A DUO who grew up in Bolton are returning home after carving out a career on the national stage.

The Katanas have played gigs from Glastonbury to London’s O2 Arena since they first started writing and making music at the age of nine.

Now 21, twins Millie and Hope Katana will launch their debut EP on the public next year.

Prior to the release, the former Smithills School pupils are returning to the town for a special performance at 5pm tomorrow in the Market Place Shopping Centre.

Millie said: “We are really excited. We grew up in Bolton and spent our formative years in Bolton.

“It’s really lovely, the town’s taken a really nice turn and it looks beautiful.

“I’m loving the shopping centre! I wish that was there when I was growing up. I just used to have to hang out at McDonalds at the weekend.

“I’m definitely having a Nandos in between sets.”

The pair went to primary school in Bury before the family moved to Chorley Old Road.

They were also regulars at The Bolton Lads and Girls Club and at the age of 12 became the youngest ever performers on the BBC Introducing Stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

They then went on to record in USA but the three year experience prove to be far from the American dream.

Hope explains: “It was amazing in some respects but in other ways we lost a bit of ourselves.

“It was a very fast lifestyle in a difficult industry. Coming back was the greatest thing that happened to us.

“We started a new chapter being ourselves and gone on to write music that matters to us.

“We spent a lot of time trying to prove that we were like everyone else and could do what everyone else was doing. That was my biggest mistake!

“The best thing in the world is to be yourself!”

Since waving goodbye to America, the sisters have been spending their time living between Manchester and London.

They also played the BBC Introducing Stage in Glastonbury in 2013, opened for acts at the London O2 Arena and have had songs listed on the Radio 1 track of the week playlists.

In 2016 they signed to Sony ATV USA and have been recording their EP Jupiter Chronicles in London as well as Bolton.

Millie adds: “There is a lot of pressure on people to make a certain genre of music. As twin stars it was very easy for us to just be the ‘pop twins’.

“Being 21, we don’t want to fit in that box.

“Our vibe is ‘cosmic soul’ – If the galaxy threw a big party I like to think the galaxy would enjoy our music.

“Sometimes it is difficult to listen too, it is very honest. After our shows people say ‘I can’t believe you wrote that, I feel like that all the time’.

“That’s the beauty of it. To be able to write music and say difficult things which people can relate too.

“This new music, you can either take it or leave it, this is who we are and we want to share that with people!

“We love performing live and look forward to doing that in Bolton.”