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One
of the most revered groups in recent R&B history, Jagged Edge are
a step above the rest. The Situation got talking to the boys about music,
influences, and staying power.
Listen
to the single 'Good
Luck Charm'
It
is fair to say that boy band loyalty and longevity is becoming somewhat
of a rare thing, with many artists seeing their time in a group as a launch
pad for a solo career and fans just simply getting bored too quickly.
Harmonious team work is just not appealing anymore – but then again,
where would we be without the break ups?!
Not so, however, in the case of identical twin brothers Brian and Brandon Casey, Kyle Norman and Richard Wingo - collectively known as Jagged Edge - who nine years ago stormed onto the R&B scene with their debut album ‘A Jagged Era’. Hit singles ranging from the soulful ‘Let’s Get Married’ and ‘Promise’ to the infamous club banging ‘Where the Party At’ ensued, with every platinum success further cementing their place in R&B group history. They have built a clean reputation of “giving people music that touches souls deep enough to last a lifetime”, and you can only imagine the number of couples who have chosen a JE song as ‘their song’ or as the first dance at their wedding.
So forth, and the ATL group’s soulful consistency returns with their fifth album release, which promises to be their finest work to date. Executively produced by the Casey twins, it features tracks produced by long time JE collaborator and mentor Jermaine Dupri and guest artists Voltio, Bad Girl and John Legend.
After a short stint in the UK, the group are back on the road in the US and found time in between their gruelling promotional tour to speak with The Situation about their future plans and loyal UK fan base…
Hi
guys… how’s it going?
We’re doin’ alright. We’re all here around and about.
We’re keeping ourselves busy with music and a lot of promotional
stuff. How are you?
I’m
fine thank you. How was your show in the UK?
I mean, we love coming to the UK… we’ve got nothin’
but absolute love for our fans… it was a beautiful thing.
Have
you got any plans to come back soon?
Of course. We really enjoyed being there… the fans, the beautiful
ladies!
That’s
good to hear. Let’s talk about your album… your fifth release.
What’s different about this release from previous Jagged Edge albums?
We haven’t changed too much as far as the style of the music is
concerned – a lot of our fans really identify with our music but
we’ve added our extra twist to it. As a group we have grown with
this release. Production wise, we have a lot more influence in this album.
Do
you have a favourite song on the album?
Not really, we try to have an album full of hit singles… no filler
material.
Is
this your first time producing?
Brandon and Brian have always been the core writers so it’s just
the next step. We have more input and control. We love what we do and
that we are part of that. It just makes it that much more awesome.
Jermaine
Dupri is also working with you again on this album. Why is it that you
have such a great working relationship with him?
One thing about JD is that he recognised that we are a soulful R&B
group. He was like, ‘You guys are gonna make it and I want to be
a part of that’. He spent time with us and it was something that
we all wanted to make happen. JD loves the essence that we have and we
love what JD has. I think we enjoy the working relationship that we have.
He is definitely a mentor to us… we’re a part of his camp.
You
have a few collaborations on the album. Why did you choose them in particular?
They just love what they do and so do we. We could identify with them
and there is a lot of respect there. We speak from the soul.
Are
there any artists that you’re feeling at the moment?
Jay-Z never stops, you know.
What
is it about Jagged Edge that maintains staying power in the industry?
First and foremost we’re brothers. We respect each other. We met
each other in church and I think it is that we were raised with good values.
It’s respect.
What
makes your music different from anything that is out there?
I mean, we just try to keep it real. We write about regular stuff and
real things like women and relationships.
What
has influenced your music?
Gospel, Hip Hop. We grew up with Run DMC
and church… Music that has always just been a part of our lifestyle.
Your
single ‘Good Luck Charm’ is out now in the UK. Can you tell
us a bit about the inspiration behind it?
I mean, it’s just about a girl who always seems to bring the best
out of you - a good luck charm in all situations. You can just roll with
her.
Do
you have a message for all your UK fans?
We just want them to know that we love them and we appreciate the fact
that they came out to support us. They don’t have to go out and
support us, but they do.
Finally, if you were to sum up – for anyone who doesn’t
know anything about you – what JE is all about, what would you say?
Well I mean, it’s been nine years and there isn’t any other
R&B group in the world right now that can rival us, and we really
appreciate that because we bring that much more to the table. We really
just want to make good music and we will continue to do so.
Jagged Edge’s new self-titled album is out now on Columbia
Records. For more information about Jagged Edge,
please visit: http://www.jaggededge.net.
