Made up of the seven-oldest siblings of the 13-member Wolfgramm family, 13 Crowns‘ ages range from 12 (drummer Nora) to 21 (keyboardist Eve), with 15-year-old Abraham and 16-year-old Tihane as the lead singers and songwriters, 18-year-old Isabella on bass, along with Maikeli (14) and Heinrich (20) on guitar. Reminiscent of the early days of the Jackson 5 – particularly the spirited vocal interplay between Abraham and Tihane – 13 Crowns’ roots are solidly in soul, R&B, hip-hop and pop, citing such influences as groups like The Fugees, Arrested Development and The Roots, with positive messages and an infectious upbeat feel. Be sure to have a listen to their debut single “Grateful” below.

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SunCity Paradise: Let’s kick it off with your hometown, what really stands out and makes it special to you? Where would you send a first-time visitor to get a real sense of the area?

13 Crowns: Living in Redlands, California is special to us, because it’s close enough to visit the beach one day, and the mountains the next! Also, because it’s near [Los Angeles], which is pretty cool. Whenever someone visits, we take them to our favorite ice cream shop in downtown Redlands called A La Minute. They only use fresh, organic, local ingredients and it’s amazing. People usually grab a couple of oranges before they leave. That’s what Redlands is famous for … it’s orange groves!

© Ron Kroetz

SCP: What was your first real exposure to music? How did you get inspired to create your own and eventually pursue it as a career?

13C: Growing up, we were always exposed to music because both of our parents were singers and musicians. They taught us everything we know, and they have definitely inspired us to pursue our own musical career. We want to carry on their legacy!

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SCP: You fairly recently released your debut single “Grateful“. What was your overall vision or goal for this release? How has it been received since it dropped?

13C: We released “Grateful” with the vision of it being heard by anyone and everyone! It’s been well received on all digital outlets, specifically Spotify and SoundCloud, and has been playing on rhythm stations across the [United] States. We love it when we get comments about how the song is their “go to” for getting their day started with a positive vibe. That was what we hoped would happen with this song.

SCP: When searching for a personal getaway, are you looking for a serene beach or after a more active, adventurous getaway? Why?

13C: I think we can all agree that we love a good beach day! We just love the ocean, chilling with our family and friends, eating food and having a good time.

SCP: Everyone has a list of places that they still have to hit. What are three destinations, either work or pleasure, that you need to see? Why?

13C: Oh yes! We definitely want to tour in Europe, and make a stop in Paris. We have some fans in Italy, so we’d definitely want to visit there. Our dad is from the beautiful country of Tonga in the South Pacific. It’s a group of islands, and our Grandpa’s is from the Island of Vava’u. It has beautiful, remote beaches and you can actually swim with whales there. We’d love to go there too.

© John Abel

SCP: When you’re relaxing on a beach or just have some downtime are you listening to music? Or do you like to switch up the tunes? If so, to what?

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13C: Music is a part of our life, so even when we’re not performing or practicing, we’re always listening to songs in the house or in the car. We all love Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as modern artists like Bruno Mars and of course, Queen Bey.

SCP: Lastly, what do the next couple of months have in store for the band?

13C: We’re really excited and looking forward to releasing our EP, and setting up dates for a tour. To our fans, we hope to see you soon!

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For more on 13 Crowns visit their website: