativity, individuality, and shared vision.

Along the way, they open up about the stories behind their songs, their songwriting and creative process, the inspirations that have shaped their sound, and the experiences that continue to influence their music. We also discuss what it's like working together as sisters, the evolution of DØUBLE IDENTITY, and what exciting projects lie ahead.

Whether you're a longtime fan or discovering DØUBLE IDENTITY for the first time, this conversation offers an inside look at the passion, determination, and authenticity that define Courtney and Arden as both musicians and individuals.

Let's begin!

Amit Ahuja: Before we dive into DØUBLE IDENTITY and your music, I'd love to begin at the very foundation of your story. As identical twins, you've shared a unique bond since the very beginning of your lives, but every journey starts somewhere. Tell us about your childhoods growing up, your hometown, your family, and the environment that shaped you both. While you shared many of the same experiences, were there moments where your personalities, interests, or perspectives began to develop differently? Looking back now, how did those formative years shape not only who you've become as individuals, but also the creative partnership you share today?

COURTNEY: We both started playing drums at five years old after our neighbors gifted us with their sons’ old drum set - so that was our first foray into music, before Arden randomly became interested in guitar and made the switch about three years later and never looked back. For the most part, our music taste is relatively the same, although Arden definitely branches out a lot more than I do. I think growing up (for the most part, at least in early childhood) without the pressures of social media and all the anxiety that entails, made it a lot easier to just get started with playing music and having fun with it, without all the external pressure that happens today.

Amit Ahuja: Walk us through your musical journeys. Since you've experienced so much of life together, I'm curious whether music entered your lives at the same time or whether each of you discovered it in your own way. Was there a defining moment, artist, or experience that inspired you to move beyond simply listening to music and begin creating it yourselves? As your passion for music grew, how did your individual strengths naturally lead one of you toward becoming the lead vocalist and the other toward becoming the drummer? Looking back, did those roles always feel like the perfect fit, or did they evolve naturally over time?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: There wasn’t necessarily a defining moment other than ‘our parents put us in music lessons because we acquired a drumset’ but we did grow up in the golden age of Disney Channel with Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, (and of course Taylor Swift) so listening to all of that amazing music during our formative years definitely still has an impact today…and a permanent spot on our playlists. The place where we took music lessons used to have a program where you’d sign up and they’d compile kids into bands, so that’s how we got into that type of music vs. just learning how to play the instrument. Our first band was called ‘The Bananas’ (yeah, we were the bananas before the Savannah Bananas made it cool…). The first song we ever played live - on drums and guitar - was ‘I Love Rock n’ Roll’ - and the first song I (Courtney) ever sang on stage in a band setting (just vocals, no drums yet!) was Sk8tr Boi by Avril Lavigne. Eventually kids moved away or didn’t sign up for the program anymore, and it was just Arden and I left. We wanted to keep going, so out of necessity, we started evolving over time to both be on vocals as well.

Amit Ahuja: DØUBLE IDENTITY embraces the energy and theatrical spirit of glitter and glam rock—genres known for bold personalities, unforgettable performances, and fearless self-expression. What first attracted each of you to this style of music? Beyond the music itself, what was it about the attitude, fashion, stage presence, and culture surrounding glam rock that resonated with you? Were there particular artists, albums, or eras that inspired you to carry that tradition into your own music while still creating something uniquely your own?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We never sat down and decided ‘this is what we want to sound like’ - we found our sound naturally as we went along, and it wasn’t until around 2020/2021 that we started to really find the groove. While we’re always experimenting and trying new things, “Talking to Ghosts: Act I” was the first project that we felt really sounded like us. We like a lot of different music, but never set out to purposefully make a song that sounds like someone else, and for the most part, our original music doesn’t directly emulate a lot of artists who we spend most of our time listening to. With that being said, Taylor Swift most definitely has been a huge inspiration (there’s a reason she’s known as THE music industry), beyond being an incredible artist and songwriter, she basically rewrote the script for what it means to be a successful female musician and set an incredible example for us throughout basically our entire musical journey.

