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Brick & Lace
 They
sang backup for Roberta Flack and Lauryn Hill and penned hits for Janet Jackson,
Paris Hilton and The Pussycat Dolls, now backed by Akon, Brick & Lace are ready
to debut their album with production from Akon, Tony Kelly, Will.I.Am, Raphael
Saadiq and Cool & Dre. Check them out....
Love is Wicked
IN STORES May 2007
Konvict/Geffen Records
http://www.myspace.com/brickandlace
ABOUT Brick &
Lace (Biiography)
Part
urban singers and part urbane songstresses, sibling duo Brick & Lace are
genre-busters who staunchly defy the 30-second pitch. The amalgamated sound
that makes up their Kon Live/180/Geffen debut, Love Is Wicked,
is unique, though also at once very familiar.
Born to a Jamaican father and an American mother and raised predominantly in
Kingston, Jamaica --on an opulent musical diet of reggae, R&B, hip hop, pop and
country-- 26-year-old Nyanda and 24-year-old Nailah Thorbourne couldn’t help but
be trans-eclectic. “We are a hybrid,” affirms Nailah in her effortlessly sexy
West-Indian lilt. “It’s not fabricated at all; it’s who we are.”
 Indeed,
who they are is evident in their moniker: “Our mother came up with the name
‘Lace’ and we immediately liked it,” explains the incisively passionate Nyanda.
“But we still felt that there was an edge missing, so I came up with ‘Brick.’
It has stuck with us ever since and has evolved with us.”
To the ladies of Brick & Lace, their name represents the duality and complexity
of the everywoman. “Sometimes you want to wear a cap and sneakers and look
grimy,” Nyanda tells. “And sometimes you want to wear your sexy dress and heels
and look cute.” Nailah puts it all in perspective: “People always ask: ‘Who is
Brick & Lace?’ And we always tell them it depends on the day!”
This unpredictability and uncompromising expressiveness makes Love Is Wicked
(the first release on
Akon's own label, Kon Live) an aural delight. On their agile
down-bottom introductory single “Never Never,” over Akon’s seething sonic brew,
Brick & Lace caution wayward suitors to behave themselves if they want a chance
with the sisters. “The track’s so grimy that the lyrics and the arrangement just
came to us,” Nailah recalls enthusiastically. “It was a very collaborative
effort that was fun and exciting to record all the way.”
Like the best cooperative artists, each sister has her specialized lane. Nailah
on Nyanda: “Her voice, tone and stylizing and the way she spits her lyrics is
edgy. She loves to push the envelope.” Nyanda on Nailah: “She is versatile
with a more R&B slant. She has a lot of presence and whatever emotion we need
to get out of a record, she gets it, she’s there.” This versatility jives with
the arsenal of other producers assembled for Wicked: most notably FULL FORCE,
Cool & Dre, Tony “CD” Kelly and will.i.am.
Akon --whom Brick & Lace fondly describe as their “third member” and even the
Jam & Lewis to their Janet-- checks in again behind the boards and in co-writing
capacity on “Get That Clear”—an ethereal, catchy copulation of Dancehall and
R&B. On a sobering note, however, is the Cool & Dre helmed “Mr. Officer.” Based
on an actual event from Nyanda’s past, the roots-reggae-meets-Wu-Tang-like
programming underscores the sisters’ soulful pleading with an arresting officer
to free their man and not sever their “lifeline.” The emotional truth exhibited
is so pungent, you can smell it.
Brick & Lace’s dynamic as artists and their earnest appeal stems from their
songwriting savvy. Nyanda and Nailah wrote or co-wrote every single song on
Love Is Wicked. “I’d say we’re artists in the truest sense,” acknowledges the
philosopher of the two, Nyanda. “Being an artist is when the essence of you
comes through in your work. Sade and
Van Gogh
are artists, even Shakira is an artist.” Other
household names recognize this artistry; the sisters Thorbourne have penned hits
for Janet Jackson,
Paris Hilton and
The Pussy Cat Dolls'
Nicole Scherzinger.
With their industry currency and lyrical chops, the ladies of Brick & Lace are
far from an overnight sensation or some pieced-together record company pantomime
project. Having cut their teeth singing backup for Roberta Flack, Lauryn Hill
and family friend Marcia Griffiths, Nyanda and Nailah went on to record their
first song back in Jamaica with dancehall super-producer, Tony Kelly (who
actually reunites with Brick & Lace on “Push It”—a racy dancehall track
generously steeped in Duran Duranisms). They also went on to track several
songs with heavyweight deejays, one of which includes a street smash with Bounty
Killer.
After performances for vaunted urban music tastemakers Dallas Austin and L.A.
Reid converted them into vociferous fans, the sisters’ phones just wouldn’t stop
ringing; everyone wanted a piece of Brick & Lace. J Records beckoned, as did
Universal/Motown and Geffen. But Geffen’s overt commitment to signing the
siblings put them ahead of the pack. “They bit the hardest,” Nailah
recollects. “They seemed really excited about us and also seemed to get the
vibe of the music. Plus their presentation and roster of artists were bringing
unique flavor to the table.”
Good things do indeed come to those who toil. Brick & Lace, now armed with a
sterling debut, are locked and loaded and ever ready to capture the ears and
hearts of those who appreciate the best in life: very good music. “I truly feel
like it’s our time,” Nyanda says with a modest confidence while Nailah
affirmatively nods.
She couldn’t be more accurate: Love is Wicked is here. Here to make you
a believer.
Click here for our Brick &
Lake picture page
Do you want to be added as a Rising
Star? Then click here to find out
how!
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