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CM: Why have you moved away from the
whole garage thing?
S-E: We've not moved away, we still have
a garage element on the album. We just do whatever we feel
and at this particular moment in time were kinda feeling r'n'b
more. Whatever music you're vibing to when you go into the
studio is the kind of music you will create. We don't go into
the studio with any preconceived ideas, we just choose some
backing tracks then start writing and switch things around
after that.
CM: R'n'B is where it all started for
you, isn't it?
S-E: Yeah, that's the music we grew up listening
to but as we moved into our teenage years we started raving
to garage. We are all listening to a lot more r'n'b now than
we are garage though.
CM: Lots of people are saying that garage
is over, that it has seen its best days.
S-E: It's not over; it's just gone back
to the underground where it started. Music does that it has
a cycle; it begins on the underground, comes up, has a commercial
peak, and then goes back again. Then you will find a new sound
on the underground and that will come up again, it's been
happening for ages, Jungle was the first, for my generation
anyway.
CM: People have accused you of being
garage sell outs, how would you respond to that?
S-E: I would definitely disagree because
although the garage mixes may not have been the main mixes,
we have always done garage mixes, we always cater for everybody.
I don't actually think that people do call us sell outs and
if they do then what are they listening to?
CM: Who's doing it for you these days
then?
S-E: We worked with Ed Case because we think
he is one of the producers who are still really cutting it,
as far as beats and concepts go. He is top of his league.
CM: Is there a lot of pressure to repeat
the success of 'Lickin'...?
S-E: Not for us, I think some of the record
company is very nervous; they would be though wouldn't they.
We try not to put to much pressure on ourselves. When we first
started out we probably did, but now that we've been there
we've learnt a lot and we are much more relaxed about everything.
CM: 2002 was an amazing year for Mis-Teeq
as far as chart success and awards etc., what was your favorite
moment?
S-E: When our album went platinum, because
the awards and all that kinda stuff are nice but without the
music there wouldn't be any of that. A lot of people get caught
up in that kind of stuff and forget where it all started,
that's where my passion is, in the music. 'Lickin'... was
our baby and when it went platinum it was just great, my mum's
got a disc up in the living room and everything.
CM: Getting the MOBO for 'Best Garage
Act', must have been very special though?
S-E: Yeah it was great, but the only awards
we are really interested in are the ones voted for by the
public. There is too much politics involved in those voted
for by the industry, so they don't have the same kind of value,
although it is great because you get recognition for all the
hard work that you are doing, for UK urban music within the
industry. That aspect of it is brilliant but all the things
that go behind it we can't really be bothered with.
CM: How are you coping with all the fame
and fortune?
S-E: I am not coping with fortune because
I don't have fortune yet. Fame? We aren't really that famous,
I can still go to the supermarket, and no one is camping outside
my house, no problems.
CM: You've toured with Shaggy. How is the man behind the
legend?
S-E: The real Shaggy is a lovely gentleman,
he was more like a family member, he would sit us down and
give us advice about our careers, and he was just really lovely
to us. He wasn't what you see on TV, how he is in interviews
is all just an act.
CM: Are you trying to crack the States?
S-E: We will do eventually, not this year,
this year everything is fully booked and blocked up. We are
touring the UK and Ireland in September and October a theatres
tour, tickets for which are going on sale on the 28th of this
month. So that is what we will be doing when we get back from
Japan and Australia. Next year, providing all goes well, we
will start looking at the States. Cracking the States is a
goal everyone would like to achieve, to do it would be a fantastic
thing for any artist, but at the same time we still don't
put too much pressure on ourselves. When the times right we
will go out there and we will try our best. It's either going
to work or it isn't and whatever happens happens.
CM: What do you think you can offer different
from the masses of R'n'B they already have?
S-E: For a start the American's love our
English accents. We will have to be different or we will get
ignored, there is so much competition and the place is so
huge. But hopefully for the same reason that people picked
up on us over here - when we get on the stage and we perform
and they see the energy and the love we have for what we are
doing - we will be popular there.
CM: What are Mis-Teeq trying to bring to pop?
S-E: I think music has got really serious
since we've been away, and we want to bring some fun back,
that is what I think the new album does. Music can send important
messages but for some people it is escapism, you want to get
away from all that heavy stuff and be happy, that is what
we have tried to achieve with 'Eye Candy'.
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