Their blend of lap steel, electric guitar and close-knit vocal harmonies have made Larkin Po one of the coolest American folk-rock acts around.

Rebecca and Megan Lovell’s music exudes a swampy Southern vibe matched only by their engaging stage presence – and the kind of telepathic musicianship that only a pair of talented siblings could pull off.

Tomorrow they play the Bullingdon, in Cowley Road, to show off their latest album Kin. One thing the sisters might neglect to mention is they are descendents of the great American suspense novelist Edgar Allen Poe.

"We have a very colourful family history," says Rebecca, 23, who also plays mandolin and violin.

"There were a lot of creative hotheaded, and intelligent branches that went against the grain in our family tree.

“Our paternal grandfather suffered from schizophrenia, while our great, great, great, great grandfather, Larkin Poe, was a Civil War wagon driver turned historian and a distant cousin to Edgar Allen Poe. Growing up with their crazy stories definitely shaded our perception of normal.

“As artists, I think some of those innate eccentricities, passed down from generation to generation, have been even further exaggerated in us!"

Megan, 25, who contributes lap steel and dobro to the line-up, chimes in: "As sisters, we just wanted to pick a band name that had familial significance, so we decided to give a nod to our ancestors and take on the name Larkin Poe.”

That link is celebrated in Kin.

"I think our fans will be surprised by this album," says Rebecca.

"In our previous projects there was always this pervading polish of politeness.

In this project, that polish isn’t present. Kin is the first Larkin Poe album where we were able to bring a bit more of our stage show into the studio and capture some grittier, edgier stuff.

“We can rock-out on guitars like the boys . . . so why not go ahead and do it? We let our flag fly a little higher."

CHECK IT OUT
See Larkin Poe perform Kin at the Bullingdon, Cowley Road, Oxford, tomorrow. Tickets cost £14.30 from ents24.com