Amit Ahuja: Take us back to the moment DØUBLE IDENTITY first became more than just an idea. As sisters who had already shared a lifetime together, what inspired you to take that next step and build a band? Was there a particular conversation, opportunity, or realization that convinced you this was something you wanted to pursue as creative partners? When you first began building the band, what vision did you have for your sound, image, and identity, and how has that vision evolved since those early days?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We’ve been playing music since we were 5, and performing on stage since we were about 9, so any moment of consciously deciding ‘this is what we want to do’ is a pretty far-off memory. We didn’t necessarily have that much of a vision, since we were just learning and figuring things out as we went, and we’re constantly evolving and switching things up as we go. With that being said, looking back, you can sort of see the bones of where DØUBLE IDENTITY would eventually end up sound-wise listening to our debut EP, ‘Small Talk.’

Amit Ahuja: Choosing a band name is often one of the first major creative decisions a group makes. How did you arrive at the name DØUBLE IDENTITY? Were there other names you considered before settling on it? Beyond the name itself, what does "DØUBLE IDENTITY"

DØUBLE IDENTITY: represent creatively, emotionally, and philosophically? How does it reflect both your relationship as twins and the artistic identity you've created together?

Girl, I have no idea. This is a great question, but not something our 12 year old selves were ever considering at the time. I (Courtney) came up with the name when I was very very young, probably at least 15 years ago. As much fun as being in The Bananas was, that was a group project, and would’ve felt weird continuing on as a two-piece with that name. To some degree, “DØUBLE IDENTITY” does encapsulate us being twins and is representative of that, but we also just ended up really liking the name, and have only liked it more as we’ve gone on. It has evolved stylistically, from ‘Double Identity’ to ‘DØUBLE IDENTITY’ (Double Identity Band was just what it was on streaming platforms), and we feel like the new stylization adds the right amount of extra personality we’d been missing.

Amit Ahuja: Being identical twins naturally creates a connection that very few musicians ever experience. How has growing up together shaped the way you communicate, collaborate, and create music? In what ways has sharing a lifetime of experiences influenced the chemistry, trust, and creative partnership that defines DØUBLE IDENTITY today?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We don’t have any other siblings, so we don’t know any other way to be. It is helpful that whenever we each experience something that we’ll later turn into a song, the other person was along for the ride hearing all of the details the entire time, so we’re able to write about it without having to explain the story over again to let the other person know where we’re coming from.

Amit Ahuja: Glitter rock has always celebrated individuality, confidence, theatricality, and pushing creative boundaries. As an independent glitter rock band in today's music scene, what has it been like carrying that spirit forward? Do you feel glam rock is experiencing a resurgence, or do you see yourselves introducing a new generation of listeners to a genre that deserves more attention?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: I think that kind of depends on how you define the genre, and we typically try not to box ourselves into just one thing, because it feels like that would add on pressure and stifle creative choices if we’re trying to fit a sort of mold instead of just doing what feels right. We used to describe our sound as ‘Disney Channel pop punk,’ but were afraid that was starting to be interpreted as juvenile (with that being said, we still love listening to that music, so absolutely zero shade). We’ve used the term to more so describe how the music feels sonically, not necessarily in our outfit choices - although I do think Chappell Roan is a great example of that. We’re in a great era of female artistry, from Taylor Swift to Sabrina Carpenter to Olivia Rodrigo, Freya Skye, Maisie Peters, Audrey Hobert, and more, so we’re just happy to play a tiny part in making women and girls feel more seen and heard in any way we can.

Amit Ahuja: Every new band reaches a point where they realize people are beginning to notice what they're creating. Was there a particular performance, song release, fan interaction, or

DØUBLE IDENTITY: milestone that made you both stop and think, "We're really building something here?" What did that moment mean to each of you?

A few years ago, we played a show at Cobra Lounge in Chicago, and during one of the slower songs (‘The Rearview’ off of ‘Talking to Ghosts: Act II) we could hear the crowd singing the words back to us. That was a really special moment, since something like that had never happened before, and that song was one of - if not the - least streamed songs we had at the time. It just goes to show that the numbers don’t necessarily always equate to the real-life impact.

