| | | |  | Our very own goddesses Young Divas are back and doing what they do best! 'NEW ATTITUDE' is another awesome album packed to the brim with party hits that is looking to be a hot soundtrack for this summer. Following on from last year's hit record YOUNG...
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| Interview | Access All Areas.net.au: The current single, ‘Turn Me Loose’, is going really well. What can you tell us about it?
Jess – Young Divas: It was incredible to even be able to get together with the girls and record an album. Being in the studio and recording the song was just crazy. We all had a lot of fun just doing the vocals because we all have such strong vocals and it was just a lot of fun. I can’t wait for it to come out in to the public.
Access All Areas.net.au: The track features Savage. How did he become involved with the song?
Jess – Young Divas: We were even lucky enough to have him on our track. Him being on there has helped the single a lot. We were listening to the track, and we thought that it would sound really good with someone rapping or doing their thing over the top of it. So our management got in contact with his management and I think we got the right person for the track.
Access All Areas.net.au: How are you settling into the new line-up of the Young Divas?
Jess – Young Divas: It was a bit scary at first…you know, like coming into the group. Only because we had no idea whether or not I’d fit in together. But the girls are great. They are like big mentors to me really. I’ve never had this experience before and I’m also still learning as well.
Access All Areas.net.au: You girls have a new album coming out soon and it’s called New Attitude. What can we expect from the new album?
Jess – Young Divas: I think there is a lot more to New Attitude. I think it’s quite different to what the girls usually do. I mean, it’s more disco-ey and it’s more fun. I think it just has a lot more vocal in there. It’s all a lot tighter and just sounds great.
Access All Areas.net.au: Can we expect to see some live shows in support of the album?
Jess – Young Divas: It would be really good, and we can’t wait to perform live. All the songs would just go nuts if done live, so it will be a lot of fun. None are planned at the moment, but hopefully some coming up in the future.
Access All Areas.net.au: Would you potentially like to see the Young Divas taken Overseas?
Jess – Young Divas: It would be really good. For that to happen, it would just be incredible.
Access All Areas.net.au: What are you currently listening to?
Jess – Young Divas: I’ve just recently put some T-Pain on my iPod and I put some more stuff on there before I left home. Yeah, so some T-Pain and Tao Crews.
Access All Areas.net.au: Although all of you are in the group, you did start out as solo singers. Can we expect to see some solo outings from the group?
Jess – Young Divas: Definitely. I just can’t wait. I might be…not too sure yet, but there’s a chance that I might be doing some of my own stuff. There’s been some talk about it.
Access All Areas.net.au: What does the future hold for the Young Divas?
Jess – Young Divas: Well I hope that the album goes well (laughs). We did work really hard on it. Hopefully doing some more performances and just getting out there and doing what we love.
Interview by Simon Finck
Interview - January 2007
Access All Areas.net.au: Hey Paulini, How are you?
Paulini: : I'm good thanks.
Access All Areas.net.au: So the Young Divas debut album has just been released. What does it feel to have it out there in the public?
Paulini: : Amazing fun. It's just a great album. It's really just a party album. I have it playing in my car at the moment (laughs).
Access All Areas.net.au: Now all 4 of you have gone through the same experience of Australian Idol. What's it like working with the other girls?
Paulini: : All 4 of us went through that Idol experience. Essentially, that's what threads us all together. We all have a love of music as well. We all love it and are crazy about it. Individually, we're all different. We have different musical tastes and different personalities. We’re all so very different, but we have common things that thread us together.
Access All Areas.net.au: Now The Young Divas originally just started out as a tour for the 4 solo artists, and has now snow balled into a debut album. After this, will the Young Divas continue or will you all head back to your solo careers?
Paulini: : Originally it was just a concept through management. They thought it would be a great idea to get all our fans together so we can all perform together and solo as well. It was all we wanted really. It shocked us when our first single together went to Number One. We didn't really think that the first single was big. It has been great though. We love working together. We’re all strong individually, so we can cover for one another. I just love being on the road with the 3 other girls.
Access All Areas.net.au: Now have you been watching Australian Idol this year?
Paulini: : I have! I have! I have! I have! (Laughs) I've loved it so far. My favourites have been Bobby and Lavina. Oh and Jess. Everyone this year has just been so musically talented. I couldn’t pick a winner though. Both are amazing this year. Damien has really blown me away recently. I can’t say who I think is going to win. Good luck to both of them.
Access All Areas.net.au: Next Wednesday, you girls will be performing the National Anthem at the Ashes. That's a worldwide audience of 60 million. Are you nervous at all?
Paulini: : Don't remind me. (Laughs) It's scary. It's our first time performing at something like this. It's a very important anthem. We’re very honoured and privileged to be performing it. It will be good, we'll just have it rehearse ita number of times. (Laughs)
Access All Areas.net.au: What was the process of choosing songs for the album?
Paulini: : Well we all got a big list of songs from the seventies and eighties. We then went off separately and chose each. When we came back together, we realised that we had all picked similar songs. That made it really for management (laughs). We recorded it while we were on tour, so it was really hard sometimes. We'd be on the road and performing one night, and then be in the studio early the next day. It was a huge thing to do.
Access All Areas.net.au: That's fair enough. Now if you had to pick four solo artists to form a group, who would you choose?
Paulini: : Oh God... (pauses for awhile)... Oh God. It would be Tina Turner…(pauses) Chaka Khan…(pauses) Aretha Franklin and...let me see... maybe Renee Geyer. I would love to see those four perform. It would be unbelievable.
