Meet The Tiarras: A Texan sister-trio making change in the music industry
By Nia Harmon
Music has always come naturally to the Baltierra sisters.
Born and raised in Austin, TX, Tiffany, Sophia, and Tori Balterria found their passions from a young age, influenced by their parents who loved music and passed the appreciation on to their daughters.
“Individually, we were taking classes and then at some point our parents were like, ‘let’s just put you guys into one class where you can learn music, learn how to read music, [and] how to play songs.’ And naturally, we were always together in that class so we just started playing together,” said Tori, the youngest Baltierra sister, lead vocalists, and guitarist for the band.
Growing up in a musical household, it was only inevitable that the three would band together, fusing their talents into passionate sounds that fuse genres and defy tradition. Their father and band manager, Hector Balterria, used to be a DJ. Their late mom loved rock music, playing household names that influenced the trio, like KISS and Led Zeppelin.
For drummer and middle sister Sophia, playing like a rockstar has always been a part of her.
“I think there’s different personalities for a drummer, and I’m very much a crash person. I will smash on a crash all day. It’s my favorite,” laughed Sophia.
Formerly known as the Tiarra Girls, the sisters’ talents have taken them to one of the biggest stages in Texas, performing at Austin City Limits (ACL) last year, down under at SXSW Sydney International, and on stages across their home state. The trio will be performing at SXSW again this March at venues around Austin two nights in a row.
Recounting their experience of performing at ACL, the sisters remember pure shock and disbelief, believing at first the invitation was a prank. Both Tiffany and Tori had gone to the festival in previous years, marking a milestone for just how far the group had come.
“It kind of showed us that this goal that we’ve had in the back of our mind has been reached, and that means there’s more to come and there’s more work to do,” said Tiffany, bassist and eldest sister. “This is like a time capsule that we can open up later to show everyone who The Tiarras were in 2024 at ACL.”
For this year’s festival, Tori says she is looking forward to “approaching South by Southwest with a new energy” following the loss of their mom, and the journey of healing they’ve embarked on together.
“We still had a lot of shows that we were doing, [and] music just kind of kept us on our feet and kept our minds going so we didn’t go crazy,” she said. “This past year has been a year of reflection, while also creating new music, having more shows, playing ACL and all [of] these milestones.”
“We’re kind of approaching it with a more mature feel and also with our minds wide open, because we have a lot to offer in the next year or so,” she added.
The group draws from a variety of genres and artists for inspiration. The result: hybrid tracks that are both futuristic and nostalgic, familiar and new. Of Mexican-American heritage, the trio also pulls from their culture and other genres including Afro-beats, SKA, and rock, producing what Tori describes as “that kind of eclectic feel of the early 2000s where everyone was kind of trying to modernize their music.”
“Selena was the biggest influence growing up and still [is] now because of the family dynamic. As far as being bandmates and family, she was someone that we could look up to, to know that that dynamic can happen and it can be successful. You can blend music and personal lives and fun and sisterhood into one big pool, and it works.”
Coupled with their passion to perform, the sisters use music as a vehicle for advocacy. The group has been involved in voter registration campaigns for Rock the Vote, Jolt, and Voto Latino, and also performed at campaign rallies for local Democratic candidates and at the Travis County Democratic Party Ceremony with Nancy Pelosi in 2019.
Released in 2019, their song, “Leave It to the People” was written during their time of frustration, “inspired by the theme of change and unity,” explained Tori. The set of the music video is decorated with a name and face recognizable to Texans – a banner, sign, and a cutout of Former Democratic U.S. Representative, Beto O’Rourke.
Their message was very clear: make a change. The trio performed that song live and at shows, emphasizing the importance of voting. Although unable to vote because of her age at the time during the 2016 presidential election, that did not stop Tori from encouraging fans to also think about those who were unable to vote as well.
“I would say [things] like, ‘your vote is your voice, but it’s also mine’,” Tori said. “You have a lot of people in your lives that are younger than you that aren’t eligible to vote that are directly being affected by issues that you can have a say in. That was when we started to just really be vocal about [politics].”
Still, the group takes fans with them on their own personal journeys with their music, writing about themes relevant and relatable to their audience.
“It’s been an amazing experience, and now we’re kind of still implementing those themes in our music with every song that we have released, pretty much,” said Tori. “[In] a lot of the songs that are on this next album, we talk about queer [stories], personal stories and experiences. We talk about feeling invisible, and all these experiences that are very important to be shown from the lens of a young Latina, which is so powerful.”
As Austin natives and no strangers to SXSW, the sisters have a list of must-do’s for first-time festival-goers down pact.
“The perfect schedule is [to] go to Joe’s Bakery on Seventh Street (2305 E 7th St), [then] maybe a thrift store, and then go to Red River and just go check out the bands that you hear down the street. You can literally just go there and explore,” suggests Tori.
As explained by Sophia, the area surrounding the festival is buzzing with people, bringing a very unique energy to the city.
“I would just go walk around during South By because all the vibes are there. Literally when you’re walking down the sidewalk there’s people handing out their EPS, trying to make it, and it’s so fun and cool. You just talk to people [and] there’s companies handing out freebies. It’s just so fun.”
The Tiarras will be performing at Lefty’s Brick Bar (1813 C E 6th St) on Friday, March 14th, starting at 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday, March 15th, at the Velveeta Room (521 E 6th St).
When asked what message she’d like to send fans, Sophia said she looks forward to seeing familiar faces and welcoming new ones.
“I would just say thank you to everyone who’s been following us from the beginning or has joined in during this wild ride, and welcome to all the people that we hopefully gain throughout South By. I think we’re pretty fun to hang out with and watch, so we’re excited,” said Sophia.
Tori felt similarly, reiterating the highs and lows of the past year and the exciting adventure ahead.
“We’ve gone through so much in the past couple of years that now we really know what’s important to us, which is family and music and connection and being there for the city that has always been there for us,” said Tori.