Amit Ahuja: Every creative partnership develops its own way of making decisions. As identical twins and bandmates, how do the two of you approach writing new material and making creative choices together? When you have different ideas about a song, arrangement, lyric, or visual concept, how do you work through those differences while staying true to the vision of DØUBLE IDENTITY? Has learning to collaborate creatively taught you anything new about one another?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: Generally, I (Arden) will start off with a concept or lyrics and get something started in what I think is the right direction before bringing it to Courtney to see if it holds any weight. I tend to write lyrics and melody at the same time as the rhythm guitar, and in the initial idea stage when I’m still trying to figure out what story I’m telling, I prefer not to have anyone else in the room. Literally. If I’m writing in my room or somewhere and someone else walks in, I have to ask them to leave. Sometimes there’s a certain level of honesty that’s harder to tap into when you add another person into the equation (regardless of how close you are) depending on the subject material. When we have different ideas on which direction to take, we just bring it back to how we can best achieve the goal of representing the story we’re telling in the most authentic way, and go from there.

Amit Ahuja: Visually, DØUBLE IDENTITY embraces many of the elements that have long defined glitter and glam rock—fashion, makeup, confidence, and stage presence. How important is the visual side of the band to your overall artistic identity? What inspires your wardrobe, makeup, and aesthetic, and how do you ensure your visual presentation complements the music while remaining authentic to who you are as artists?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: Well, not gonna lie, money is a big factor into how much we can do visually. With that being said, we put a lot of time and effort into building out a style and branding for each era (thank you, Taylor Swift) to the best of our ability, so while the Talking to Ghosts era was more blue/teal and had a lot of ghosts, our current era is brighter and more centered around the color pink and kiss marks - which is reflected in the merch we sell as well.

Amit Ahuja: Looking more closely at the music you've released so far, I'd love to dive deeper into the stories behind "Kiss Me Again," "The Mess You Make Me," "The Party," "Never Ending Red Flags and Roses," and "What She Said." Can you walk us through the inspiration behind each of those songs? Were they drawn from personal experiences, observations, relationships, or imagined stories? As you were writing and recording them, what emotions were you trying to capture, and how did those ideas evolve into the final versions listeners hear today?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: All of the songs off of “Talking to Ghosts: Act I” and “Talking to Ghosts: Act II” are rooted in personal experience, with the majority of them being 99.9% accurate to actual situations - that was a guardrail we put up early on when we were initially writing the first EP out of the two, and that heavily influenced how lyrics were worded and what was included. It was refreshing to start working on this latest project and to take those restrictions, for lack of a better term, off. Both ways of writing are beneficial in their own ways, but we gave ourselves permission to be more imaginative and inventive on what came after. Specifically, during the pre-production and consequential recording process of our latest single ‘Kiss Me Again’ which we co-wrote with our friend John, we wanted to capture the cinematic feeling of sparkly summer nights spent driving with the windows down, and we couldn’t be prouder of how the final track turned out.

Amit Ahuja: I'd love for each of you to answer this individually.

DØUBLE IDENTITY: For the lead vocalist: Your voice is one of the defining elements of DØUBLE IDENTITY. How have you developed your confidence as both a singer and frontwoman, and what have you discovered about yourself through using your voice as a creative outlet?

For the drummer: Drummers are often called the heartbeat of a band. What first inspired you to pick up the drums, and how has your playing style evolved as you've grown alongside DØUBLE IDENTITY?

ARDEN:

Courtney and I actually both sing lead and split those parts up in pretty much every song, but if you find yourself at a DØUBLE IDENTITY show, you’ll probably see me on vocals-only for a couple just because it’s fun to dance around without having my hands busy playing guitar. To transition to suddenly having no instrument to play was strange when I first started late last year, and added an element of anxiety to our set that was new to me. But I’m more interested in having a good time than looking or sounding 1000% perfect, so that’s helped a lot. I’ve always admired performers that just go for it no matter what, so I’m hoping to embody that.

COURTNEY:

I wasn’t really inspired by anyone specific to start playing drums, the opportunity to do so found its way to me, but as a kid I was really excited for that one episode of Wizards of Waverly Place where Alex and Justin start a band and Selena Gomez was singing and playing drums at the same time, because that’s what I was already doing.

Amit Ahuja: When you're creating new music, how do you know when a song truly represents DØUBLE IDENTITY? At what point does an idea go from simply being an interesting concept to becoming something that feels authentic enough to release under the band's name?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: The reality is that it’s really expensive to record and release music, so we have to be pretty selective about which songs make the cut. A lot factors into it, like what the vibe is of the project we’re currently working on and what fits in alongside the other songs we’ve already chosen (for example when making an EP). When we recorded ‘The Party’ and ‘The Mess You Make Me,’ we weren’t really planning on turning those releases into an EP, but as we started writing more and realized that the songs naturally had a through line and made sense together as their own little world, we could find connections between our work-in-progresses and see what was missing in the message we were trying to get across.