Access All Areas.net.au: You girls were part of the ABBA tribute that aired last Sunday night. What was that like?
Paulini: : It was awesome. All throughout rehearsals, we kept hearing songs that we didn't even know were ABBA. All of us were like "What! This is an ABBA song?" We learnt a lot about ABBA and the difficulties they went through as a band. We also got to work with all those other singers and celebrities. We just had a great time.
Access All Areas.net.au: Finally, what does the future hold for the Young Divas?
Paulini: : Taking over the world! (Laughs) No, it all really depends on the album and how it is received. If it goes well, then I think there will be a tour next year. We'll go out and perform all the album tracks and our solo stuff as well. It's just more material to perform. If it goes to Number 1, then that would be great. If it doesn't, that's alright as well. It's all just a dream come true for us.
Access All Areas.net.au: Thanks for your time today Paulini: .
Paulini: : Thanks for that Simon. Thanks heaps.
Interview by Simon Finck |
| Biography | Our very own goddesses Young Divas are back and doing what they do best! 'NEW ATTITUDE' is another awesome album packed to the brim with party hits that is looking to be a hot soundtrack for this summer. Following on from last year's hit record YOUNG DIVAS, fans new and old are going to love the sounds of the Divas' latest tour de force, 'NEW ATTITUDE'.
Singing a fantastic collection of familiar hits to make you groove, Young Divas are Paulini Curuenavuli, Kate DeAraugo, Emily Williams and now, making her debut appearance, Darwin's darling, Jessica Mauboy.
Replacing original member Ricki-Lee, who decided to leave the group earlier this year to get married and concentrate on her solo career, the gifted young Jess is delighted by her induction into the group. "I was a big fan of Young Divas prior to going through Idol and meeting them for the first time," says a beaming Jess. "Knowing that I am with them now, it's like, wow, so unexpected. It's such a stepping-stone, for me to be able to be working with them. I am learning so much already, being with them in the studio, doing photo shoots. It's so crazy."
And the rest of the Divas duly love every moment of what Jess brings to their quartet. "It has come as no surprise to anyone that Jess has managed to seamlessly slot straight into the craziness. Jess is the bomb to have with you," says Kate. "When everyone's getting a bit serious or lacking energy, Jess will just start to giggle and then that's it, everyone will just laugh again and goes back to being happy".
The lead single from 'NEW ATTITUDE' is the classic 'Turn Me Loose', originally performed by Canadian rockers Loverboy. "I didn't know this one," Paulini says, "and, to be honest, I didn't like it when I first heard it," she says lauhging. "But when we re-did it, it was amazing. I really do think that it's one of the best songs on the album."
Collaborating their distinctive voices to produce this hotly anticipated anthem has been another amazing experience for Young Divas, and their dynamic harmonising will ensure audiences will be blown away by the their energetic version of this hit song from 1980.
'NEW ATTITUDE' also features Young Divas singing more of the biggest pop songs of all time. The track-list includes monster international blockbusters such as 'Chain Reaction' [originally recorded by Diana Ross], 'Jump' and 'I'm So Excited' [The Pointer Sisters], 'Tell It To My Heart' [Taylor Dayne], 'I Can't Wait' [Stevie Nicks], and the title track 'New Attitude' - "New attitude, new everything. And originally by Patti LaBelle - she's cool!" exclaims Paulini.
Other favourite tracks on the album include 'I Can't Wait' - "I had to sit down and say to myself: 'I am Stevie nicks, I am Stevie Nicks, I am Stevie Nicks," explains Kate; and on 'Love Will Lead You Back' Emily explains "For me, that song was very, very difficult, because we are all such powerhouses, and that song is such a laid back, smooth track." Kate continues: "We had to calm ourselves down for it, but it's good to have challenges in there. It's frustrating at the time, but it's good".
Of course, Young Divas have already proven themselves to be one of the hottest phenomena in Australian pop today. Last year's massively successful debut album, YOUNG DIVAS, featured the debut smash hit single This Time I Know It's For Real, which managed to create its own slice of pop history by spending over seven months in the ARIA Top 100 charts, including fourteen weeks in the Top 10!
The album achieved double-platinum status [over 140,000 copies sold] and produced two more highly-popular singles with 'Happenin' All Over Again' and 'Searchin''. At the same time, in venues across the country, Young Divas' live shows generated almost hysteric crowd reaction.
"The whole trip was so quick and crazy," says Kate. "It started with the single and just kept going. The funny thing was we didn't have to think about it. We had the single, then all of a sudden we were on tour, and in the middle of the tour we recorded an album. Then all of a sudden it was Christmas and we had a double-platinum album. And it was sort of like, 'Wow.'"
"It was very unexpected," adds Emily. "We didn't know it was going to blow up and go so well. We were like, 'Oh my god, is this for real!?'"
So, after an exciting year spent establishing themselves as one of the hottest acts in the country, the Divas are determined to show their appreciation for the enormous support they've received from the public. 'NEW ATTITUDE' is full of more of the group's big, bright sound and the hit songs that we love from the girls. The Divas decision to enlist the services of the legendary Vanetta Fields in the studio to help perfect their harmonies has resulted in thrilling renditions that will truly engage their fans.
"I think it's a great thing that we're doing," says Paulini. "For me, it's really cool. I love doing my own stuff, my own gigs, and then coming back and doing gigs with the girls, because you experience so many different things. We are still all doing our own stuff but having this on the side, I love it, I think it's great."
A great thing indeed, and with the girls belting it out in the studio on the massive hits we know and love, 'NEW ATTITUDE' is set to make this summer sizzle with the sound of Young Divas! |
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