Girl groups have always been a constant in the music industry – TLC and Spice Girls own spots in the top 50 selling albums of all time, and there have been a slew of successful girl bands in the history of modern music. However the trend seems to have slowed down recently; the British behemoth of Girls Aloud disbanded in 2013, and in the US there hasn’t been a dominant girl group since the members of Destiny’s Child went their separate ways. The Saturdays and Little Mix are trying their best, but in truth, the vocal quality that was once a given is sorely lacking.
IV Rox are aiming to change this. A quartet from London, these girls write their own music, arrange their own harmonies, and look pretty damn good as well. Fresh off a short stint on X-Factor where they passed the audition round, the girls have released their first EP ‘Imperfections’, and planning to make 2015 their year.
My first impressions are different from the usual introductions with artists; I’m offered home baked cupcakes on arrival, and a hug or two, a welcome change from the biting cold of the London streets. I settle down on a sofa and take my time meeting the girls.
First things first, I take a roll call and get the lowdown on each of them. Natalie is the first to talk – born in West London, both her parents were singers. However she trained as a ballet dancer as a child. “I always wanted to be a dancer. I grew up around singers so it wasn’t that interesting to me,” she tells me, “The first time I sang in front of someone I was 18, and that was the moment when I decided to do it.”
Next is Dolly. A distant relative of African music legend Fela Kuti, she learned piano and sang in a choir as a child. “I would go to church with my family, and my dad’s voice would be louder than everyone else’s!” The baby of the group at just 19, she juggles her music career while studying International Political Economy at University.
Raquel is the third to speak. Born in Portugal, her father was in a band, and in turn taught her how music. Despite being in Portugal, Western music was constantly played on the radio, with Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera her childhood favourites. “I didn’t even know how to speak English!” she giggles. “I used to make up words that sounded like what they were singing. I used to record the videos and try and copy what they were doing.”
Finally I come to Nadine. Another one with an international background, she was born in Iran, and then spent her formative years in the Netherlands. The only one not from a musical family, her biggest influence was Britney Spears. “When I first saw Britney, that was when I decided I want to be a singer,” she recalls. Despite this, her parents didn’t support her. “My parents said I couldn’t really sing, and my dream was crushed! But when I was at school I sang in front of my friends, and they believed in me and pushed me to try and be a singer.”
The group was originally brought together as a project by the combination of the producer Davinche, and their current PR. Formed three years ago, it’s clear after 10 minutes that the group are all great friends. “It doesn’t make sense, but it makes sense,” Nadine tells me. “I think it was meant to be,” Raquel adds, “It can be hard with girls, especially if you don’t know them, but we made a track together, the harmonies worked, and our personalities clicked.”
The three years has been a long ride for them, but they followed a plan from the start. “We spent two years getting to know each other, writing songs, rehearsing and recording,” Dolly says. “But the last year we’ve been more out there, performing, and putting up videos,” Natalie continues, “We started the year with 100 followers (on twitter), and now we’ve got over 18k.”
To reward their growing fanbase, the group has released their first EP “Imperfections”. I ask them about the writing process – as IV Rox are independent and not signed to any labels, I wonder where the songs are coming from. “We write our own songs together,” Raquel informs me, “We’ve got around 40 or 50 songs that we’ve done over the years.”
“There’s songs we wrote two years ago, but they sound outdated,” Natalie adds, “So we’ve updated them and re-recorded them (for the EP) with a more current sound.”
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Indeed the EP does sound current and is an interesting listen for anyone who is searching around for independant music, and also contains a unique cover of the Mya classic ‘Case Of The Ex’. “We all loved her growing up, and when we did that cover all our Roxstars (what they call their fans), were tweeting her and telling her about it,” Raquel says excitedly, “She loved it, and that was what motivated us to get more music out there.”
With the group still being independent, they have to follow the trial of all musicians, and work to support themselves while they’re chasing their dream. Dolly is in university, but the others are working – Raquel works as a Nanny, Nadine does promotional work for companies, and Natalie works in a cocktail bar. “I do struggle a bit to juggle everything,” Dolly says, with a tired sigh. “It was easier when I was in college, but now I have hours of coursework and revision.”
“Because we have a good understanding we work around each other,” Raquel reassures me, “If someone has to work or Dolly has a deadline, then we make allowances for it. We have such a love for music that no matter what is going on, we’re still committed to it.” I ask if any of them have ever missed a gig, but that’s never happened.
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My time with them is running out sadly. I’ve enjoyed this time – the group’s obvious chemistry is infectious and they definitely love what they’re doing. My last question, as always, is about their ambitions.
“I think our generation was the time of great girl bands,” Raquel muses, “TLC, Spice Girls, All Saints, Destiny’s Child. If we could follow that, and then take our music international.”
“I have this vision,” Natalie says, “There was a Robbie Williams advert – the camera swerves around, and there’s loads of fans taking pictures, and he’s just standing there, taking it in. We want that moment…”
