Jada UK Exclusive Interview

Jada UK exclusive interview

Jada are represented by April, Jacyn, Elle and Lauren, a dynamic four piece band with sassy soulful harmonies and a paasion for music and lots of talent.

Jada may well be a name that some of you reconize thanks to there constant live performances on tour with artists including B2K, Jeff Timmons Stacie Orrico plus many others for those of you have seen Jada live you will already know what there live set consists of for those of you who haven't you will have that chance when they are performing at a venue near you! one of there future gigs will be on November 10 appearing live on XY.TV from FELT ( popular club) in Boston.

Aswell as the constant performing Jada are also working on there debut album so stay tuned to there official website for that and plans for there debut single if have they decided on the single releases can be found within this interview with some much more on the bands favourite bands, CD'S they are listening to, what they would be doing if they wasn't apart of Jada.

How long have you been a band? Do you all have assigned roles within the band?
Jacyn: We have been together for about 2 1/2 years now!
Lauren: We don't have assigned roles in the group. We are all equal members!:) We're all lead vocalists and we all sing harmony!

What 3 words describe the sound and style of Jada the best?
Jacyn: Sassy, bold, fun!
Elle: Rhythm, Blues, and Soul

What can your fans expect from your debut album? Have you got a release date scheduled for the album?
April: They can expect a really great variety of songs. We have a CD out right now that you can buy on our website:www.jadamusic.com or on cdbaby.com

How many songs have you recorded so far for the album?
Jacyn: Our current cd contains 8 songs and we have another half dozen recorded. Our repertoire consists of about 20 songs right now, but we are always writing and recording. It is an ongoing process, one we love because we are always creating music!

Who is your music aimed at?
Jacyn: Truthfully people of all ages love our stuff! We really appreciate our wide demographic of fans! We have lots of kids as well as older people that enjoy jada. My 78 year old great-uncle listens to our cd in his Cadillac all the time!
April: Yea, the music is definitely aimed at all crowds, of different ages and different styles. The 8 to 28 is our core audience though I'd say.

What are your expectations towards your music in the mainstream?
April: For me personally in the group, I want our music to just have a positive effect on people's lives, I want people to be jammin' to our songs and just feelin' good, the way I feel when I listen to my favorite artists.
Lauren: I hope people really enjoy our music. We have so much passion and love for what we do and want people to feel that from our music.
Elle: I want people of all ages to be able to love our music. And the people who don't like our style of music, I want them to be able to appreciate what we do and are capable of.

You have performed along side some big name artists including Stacie Orrico, Cassidy and B2K, which performance was the most memorable for you? How did the crowds react towards your music?
Lauren: We performed at America's Camp this past August. It's a camp for kids who have lost loved ones in 9/11. Those kids are absolutely incredible and have such great energy. Out of all of our shows, performing for them was the most inspirational and memorable for me.
Elle: I would have to say that B2K was a lot of fun, probably because it was our first really big show together.
Jacyn: I'd have to say that Stacie Orrico has been my favorite artist to perform with so far. She's not only really talented, but she was so nice. She went out of her way to find and visit us in our dressing room to say Hello and wish us luck.
April:

How many tracks do you perform as part of your live set?
Jacyn: It depends on the venue/show. The norm for us is about a half hour show. We have done lots of 45 minute sets as well as full hour long sets, so it all depends!

Your songs are a mixture of Pop, R&B, dance and gospel ballads, do you have a particular style that you like performing live?
Jacyn: I love all of it because each style has its own mood! I know that when we do live shows, the audiences really like the variety in our music. Personally, I like the gospel-inspired song we have called "Testify"- it has a big effect not only on our audiences, but on us as individual singers! I get chills when we perform that one!
April: For me, I'm originally a dancer....so I love dancing when we're performing live, and we dance to the pop "ish" songs and to some of the ballads, so it's cool.
Lauren: I love soul r&b singing the best. I'm into all types of music but soul r&b is what I feel the most.
Elle: I definitely love performing the more R&B stuff, because it's such a good feeling for me and I can see how much people enjoy it in the audiences that we perform for.

You opened for Jeff Timmons at Six Flags on the 16th of October. How did it go? Regarding rehearsals for your shows, how long do you spend rehearsing a track before performing it live for the first time?
April: We rehearse everyday for about 4 hours just trying to perfect ourselves all around as a group, so yes, we rehearsed thoroughly for the Jeff Timmons show!!!! As far as rehearsing new tracks before performing them for the first time, there's no set time, its just how quickly or slowly we move through them as a group. Some go faster than others, depending on the complexity of the harmonies and lead lines and how extensive the choreography is.
Jacyn: Jeff was a cutie. The Six Flags show went well! Performing with big name artists inspires you to be your best as well!

Lauren: I loved performing with and meeting Jeff Timmons! He was soooo nice! We got to share a trailer with him which was really great, and he didn't seem to mind either! I have been a big fan of 98 Degrees for so long. We were definitely ready for the show and I think we put on a really great one if I do say so myself! :) And I loved seeing him perform that up close-he's an awesome performer!
Elle: Ditto!! Jeff was a real sweetheart and really seemed to enjoy our show as much as we enjoyed his. He offered to help us forward our careers and he was very sincere.

