California, USA-based new bluegrass trio formed by twin sisters Dana Burke (b. Dana Schankman, Los Angeles, California, USA; vocals/banjo) and Lauren Mills (b. Lauren Schankman, Los Angeles, California, USA; vocals/fiddle) and their brother Michael Alden (b. 1985, USA; vocals/bass). Formerly child actors, the sisters discovered a love of country music in their early teens, with Dana and Lauren becoming proficient on the banjo and fiddle respectively. Their affinity with the bluegrass style attracted the attention of the legendary Ralph Stanley, who encouraged the twins to join him on stage whenever possible. Their self-financed debut album Duality was recorded when the twins were still only 16, and featured a traditional mix of bluegrass, country and Cajun tunes. The album was released in 1996 on the family’s own City West Records label. The sisters later altered their stage name to the Schankman Twins and continued to perform on a regular basis while studying ethnomusicology at UCLA, by which time their younger brother Michael had begun joining them on stage on bass and backing vocals. The trio’s skilled musicianship, sweet harmonies and photogenic looks attracted the attention of several major labels, and a recording contract was finally signed with Rounder Records. After another name change, this time to Malibu Storm, the trio began work on their Rounder debut. Released in 2004, the self-titled album was promoted by a countrified cover version of the old Def Leppard hit ‘Photograph’.