t’s been quite a journey for Krewella. Since forming nearly 15 years ago, the Chicago-based electronic dance music act – comprising of sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf – have seen the highest of highs, headlining EDM festivals around the globe and winning acclaim in the EDM community and fandom. But the group has also had to deal with challenges along the way, particularly an acrimonious lawsuit by a former band member that made them – in Jahan’s words – “the most hated group in the electronic dance music scene”.

That episode now emphatically behind them, Krewella has emerged better, stronger, their ensuing success not just a testament to their musical skills but also their resilience.

The duo have kicked off 2023 with a short tour of Pakistan, performing in Islamabad and Lahore, alongside a host of other acts, this weekend. Instep caught up with the sisters to find out more about the ups and down in their career, what finally brought them back to Pakistan, and how they feel about their Pakistani roots.

Instep: Please tell us about Krewella’s musical journey so far.

Jahan Yousaf: Well, let’s start by saying that after a decade of touring, we are having a full circle moment by starting our 2023 in Pakistan, the home country of our father. When we started in high school as songwriters in a basement on weekends, we could have never imagined that our dream of releasing music that resonates in the hearts of people around the world would take us to Pakistan. Since starting making music together in 2008, we released our first full length album in 2012; we’ve had an adventurous and exhilarating run of U.S. and international tours; and [have displayed] deeper authenticity and creative expression with every body of work. When the pandemic hit, we recalibrated during the tour pause, and Yasmine built a home-studio where we recorded our third and most recent album, The Body Never Lies.

Instep: The group has faced some challenges but appears to have emerged stronger for it. What are your biggest learnings from this decade and a half in the music industry?

Jahan: One of my favorite quotes is “the obstacle is the way” by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Back in the day, when we were in the eye of the storm, it was hard to have foresight to envision what is beyond whatever adversity was being experienced in the moment. These challenges also forced us to look outside our careers for fulfillment and ultimately paved the way for a life with more balance and meaning. Not like we’d ever welcome chaos or wish it upon ourselves, but in a sense, we have a deeper respect for the purpose of adversity, struggle, and failure as it carves character and cultivates resilience. And most of all, the ups and downs in our career have only led us to grow closer as sisters with more love and respect for each other.

Instep: How did the idea to tour Pakistan come about? And what, if any, difficulties did you face in making this tour a reality?

Jahan: The dream of playing a show in Pakistan has been brewing for years. This country is incredibly under-toured and sadly isn’t on the radar for most international artists. We are super grateful that our destinies have intersected with Black Box Sounds who have also been dreaming up bringing Krewella here for years now. I think the difficulties that anyone would assume they might encounter in a foreign country would be eclipsed by the impeccable hospitality, organization, and logistical support from the team at Black Box Sounds who have brought us here on this tour.

Instep: What can you tell us about the tour?

Jahan: We are playing back to back shows in Islamabad and then Lahore, our father’s birth city, to kick off 2023. Both events are featuring incredibly talented and musically diverse local and international talent from Shae Gill, Chrome Sparks, Turhan James, Khyber 13, Natasha Ejaz, and DJ Barrister.

Instep: How did you get the chance to participate in Coke Studio (season 11)? And how was the experience of performing on the show?

Yasmine Yousaf: We were so honored when the producers of CS11, Zohaib Kazi and Ali Hamza, reached out and asked us to join their ensemble for the season. We had obviously been following Coke Studio Pakistan for years and immediately jumped at the once in a lifetime opportunity. The experience was one of the best of our entire career, not only because of the esteemed musical platform, but the incredible talent and energy of the whole team. We had an incredible time with everyone involved, and on top of it, we brought our abu with us so he could experience it all as well.

Instep: Had you been to the country previously? How often do you come to Pakistan?

Yasmine: We’ve both been to Lahore as babies and young teenagers, but when we arrived in Karachi in 2018 to film ‘Runaway’ for Coke Studio, neither of us had been to Pakistan in about 14 years. The two of us agree that we’ll never stay away from Pakistan that long ever again. Between the health clinic in Nagar that Jahan is involved in and our family still in Lahore, we will be back here as much as possible. We feel so lucky to FINALLY be playing shows here as well — hopefully more to come!

Instep: How do you feel about your Pakistani heritage and performing in Pakistan?

Yasmine: So incredibly proud. This culture is brimming with color and flavor in every aspect, it inspires so much of what we do, from the music we create to the clothes we wear to the food we cook. Anyone who isn’t Pakistani who has traveled here always tells us or says that the people of this country are so kind and hospitable, even if they don’t speak the same language or come from the same background. Coming up in the United States, one of our biggest goals is to share with people how incredible this culture is, and in turn hopefully more international musicians will come perform in (or even just visit!) Pakistan.