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The grand plan for the Chapin Sisters — the newest generation from the ever-expanding musical Chapin family — is, well, not to have a plan.

"We're just going to see where it takes us," said Abigail Chapin, who recently joined her sisters Lily and Jessica in L.A. to form a dynamic vocal trio. "Hopefully we can make a living at it. Music is a passion for all of us."

Abigail and Lily are daughters of Tom Chapin and Jessica (having grown up with Tom's family) is writer/director Wes Craven's daughter. While the trio has sung together much of their lives, it was the urging of Jessica's brother, Jonathan, that convinced them to pursue a music career. Jonathan and record producer Michael Fitzpatrick are helping the trio mold their unique sound.

"We're all singers in our own right, but as a trio something fantastic happens," said Lily. Their influences range from traditional folk to alternative and pop. "We look for songs that are great vehicles for our vocal harmonies."

Initial recordings have ranged from a slower, moodier version of Britney Spears' Toxic to a complex vocal rendition of the old folk song I Never Will Marry. The sisters are now shifting their focus to writing and performing original songs. Samples of several songs can be found at thechapinsisters.com.

"One person usually comes up with a melody or some lyrics and then we hone it as a group," Lily said describing the group's creative process. "We know each other well enough to understand what's going well or not."

The group is experimenting to find just the right sound. The sisters' voices are at the heart of the music with guitars and other instruments providing a subtle undertone.

"We want our emotions and voices to make most of the music," says Abigail.

"We decided to take songs that have lived with one definition and reinvent them, while keeping the essential lyrics and melody intact," said Lily. The sisters have few boundaries — doing covers that range from The Cure classic Boys Don't Cry to the bluegrass influences of Doc Watson.

All three work mostly full-time and squeeze in practice and recording sessions whenever possible. While the hope is to launch a new CD in 2005, the sisters are not putting deadline pressure on themselves. The goal is to do what they love without it becoming all consuming. "It's great to see how my dad has been able to keep balance in his life and still pursue the music business," Abigail said.

Moving to L.A. was an important step to creating their own identity. The audience in L.A. comes to see the trio and often is unaware of the ties to Harry, Tom and Steve. "We love doing the family shows, but here we can do something really different than Chapin songs."

That's not to say the sisters neglect their Chapin heritage. A moment of pride was to record The Chapin Sisters Sing The Chapin Brothers, a CD of the trio singing songs originally performed by Tom and Harry. The CD is sold at the family shows and through Tom's website.

The sisters add that the Chapin shows have been a critical bridge on the road to their own careers. "It's been a blessing to have grown up around so many talented, ambitious musicians," Lily said. And while return visits home often provide a variety of advice from fathers, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends in the music business, the trio is constantly encouraged to make their own brand of music.

"It's really brought us together as siblings. Sometimes I have to stand back and realize this is my family," Abigail mused.

Watch for the Next Issue of Circle! on March 7