Monday, January 28, 2013

HEAR THIS/INTERVIEW: Ms Trez

Somethings in pop music will always catch my attention. Such is the case when a sassy new girl group comes across my radar, especially when they are from Sweden (Home of the Pop) and come guns blazing with some stellar dance pop. Enter Marlene, Mira & Lorena: the three ladies of Swedish pop group Ms Trez.

The group formed in 2009 and launched with their debut single "Louder" in 2011. They've released three singles since, most recently with the epic but glittery power ballad "Sweet Liar". They remind me quite a bit of some of my fave girl groups of the early 00's -- think dancefloor Play -- mashed with new-school girl pop. "Sweet Liar," for one example, sounds like a missed opportunity for a great Saturdays ballad. An EP of tunes is expected sometime soon in 2013.

You can sample more of their tunes via their SoundCloud here -- I'm quite fond of previous single "Louder," as well as dancefloor stompin' "Y.E.A.H." Several of their songs (including "Sweet Liar" and "Louder") are also available as purchasable singles on iTunes (including in the USA). For more updates, you can follow them on the Twitters via @MsTrezMusic.

Needless to say, perusal of their back catalogue has me salivating over what's to come (I feel a Mel 100% Supports Nod coming on...). Luckily for me (and you), the lovely ladies were kind enough to answer a few of my questions about their history as a group and their plans for global domination. Read on for my interview with Ms Trez below.

Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet up? How long have each of you been pursuing music?
Lorena:
We met each other at Caribbean Dance Studios in Stockholm and found out that we all had a shared interest in singing and dancing.
Mira: After that it felt so natural to form Ms Trez in 2009. Dancing and singing have been our lives from an early age.
Marlene: Lorena started from the age of 3 performing at a midsummer festival and hasn't stopped singing since, I studied music at the University and have performed in many Swedish theatres, and Mira is a professional dancer and has performed with several well-known Swedish artists.

Where did the name "Ms Trez" come from?
Mira: Ms Trez stands for independence, courage and strength. It was kind of easy because we are 3 (tres in spanish) , and it is a play on the word Mistress!
Lorena: The name (when you hear it) also draw peoples attention which is kind of funny =)

"Sweet Liar" is a bit of a departure from your more dancefloor-friendly sound. What prompted this decision?
Marlene: We love ballads and when we heard "Sweet Liar" we fell in love directly, we instantly knew - this is the one! As an artist it is great to try new things, we felt that this song would show a new side of Ms Trez.

Sweden is known for its stellar power pop/dance music. Who are your biggest musical influences?
Mira:
We are definitely influenced by a lot of big stars not only in the pop genre. Everything from big spectacular shows to smaller acoustic performances inspires us. Of course we are really proud to have so many good producers from Sweden.
Marlene: Loreen winning Eurovision for Sweden with a power/pop dance track was a fantastic moment of 2012. When a Swedish artist like Robyn breaks America this is great for music and Sweden.

If you could cover any song and give it the Mz Trez treatment, what would it be and why? Lorena: BLOODHOUND GANG "The Bad Touch" would be fun to do a cover! It´s a typical "men’s song" so a female version would be something else :) It´s always fun to shock people, they wouldn't expect that from us!

If you could tour with any American artist in America, who would it be?
Mira:
Usher because we love his performances with all his dancers, music, and he is hot!
Marlene: David Guetta would be fun just because he always has a big audience with a really good vibe. Of course Michael Jackson had been the biggest dream.
Lorena: We think that it’s really cool to mix a girl group with a male artist so the audience can get some variation. But of course we wouldn't say no to a female artist :)

Message for your International Fanbase?
Mira: To all the fans out there, new and old, that support us we want to say thank you for believing in us. We hope you love Sweet Liar and are excited for our EP out soon. We hope to plan many performances in 2013, taking Ms Trez global! Don’t forget to follow you dreams and believe in yourself. One Love, Ms Trez x

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