Bitter:Sweet Review

By Jeremy Anderson

Even if you haven’t yet learned of the electronic-pop duo Bitter:Sweet, you’ve probably heard their music. The eclectic pairing of Shana Halligan’s sultry, teasing lyrics with Kiran Shanani’s groovy espionage-like instrumentals has been featured on countless ratings-grabbing television series. The group has contributed music to popular shows such as Sex in the City, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and the theme to Lipstick Jungle, as well as to the hit film, The Devil Wears Prada.

Finding an audience in feature television and film is simply a byproduct of making unique and compelling songs. “I don’t know what makes it so adaptable,” said Halligan. “We just created it out of love. I think it’s just very relatable, very accessible.”

That accessibility has been instrumental to the duo finding a fanbase. Being featured on television shows “is like a new radio for us,” said Shanani. “People can come out and find us.”

With Halligan’s glamorous show dresses and jazz infused lyricism backed by Shanani’s swinging beats, Bitter:Sweet’s style harks back to various earlier eras of music. The pair is not merely a throwback, but rather, a fusion of past with present. Their sound, like their marketing, is a fresh take on the old standard.

Quango, the band’s independent record label, deserves recognition for marketing the group so inventively and effectively for the digital age. “We’re on a small indie label,” said Halligan. “There isn’t the financial ability to push [us] in commercial radio.” Despite not having a large promotional budget, the proceeds from being commercially featured allow the band to branch out and grow as performers. “It supports our tour,” Halligan and Shanani said in unison, speaking of their tour as part of six-piece band.

The mutual appreciation between Halligan and Shanani is apparent upon meeting them. But the process of finding one another was lengthy. Shanani conducted an extensive search for a vocalist until Halligan responded to a listing on craigslist.com. “I auditioned hundreds of singers… I knew she was the one.” Both musicians have excelled since finding each other. Shanani described their collaboration as “more free and natural” than on his previous projects.

For now, Bitter:Sweet seems on solid footing. Halligan and Shanani have a constructive musical partnership, an effective 21st century marketing scheme, an inventive indie label that believes in them, and a distinctive retro-modern sound. We’ll be eagerly waiting and watching to see if the duo continues to push their music forward.