Lily & Madeleine began singing together as high school students, uploading home videos of cover songs to YouTube. On the strength of those videos, Bloomington, Indiana producer Paul Mahern invited the two into his studio to record their debut EP, The Weight of the Globe, when their class schedule permitted.

With the help of Kenny Childers (Gentleman Caller), they co-wrote their first original songs for that EP and video of Lily & Madeleine singing in Mahern’s studio reached the front page of news aggregator Reddit. The Weight of the Globe was picked up for a 2013 release by Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records, and John Mellencamp asked the sisters to contribute guest vocals to the soundtrack of his musical, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.

In February 2013, the two sold out their very first live shows, in their hometown of Indianapolis. That October, they made their national TV debut on CBS This Morning, in anticipation of their self-titled first LP, released at the end of the month.

In reviewing Lily & Madeleine, The New York Times argued that “the thing that flags them as extraordinary is their sibling vocal blend, deep and seamless and relaxed.”

In addition to promotional videos such as “Back to the River,” directed by Allister Ann in support of The Weight of the Globe, and “Come to Me” from Lily & Madeleine, directed by Tyler Jones, Lily & Madeleine continue to release live videos of their acoustic performances in the studio, directed by Bishop Chatard High School graduates Nicole Lehrman and Stuart Hotwagoner.