Have you got any more concerts lined up? Is there any bands/artists that you would like to open for?
Lauren: We have some great shows coming up including: November 10 we're appearing on XY.TV live from FELT ( popular club) in Boston which is a TV show put on by John Garabedian ( Open House Party) and hosted by Kiss 108's Chris Shine. It will be GREAT exposure for us. Past acts to appear on it were Mis-Teeq, and Emma Bunton, so it should be cool! Then we're performing the half time shows at the Fleet Center both in November and December followed by the Boston Common Tree Lighting Ceremony televised live on Channel 5. We'll also be singing the national anthem for the Boston Patriots at Gillette Stadium!
I would love to perform with Boys II Men, Whitney Houston, Brian McKnight, D'Angelo or Stevie Wonder. I am a huge fan of them and have looked up to them as artists for a long time. I would be beside myself if I had the honor to meet them:)

Elle: I would have to agree with Lauren on that stuff, But I would love to open for *NSYNC sometime (maybe on their reunion tour.)
Jacyn: I would love to open for the Backstreet Boys---I heard they are going back out on tour! Basically any act that is hot right now would be fun to open for!

Have you got any plans for your own headline tour?
Jacyn: Yes! We're working on creating a new headlining tour. We have already done a few East Coast (North America) tours over the past two years, and it has been great! We would like to bring Jada overseas as well VERY soon! We're talking to agents in Asia about performing there-which would be a blast!

Have you decided on your first mainstream single release yet? Have you made a music video for your single?
Lauren: We haven't decided on a single yet, but we have been leaning toward Drives Me Wild. Crowds love that song and it has been getting some good radio play. It's a fun upbeat song that makes you want to dance! By survey, "Just Chill" is another crowd pleaser. We're also excited to work with some New York producers/songwriters who have some great tracks! A video is planned for the future definately!

Who are you influenced by musically as a group or individually?
April: Individually.....Jessica Simpson, Mariah Carey....Whitney!
Lauren: I really look up to EnVouge, Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Brian McKnight, D'Angelo, and Stevie Wonder. Their talents have influenced me as an artist in so many ways.
Elle: As a group we are inspired by groups like En Vogue and Boyz II Men. I am influenced mostly by Mariah, Christina, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge, and more.
Jacyn: Mariah Carey, Selena, Brian McKnight, En Vogue, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Boyz II Men. My taste in music is all over the place! Rock, pop, r&b I love it all---even Josh Groban!!!(he's my celeb crush right now!)

What would you be doing if you weren't a part of Jada?
Jacyn: I would be recording and writing my own material for a solo project as well as studying piano and maybe even teaching voice! I know I would stay busy!! I can't sit still for more than 10 minutes, I need to be doing something---just ask my friends!!!
April: I'd be working on my solo career ....but you probably already knew that from my interview I did with you prior to working with Jada!!
Lauren: I would be graduating from Emerson College, traveling Europe, and then moving to LA to pursue an acting/singing career. My heart is in the arts and I can't shy away from that.
Elle: I would be in Miami studying in my second year of school. And of course pursuing my singing career as well!

What would you say sets Jada apart from other groups?
April: Jada is a family, we all love each other and we grow together. There's no " lead singer" in Jada, which is the case in a lot of other bands/groups. We each have our own style so we each attract different types of people which makes for a very cool diverse crowd at shows.
Lauren: We are all trained to be solo singers so putting the four of us together definitely sets us apart from other groups who usually have just one lead singer. That is what makes us unique and is the aspect that people comment on the most.

When do you plan to release your music in the UK and around the rest of Europe?
Jacyn: As soon as we can! We are working on it for sure:) If you would like a copy of our cd please email us at jada@bristolstudios.com, or order it off of our website jadamusic.com. And spread the word to your friends!

What is your take on today's music scene?
Elle: It's a hard business to get into and an even harder business to survive but if you have enough drive and passion for your art then you will get through it. Just gotta be strong.

Are there any bands or artists that you would like to collaborate with in the future?
April: Either Alicia Keys, Christina or No Doubt!!
Lauren: Definitely D'Angelo. I love him:) His whole sound is addictive. He grooves so well and has such a soulful musical tone to his singing.
Elle: I would love to do something with *NSYNC and Boyz II Men.
Jacyn: I think along the lines of producers as well. Soulshock and Karlin Definately! For artists I would say Brian McKnight, Aerosmith (Boston pride baby!), Christina, and N*Sync as well as Backstreet Boys. It would be cool for our group to collaborate with another group!

What CD'S do you have in your cd players?
Jacyn: Right now it is Toby Lightman, Maria, and Sugababes! I like everything, so I think my cd collection represents that! I also love Joss Stone. She is so soulful for someone so young. I love rock music as well as pop and r&b. JoJo is an artist from the Boston area who we performed with last week at the Topsfield Fair, and I like her stuff too.
April: haha.......Ok let's see, Avril, the soundtrack to "A Walk To Remember" and Linkin Park.
Lauren: I have Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, and Soulive in my cd player. Check out Soulive if you like jazz/r&b. They are awesome.
Elle: The Rascal Flatts (Country), Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge, Christina Aguilera, JoJo, and Gavin Degraw.

How do you all like to relax when you are not performing?
Jacyn: I love to be outside walking, running, or biking as well as shopping, and hanging out with my friends. If I feel like being alone to unwind, I enjoy writing songs and poetry:) I practice my vocals daily as well. Performing is very much a part of my life, so even when I am not on stage, I think about what else I can do to become a more proficient singer!
April: Relax!>? what is this word?? lolol......I like to lay in my bed and watch movies, or take a walk outside, I like to look at the sky at night.....I know it sounds cheezy....but I do!
Lauren: Hmm, when I have time to relax I like to sleep, eat, and hang out with my friends. Though I find that once I am relaxed I want to get back into performing again! I'm not cut out for relaxing:)
Elle: I don't relax. when I sleep -that's about as relaxed as your going to get me.

Do you have a message for your fans?
Lauren: Thank you all so much for your support!! We love you guys:)
Elle: You guys are the only reason why we're doing this interview right now, so thank you.
Jacyn and April together: You guys are great! Email us! We'd love to hear from you!

THANK YOU!