How did this duet come to life?
We are sisters from Kingston, Jamaica. We grew up in a very musical background, you know? We started singing in church. It was actually 3 of us grew singing. We have 4 sisters that grew up in our home. So we started singing in church and later on, in college, we decided that we want to pursue this on a professional level. So for 4 years we’ve been singing professionally.
So all 4 sisters were singing at first?
Yeah, we started at church [together] but our younger sister didn’t, cause she is too young. Our 2 sisters help us arrange music and stuff like that. They’re written on out album.
What was your connection with Akon?
We are the first female group signed to his [label]. We are very excited. We were only supposed to do 3 tracks with him but the chemistry was so ridiculous in the studio. His background is so diverse musically and us coming from Jamaica, you know? So it was a natural thing. He was like “Imma take over you all project, you don’t understand”. He was serious. He wanted to be more involved and the rest is history.
Do you enjoy the audience in the US or Jamaica more?
I think the Jamaican crowd they are very tough. They’re a tough audience. But for the most part when they hear good music they are very receptive. They respond in a good way. If you give them good things, good music, they’ll give you good feedback. We’ve done more shows in Jamaica. We actually did a European tour, we did a couple of countries in Europe, that was fun. They are very receptive. We were so surprised. Even the countries where they don’t speak English the vibe was so good, you know what I mean? We love performing in general.
What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B?
There are a lot of talented artists out there, talented producers and writers. Like Ne-Yo, we hope to work with him in the future. Our music is more a mixture of R&B and Dancehall. I think we see more female artists coming out on the R&B scene. It’s hard to categorize our music because our influences have been so much, but predominantly reggae, dancehall and R&B.
What are the main themes in your music?
We are Jamaican sisters and the way we express ourselves… to me music doesn’t have to be put in a box. The way we express ourselves through our music it’s natural to us. We have love themes. In Mr. Officer there’s a lady, she’s pleading to an officer not to take her partner away. It’s a balance definitely.
The main topic for most singers for generations has been love. Now it’s more about partying or breaking hearts. What are your thoughts on that?
I think there is time and place for everything. I think there is time you just want to put on a record and just not think about problems in your life. That’s fantasy. Music [helps you] create fantasies.
What are your immediate plans music wise?
Our singing is produced by Akon. The song is Never, Never and the album is Love is Wicked. Actually very soon we are going on tour with Akon and Gwen Stefani. We are real excited about that. We are ready to hit the road, promote the album. So right now we are not really looking to the future. Right now this is our opportunity and it’s about the journey. Every day there’s something special. We’re taking it day by day.
Who serves as your main inspiration now?
We talk about creating. We write our own songs, you know? Definitely what inspires us, what we really like is things that happen in real life. Its talking about things you know? When you listen to songs that can relate to, that [spark] conversations. And sometimes you think that you are going through something and you talk about it and you realize that we share the same concepts, same feelings, same heartbreaks, falling in love… A lot of things on our album are based on personal experience.
Beautiful ladies, no doubt it’s a hot question for many: are you single?
Yes (laughing)
What would it take for one of your fans to get your attention?
Definitely we like approach from guys who are light-hearted, men who are not afraid to make fun of themselves. Definitely a man who has confidence. Confident but still not cocky. To me that’s what I like. Our single talks about guys coming up to girls in a club and try to impress them. So we say never gonna get it like if your approach is that way you are never gonna get it. You have to bring something more to the table. That’s a good message.
What advise would you give to other girls aspiring to break into this industry?
Believe in your music. I know it’s cheesy but believe. Do it for the love of the music. Have tough skin. Get a good manager. Have a good team. People who believe in your music. People who see what you see. That’s very important.