Sister Sister

It is 8 p.m. on the first night of CMJ, and showcases have already invaded The Delancey. The stage in the low-lit, low ceilinged basement has been reserved for indie pop and psych acts. On it, Cristi Jo, 26, and Jessica Zambri, 28, along with their two live-show members, arrange drums, pedals, synthesizers and keyboards. Though the cranky sound guy gives limited chances for mic checks, the two petite brunette sisters still smile and thank him politely. But when the lights dim, the smiles disappear, replaced by serious, focused expressions that signify show time.

The band, known as Zambri, launches into a short set of dark synth-led sounds. Cristi Jo and Jessica take turns standing center and singing lead, alternating microphones that cast varying effects on their voices. These big pop-like vocals are what keep the music from sinking into depression, as the sisters take lines like “Prince of darkness/ Getting me a mess/ and turned me to stone” and pair them with catchy, singable melodies. For all of the haunting clanging on stage, the Zambris keep it light.

Sitting on a bench in front of Joe’s coffee shop in the West Village a few days earlier, Cristi Jo and Jessica appear much more carefree than their brooding tunes suggest. They alternate telling the story of their band’s formation, which began when they were growing up on Long Island. The girls are the youngest in an Italian family of six kids, and their public singing debut took place at an older sibling’s wedding. “Our first gig together was in front of a crowd of 400 people,” Jessica recalls. The pair started to write songs as 3rd and 5th graders, respectively. After high school ended, both Zambris took classes at Berklee College of Music in Boston before deciding to move to New York City in 2003.

The sisters plugged away at their music, using computer programs to record material. The time eventually came when Cristi Jo and Jessica needed to pin a title to their project. For this, they turned to their family for ideas. It was their father who suggested that they name the group Zambri. When Jessica asked why, her dad, in his thick Brooklyn accent, responded, “Out of respect for the family.”

At first, Cristi Jo and Jessica decided to add more band members to Zambri. But after releasing the group’s debut EP, Bang for Changes, in October 2009, they realized that they felt more comfortable as a creative duo. Other players do still make appearances in the live show, including Seth Kasper on drums and Will Spitz on keyboards, in addition to “sheet metal,” says Cristi Jo.

The Zambris also contribute to the live show’s instrumentation, swapping keyboard duties. But their voices are their other instruments, which they alter through various microphone settings. Manipulation of the voice was a key element in the group’s latest collection of songs, all of which began with vocal parts. These tracks will appear on Zambri’s upcoming album, which has no official release date or title as of yet. “We’ll have to run it by a family vote,” Cristi Jo says.

They will also have to take a vote on visuals. Some of the group’s more recent promotional photos have featured Cristi Jo and Jessica with objects covering their mouths. When asked to explain the reasoning behind this, Jessica points to her sister. “Go go for it, Cris,” she says. “That was all you.”

“I had these [hair]clips that looked like a mouth to me,” Cristi Jo says. During a photo shoot with their friend Stephen Biebel, they decided to explore this visual concept, which was meant to symbolize the illumination of the voice. “So we thought, ‘Well, maybe we’ll do the clip-mouth idea,’” Cristi Jo says. “It seemed a little bit not human to me,” she says, “like a creature.”

“It did the trick,” Jessica says. “I definitely felt like a creature.”

Zambri, Nov. 3, Pianos, 158 Ludlow St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.), 212-505-3733; 8, $8.