Though some may argue the “sound of DePaul” is the whoosh of the red line or the buzzer at Wintrust, a popular Spotify playlist makes the case that Court the Muse — a neon-funk, synthy sister duo — and their debut EP embody the heart and soul of the university. I’m inclined to agree.

Some of us spent quarantine making whipped coffee and binge-watching “Tiger King,” but Natalie and Emilie Hanson wrote, recorded and released their first EP under the name Court the Muse. 

“We’ve tried to collaborate so many times, but we would always fight,” said Natalie, the older of the two. “But I swear something just shifted and while we were both quarantined in Washington. We both fully committed and worked every single day until something really happened.” 

That something is “Sigh, Sigh, Kiss!” a five-song, 18-minute experience that chronicles the cyclical process of heartbreak while grieving a repetitive relationship.

Emilie is a junior in DePaul’s Theatre School, but both girls have a background in musical theater, something that is apparent when listening to the drama of their EP. 

“It’s been really fun,” Emilie said. “Being at the Theatre School, people are always willing to listen to new things and be supportive, but I didn’t expect people to understand [the album] and reach out as much as they did.”

It’s hard to pinpoint the genre of the album, but the sisters cite Kate Bush and ‘80s new-wave alternative as inspiration. 

“The beat of ‘Sigh, Sigh, Kiss!’ was almost a joke,” Natalie said. “The background synth is kind of chaotic and we were playing the song super loud and just singing and having fun until we realized we actually liked it. That was one of the first moments when we were working together when I realized ‘hey this is fun and it should be fun.’”

Although both girls are involved in the entirety of the creation process, in general, Emilie is the songwriter and Natalie is the producer. Natalie released her own album a few months before “Sigh, Sigh Kiss!” and learned the ropes of self-releasing. Both her albums “Likewise” by Facade Queen and “Sigh, Sigh, Kiss!” are available to listen on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. 

The name of the group came from a song that Emilie wrote in bed one night. 

“The song was super cheesy,” Emilie said. “But when we found out our original name was already being used by a different group we landed on Court the Muse and it stuck.” 

The album cover is a pink fever of eyes and lips and drips, made in the girls’ bathroom with their iPhones. 

“We definitely wanted a picture of screaming to embody the energy of the fever dream screaming,” Emilie said. “So we mixed that with the chaos of makeup and water running down our faces.” 

“The cover is really eye-catching, so when my roommate showed me I was immediately intrigued,” said Payton VanPelt, a junior at DePaul. “We drove around and played ‘Sigh, Sigh, Kiss!’ in my car and it was nuts. They’ve got such great Kate Bush vibes. It’s like eternal, dreamy,  feminine energy and it’s all in your face. The synth of it is so well done too and it all layers into this gorgeous siren song.”

VanPelt also recommends the Sound of DePaul playlist. 

“It’s nice to feel connected to people at DePaul right now and I think that playlist gave me a little sense of connection,” he said.

“Initially I thought they sounded a bit like Marina and the Diamonds mixed with Lana Del Rey, which was super cool because those are two of my favorite artists,” said Jerica Cruise, a sophomore at DePaul. “The album has really great girl band energy.” 

Although the sisters had not given it much thought, they toyed with the idea of naming their fans “Muses” and “Musies.” 

“We know we are at the very first step of a huge journey,” Natalie said. “We want everyone to know that we are dedicated to growing and having fun with anyone who wants to join us.”

What else can you expect from Court the Muse? 

“We’ve been toying with the idea of each future album or project being a different genre,” Natalie said. 

The sisters plan on releasing more music together and are currently working on a digital performance set to film at the end of March. 

“We are performers at heart,” Natalie said. “I rented a space and we are working with dancers and a choreographer to create a really fun and weird experience. We also just started a t-shirt campaign with shirts designed by one of my friends.” 

The shirts and all other info can be found on the Court the Muse Instagram @court_the_muse.