Sisters' Time, Talent Split In Two
(Umoja News, October 1998)
When
sibling-vocalists Felicia and Cherie Hunter first attempted to release
their first single “To The Rescue” the naysayers came out of the
woodwork. The R&B group—a.k.a. In Two—were told they
couldn’t possibly release a CD without major-label backing, an
astronomical budget or household-name producers.
As
the sisters soon realized, they’d entered the tough, sometimes
dangerous land called “The Industry”—where countless unsavory
record company execs, coupled with an abundance of uninspired tracks and
wannabe artists using physical attributes to cover up for lack of
talent, are often enough to slay the spirits of even the most
golden-voiced newcomer. The Hunter sisters’ answer?
The
creation of Synerrgee Records, a New Haven-based artist-owned and
–operated fuel source to carry them over the badlands of the music
biz.
“Creative
freedom,” says Cheri, summing up the reason for Synerrgee’s birth.
“We’d heard startling stories about songwriters in the past, where
the record companies would control the copyrights and the artists would
basically get paid nothing for their songs. That’s like, the
worst form of artist rip-off.”
True
R&B fans can appreciate the fact that In Two doesn’t possess the
typical, helium-induced, Smurfette voices that R&B/hip-hop seems to
be so fond of these days. “To The Rescue” is a lush, mellow,
slower-tempo song about a Mr. Do-Right who uses good old TLC (tender
loving care) to chase away his beloved’s jaded views on love and
relationships.
With
strong, wise vocals remindful of Diane Reeves’, In Two has much to say
about such things as true love (remember that?). Later for bumpin’ and
grindin’. They’re here to let the hordes of underaged
“singers” in skimpy outfits and too much makeup know that it ain’t
all about the Benjamins, baby. The tight production of “To The
Rescue” makes it hard to believe that Synerrgee is a long-distance
affair. Felicia holds things down in New Haven, while Cheri is
Maryland-based. The sisters credit their ability to work together
as a cohesive unit, despite the distance between them, on good
communication and positive vibes.
According
to Felicia, the sisters named their label Synerrgee because of the vibe
that passes between them. “Even though we have different
experiences, Cheri and I still come to the same life conclusions.
We’re alike enough to be able to work well together, but different
enough for the result to be interesting. Hence the name
‘Synerrgee’—the two of us came together to create something that
we probably couldn’t have done separately.”
Although
balancing their respective professions can be hectic (Felicia’s a
journalist/writer, while Cheri’s a lawyer), things manage to work out.
“Because we have experience in different things, we can do what others
may have to hire outsiders to do,” says Felicia, who handles marketing
and public relations and leaves the legal aspects of the business to her
sister.
“[Synerrgee] is our
passion, and both of us are fortunate that we can turn an interest into
a profession,” she adds. “When you have something like that,
even if your schedule’s busy, you’ll find the time.”
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