When it comes to bands that feature musical siblings or spouses, fans are often just as interested in their dynamic as they are in their music.
While some musicians make it crystal clear whether they are more than just simply bandmates, others have left listeners scratching their heads.
Throughout modern music history, we have seen not only siblings and couples performing together, but couples posing as siblings, siblings who are confused as a couple, and people who actually have a different relationship altogether.
Given this weekend marks 25 years since faux-brother and sister Jack and Meg White got hitched, we figured there was no better time to take a look at some of the duos that had people confused if they were married or siblings.
For more on this topic, check out the Classic Rock and Indie Observers.
The White Stripes
One of the most infamous examples of a musical duo with a confusing personal connection, The White Stripes initially told everyone they were siblings upon first bursting onto the scene. However, a crafty journalist eventually uncovered the pair’s wedding certificate, proving they had been married between 1996 and 2000.
The reasoning behind the ‘white’ lie was Jack White’s belief that people would find the dynamic more interesting if they were siblings, drawing the attention away from their relationship. While their plan was ultimately foiled, the pair continued to make music together until 2011, over a decade after they divorced.
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Angus & Julia Stone
While Angus and Julia Stone have always clearly communicated that they are siblings, it seems that message may have gotten lost in translation for some. Whether it be due to their shared last name, or to the ‘White Stripes effect’, several fans have admitted to mistaking the pair for a married couple.
Despite any confusion, they have no doubt earned their reputation as one of Australia’s most successful musical duos. Although they ceased working together in 2011 due to creative differences, they had made up and returned stronger than ever by 2014.
The Carpenters
Given that The Carpenters were one of the very first brother and sister duos to achieve mainstream success, it’s no surprise that fans were initially puzzled as to whether were they siblings or married.
However, once people were across the nature of their relationship, Karen and Richard Carpenter enjoyed worldwide fame and countless hit singles. Sadly, their career was cut short in 1983 when Karen passed away at just 32 after battling anorexia nervosa.
Confidence Man
Confidence Man members are renowned for their colourful on-stage personas, including co-lead singers Janet Planet (A.K.A Grace Stephenson) and Sugar Bones (A.K.A Aidan Moore). Their dedication to their characters means that fans are often puzzled over what is an act and what is the real deal when it comes to their personal lives.
While Janet Planet and Sugar Bones themselves are siblings, Stephenson and Aiden appear to be no more than bandmates and really good pals. However, when Stephenson actually got engaged to Jungle Giants’ Sam Hales, they decided to playfully troll followers by pretending it was Janet and Sugar who got engaged instead… despite supposedly being brother and sister. Keeping up?
Fleetwood Mac
Okay, there is no doubt that most fans are aware that Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were dating when they first joined Fleetwood Mac. However, since their explosive break-up in 1976, you would be forgiven for thinking the pair bickered more like brother and sister.
After many ups and downs, by the late 1990s, the pair seemed to have reached a point in their relationship where they could work together civilly. However, Buckingham was unceremoniously fired from the band in 2018, insisting that Nicks was behind the decision. Unsurprisingly, she has denied these claims, and three years later there is still clearly no love lost between the two.