Amit Ahuja: What role does music play in each of your lives beyond performing and recording? Does creating music serve as healing, self-discovery, emotional release, storytelling, or something entirely different? How has music shaped the people you've become away from the stage?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We both listen to music (of course not just our own) all the time, and it really does become a soundtrack to different eras of our lives, which is really special and exciting. Creating music sometimes serves as a healing or emotional release, and sometimes it’s just pure fun (or it’s all of those things combined).

Amit Ahuja: Glitter rock has always encouraged artists to embrace confidence, individuality, theatricality, and unapologetic self-expression. How has becoming part of this genre changed the way each of you views yourselves—not only as musicians, but also as people?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: As women, we grow up being socialized to be (or not be) certain things, and it’s no secret that we’re living and performing in a male-dominated world, and pop-punk is a male-dominated genre as well. We hope that we can encourage girls and women and anyone who feels like their voice isn’t taken into consideration to speak up anyway. You have the right to exist as a multi-faceted person and take up space and tell your stories and be listened to.

Amit Ahuja: Building a band comes with moments of excitement, but also uncertainty, setbacks, rejection, and self-doubt. Throughout this journey, how have you supported one another emotionally while continuing to pursue your dreams? Looking back, what advice would you give to other young artists who may be facing similar challenges?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: This isn’t relevant to our past selves, but to young artists of the current era just starting out - you don’t need to use AI. Don’t use it. Your early stuff is probably going to sound not great, but that’s the point, you need to learn how to make your music sound like you - that’s what makes it fun and personal and relatable to other people.

Amit Ahuja: If someone had only one opportunity to experience DØUBLE IDENTITY—whether through a single song, music video, or live performance—which would you want them to experience first, and why do you feel it best represents everything your band stands for?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: Our latest single “Kiss Me Again” is our favorite song we’ve released thus far, and it has all the levels of angst and unapologetic vulnerability that are staples of our sound. We also create all of our own lyric videos DIY so if you’re going to listen to it, go watch the lyric video too, we’re pretty proud of that one.

Amit Ahuja: Looking ahead, what does the future hold for DØUBLE IDENTITY? Are there any upcoming singles, EPs, music videos, live performances, collaborations, or creative directions you're especially excited to share with your fans?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We’re always working on something :) Right now, we’re finishing up recording our next EP, and writing the next one, including the merch and other inner workings that go along with it all. We’re planning on having some fun surprises with both of those, so stay tuned! Aside from that, we have more shows this year (including some in new cities) that we’re really excited about, with our next one being opening for Geena Fontanella’s The Millennial Tour on August 7 at her Chicago show.

Amit Ahuja: Glitter and glam rock have always represented far more than music—they've celebrated confidence, freedom, individuality, and artistic expression. What do you hope DØUBLE IDENTITY contributes to the next chapter of that legacy? If someone discovers your music ten or twenty years from now, what do you hope they'll remember most about your band and the mark you left on the genre?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: There’s long-since been this stigma around women writing songs about romance and how that isn’t taken as seriously in some people’s eyes, but writing a song about having a crush (The Mess You Make Me) isn’t less impressive than writing one about the ways a system failed to protect you (ARE YOU GONNA LISTEN NOW?), and you deserve to be loud about it, whether that’s visually, vocally, or however feels most comfortable to you.

Amit Ahuja: As identical twins, people often assume they already know what your relationship is like simply because you share the same appearance. What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about being twins? What do you wish more people understood about your individual personalities, your creative differences, and the unique bond you share both on and off the stage?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We wish that people would recognize that we are individuals – while we are fairly similar on the surface, we aren’t the exact same person and shouldn’t be treated as if we are. And referring to us as ‘the twins’ is not our name. :)

Amit Ahuja: On a more personal note, who are three individuals—whether family members, friends, artists, or mentors—who have had the greatest impact on your lives? What lessons did they teach you, and how do those lessons continue to influence the way you approach both life and music today?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We’d be remiss not to mention Taylor Swift, who has been a huge influence on us, and we’ve really taken inspiration from how she’s always been so open with expressing herself and sharing her life. There’s an interview out there somewhere where she talks about how other people might call whatever it is you’re doing “cringe” or try to make you feel bad for expressing yourself in a certain way, but as long as you’re having fun, then you’re good.

