Sporting pillbox hats and tea dresses, with their hair styled into victory rolls, musical trio The Duchy Darlings could have stepped straight out of a black-and-white photograph from the 1940s.
Yet, despite their vintage appearance, Yorkshire teenagers Siena, Emilia, and Lottie are firmly rooted in the 21st century.
With nearly four million likes on TikTok and over 40,000 followers across Facebook and Instagram, the trio has gone viral by resurrecting nostalgic wartime songs from the 1940s. Their renditions of these timeless classics have captured the hearts of a new generation, eager to experience music from a bygone era.
Though the three friends are separated by decades from the time when the music first flourished, 14-year-old Siena says the lyrics still resonate deeply today.
“I think it’s such an incredible period of history,” she explained.
“The music is so wholesome – a lot of modern-day songs tend to focus on not-so-nice topics. These vintage songs are about returning home to your lovely family, or a young bugler waking up everyone in the army with a beautiful song.”
The Duchy Darlings frequently cover wartime classics, including songs made famous by The Andrews Sisters, an American close-harmony group that gained prominence during World War II. The trio’s debut release earlier this year was a rendition of the Andrews Sisters’ 1941 hit Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
“We’ve been amazed at how much we’ve blown up online,” said Emilia, 13.
“We went busking in York city centre and had people coming up to us saying, ‘I’ve seen you on TikTok, I’ve seen you on Instagram,’ and asking for pictures.”
The girls were brought together by music director Helen Leaf, who has always had a passion for the music and vocal harmonies of the 1940s.
“The thing about these girls is that they’re so enthusiastic – they love the medium, they love singing together, and it’s been so easy to work with them,” Helen explained. “What they’ve achieved in such a short space of time is staggering.”
Since their formation just six months ago, The Duchy Darlings have performed at venues across Yorkshire, including care homes and Remembrance services.
Emilia described it as “exciting” to engage with care home residents, bringing back memories and telling the stories behind the songs.
“It was lovely to hear how they felt about us and how they thought we performed. It was incredible,” she said.
Lottie, 12, added that performing songs from the era had sparked her interest in learning more about history.
“There are things that happened in the past that I don’t think I fully understand yet, so I’m going to try and find out more so I can completely understand,” she said.
The girls also enjoy the vintage clothing they wear for their performances. While historically accurate attire is essential, they find the 1940s-style dresses “so much fun,” according to Siena.
“There are so many great dresses and outfits – we absolutely love our costumes,” she said.
“Big thanks to our mums who do our hair,” Emilia added with a smile.
Looking ahead, The Duchy Darlings have a packed schedule for the remainder of 2025, including Christmas performances at Ripon and Bradford Cathedrals. They have also received offers to perform at weddings and as evening entertainment at holiday parks, though Siena mentioned they’d love to visit more care homes in the future.
“I’m speaking for all of us when I say it brings us so much joy to keep the music alive,” she said.