Truth on Earth

Serena, Kiley, and Tess—who, channeling Cher, use only their first names—are like most teen sisters. They listen to rock music, hang out with friends, and love vegan chocolate-chip cookies. Oh, except that music they’re listening to? Their own ‘60s and ‘70s-inspired soulful tunes. And those friends? Legions of fans at the trio’s concerts. The cookies come courtesy of Kiley, who in addition to her rockstar responsibilities, has a sweet baking business on the side. Truth on Earth, their band, is dedicated to raising awareness of myriad global injustices and uses their position to encourage others to take action. With songs on topics ranging from starvation to factory farms to cyber bullying, there’s no doubt these ladies are super-serious about their mission. VN recently caught up with the trio to talk music, morals, and must-have vegan items.

VegNews: What projects are you currently working on?
Serena: For the past year, all of our time has been devoted to writing, recording, performing, networking, doing interviews, podcasts, music videos, keeping up with our superstar fans, and linking with organizations that are actively working to solve the problems we sing about. Whenever we are on the road we also try to learn as much as we can about the problems the world faces and the potential solutions we can promote through our mission.

VN: What is it like being in a band with family members?
Tess: Being in a band together is one of the coolest things we’ve ever been a part of. We get along really well because we are best friends. We have each other to lean on and to discuss all our ideas together. Finding practice time is easy because we are always together. It’s a fantastic experience and one that has connected us for life.

VN: You often mention that you were influenced by Gandhi’s beliefs. What drew you to Gandhi to begin with?
Kiley: We feel very fortunate that our parents educated us early on about Gandhi’s philosophies and the practice of spirituality. Gandhi saw that every living creature on Earth was important, and he worked diligently towards expanding peace and reducing violence on the planet. Some of the things that drew us to him were the immense amount of courage and strength he had and the millions of people he influenced with his unique organized method of non-violent protest. We find it incredibly inspirational that one little man accomplished so much and made such a huge difference in the lives of so many.

VN: You donate 70 percent of your profits to charity. Do you have a favorite organization you’d like to share with us?
Serena: One of our favorite organizations is Animal Acres. They have a farmed-animal shelter in Los Angeles where they bring in animals that were abused, saved from slaughter, or have no home. We also really like The Anti Defamation League, Seal Action Protection Group, Vegan Peace, Humane Teen, Action Against Hunger, and Mercy For Animals.

VN: What vegan food could you not live without?
Serena: Silk Chocolate Soymilk
Kiley: Tofu that I make with a variety of Asian sauces
Tess: Kiley’s pies and cookies

Visit Truth on Earth online, on MySpace, and on Facebook.

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