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Patti Labelle
is digging 'em, Meshell N'degeocello invited them onstage for a jam session,
Michael Jackson scored a #2 hit thanks to their writing, and both Faith Evans
and Brandy requested songs from them. If you haven't heard of Floetry yet,
don't worry, you will! The duo from London is set to introduce their unique
style of music to stateside listeners when their debut album, Floetic, drops
in October.
Floetry is Marsha
Ambrosius on lead mouth and Natalie Stewart, self-proclaimed floacist [pronounced
like lyricist]. Floetry is "poetic delivery with musical intent."
Floetry is two young women who refuse to be categorized. Floetry is exactly
what music needs right now.
As the group
prepares to be introduced to the world via Floetic, they are busy sowing the
seeds of recognition with the nation's DJs. When I caught up with them, they
were still catching their breath from meeting with Atlanta's radio personalities.
Despite their obvious fatigue they were anxious to share their view of the
music world and exactly where they believe Floetry will fit in today's fickle
market.
Floetry's history
can be viewed simply as life before coming to the U.S. and now. Before settling
in the U.S. two years ago, the ladies, then billed as Nat And Marsh, were
well received by the poetry crowd on the London performance circuit. But the
duo never attempted to be singing artists there. "The industry [in England]
would rather have a manufactured group," Marsha says candidly. "They
don't take chances with their arts, its second hand music." Natalie agrees,
explaining, "In England although you have different types of music, the
genre thing isn't as wide. The things that usually make the top Pop charts
don't have much to do with music."
Now, after wowing
the Atlanta poetry set; performing at Black Lily, the ethnic version of Lilith
Fair; and building street cred among fans from Philly, the cradle of soul
music, the group is ready to take the U.S. music market by storm. And as irony
would have it, the ladies weren't even trying to get signed when they met
their manager J. Erving. "We weren't trying to get signed, it was just
the right time," Natalie says. "The opportunity arose and we embraced
it. We went with the flow of where we needed to be."
Obviously where
they needed to be was in a U.S. music market desperately in need of diversity.
Although already labeled neo-soul, the group is quick to set the record straight.
"Floetry is what we do, it isn't the music. It's Marsha and I approach,"
Natalie says matter-of-factly.
Indeed Floetry's
style does fly in the face of conventional music standards. They feel no pressure
to conform to any particular pre-fabricated niche and refuse to have their
sound simplified by the industry's need to label music. "Being classified
as neo soul is not a bad thing," Marsha explains. "Its how people
come to terms with the sound they're familiar with, but we just do great music."
Natalie adds, "We didn't come into this industry to be defined by the
industry. I know when our fans hear our music, they just like it."
Despite admitting
that there is an overall tendency to manufacture music in England, the group
believes that London music consumers have a bigger palette for musical tastes
and are more likely than their U.S. counterparts to pursue different types
of music. But they also believe strongly that music evolves despite individual
tastes or radio politics. "I feel a change coming along [as far as art
is concerned]," Marsha states. "Everyone is coming out of the woodwork
to do what they do. I'm pretty sure the people are willing to hear something
different, whether the industry will allow artists to take it that far is
a different thing."
If their reception
from disc jockeys is any indication, people are more than just willing to
hear something different they're ready. "We're blessed that DJs have
embraced us," Natalie says. "It's been nice to see how much they
want to see things change. We're talking about everybody's freedom of expression
here."
And Floetic is
clearly an expression of Floetry's love for the art of performing. The CD
contains a sea of musical styles ranging from soul to hip hop, and the ladies
wouldn't have it any other way. "We don't work under any banner,"
Natalie says. "We were balanced on our album."
It's that balance
that makes Floetry unique, not only in the U.S. but England as well. Natalie's
straightforward flow is comparable to Meshell N'degeocello's vibe, but combined
with Marsha's soulful voice the two are difficult to compare to anyone past
or present, easily making the group's style a throwback to a time when lyrics
were polite enough to be suggestive but not blatant and audiences didn't need
a video to visualize a song.
Floetic takes
listeners on a journey through the ups, downs, good and bad of life's relationships
between couples, friends and others we trust with our feelings and heart.
Like all good soul music, tracks from Floetic vary to complement many moods,
as appropriate being pumped in the club as they would setting the mood for
romance or as the backdrop for chilling.
Floetic is what
we've been waiting for, even if we didn't know it. So, come on, go with the
Flo..etry.
Check
out Floetry at www.floetry.net
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