One of the first concerts we ever went to see was Selena Gomez & The Scene - Selena and her music were very influential on us growing up, and that’s likely part of the reason why we started gravitating towards pop/rock in the first place once we started making our own music years later.

Something that stuck with us is when Luke Eisner of VOILÀ said not to take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from. It can be easy sometimes to get swept up in negativity so it’s important to put guardrails on what you allow to affect your thoughts, because pleasing people that aren’t yourself isn’t the point.

Amit Ahuja: Outside of music, what hobbies or interests do you both enjoy? Whether it's fashion, film, books, visual art, travel, photography, or something completely different, what passions help you recharge creatively, and have any of them influenced the artistic world of DØUBLE IDENTITY?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: We both read a lot. I (Courtney) absolutely love books, especially romance books, although as a listener you probably don’t hear a ton of that translated into most of our songs (maybe some fantasy references though, with strong female leads and down with the patriarchy type of ideas). My dream is to one day be able to write a song for one of my favorite book-to-media adaptations so…watch out for that. I think I have well over a thousand books, and although I often read digital copies, I almost always buy one (or more than one) physical copy of my favorites, which

is a big reason why we insist on making physical CDs for all of our EPs, and why our “Talking to Ghosts: The Encore” CD has five bonus songs that aren’t available on any streaming platforms.

I (Arden) love binge-watching new TV shows at the same time as the rest of the internet and then scrolling through edits online. There’s something really fun about the sense of connection you can get from fandom, which is the kind of community environment we’re working to build ourselves. Also, both Courtney and I are huge believers in owning physical media (her book collection alone is very robust), and I’m always on the lookout for old TV shows on DVD so I can still watch them even if the powers that be decide to poof them from streaming sites (I’ve not yet found a way to integrate MacGyver (2016) into the band, but the future is bright) which has directly influenced us — you’ll be able to find almost all of our songs on a physical CD. This is technically still music-related, but listening to the same song or album on repeat just for the sake of enjoying it and not analyzing why right away, is also fun. Journaling and reading (that includes audiobooks too, but usually only if they’re full-cast or memoirs) are ways to connect with different stories and emotions outside of my own. I’ve found myself gravitating towards the horror genre over the past couple of years, both in terms of books and movies, and that has definitely bled into different aspects of the DØUBLE IDENTITY world. But no spoilers here – you’ll have to wait and see what I mean by that.

Amit Ahuja: If each of you had to describe DØUBLE IDENTITY in just five words, what five words would you choose, and why do those words best represent who you are as a band today?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: Angsty

Sparkly

Unapologetic

Confident

Energetic

That’s a tough one - sonically, we like to add in a lot of sparkle-type sounds, and Courtney’s drum set is blue sparkles, so that one has to go in there. Aside from that, most of our songs have a darker, angsty vibe, and we try to never shy away from or sugarcoat the message we’re trying to get across.

Amit Ahuja: As we wrap things up, what message would you like to leave with your fans and our readers? For anyone currently chasing a dream, struggling creatively, or still searching for their own voice and identity, what words of encouragement or perspective would you most like to share?

DØUBLE IDENTITY: Everybody says this, but it’s true that pursuing a creative path is an up and down process. It’s also perfectly okay not to have it all figured out before you start – you actually shouldn’t box yourself in, because part of the joy of creating is allowing yourself to discover things that you otherwise may not have. Listen to “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. You’ll make mistakes and learn from them and do better next time and then start the process over again and again and again. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, and make sure you have creative hobbies and outlets that are completely separate from what it is you’re building towards. That way, you can do something and maybe be bad at it and have the process of creation be the end goal, not the end product. Remember that your timeline is your timeline, not anyone else’s, and you’ll get there when you get there. LASTLY, don’t forget to be present and look back at how far you’ve come, because when you’re just looking forward to the future all the time, you miss your progress!

Amit Ahuja: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Courtney and Arden of DØUBLE IDENTITY for taking the time to share their story with my readers. It was a pleasure learning more about your journey, your music, and the passion that continues to inspire your work. I wish you both continued success and look forward to seeing what the future holds for DØUBLE IDENTITY.