Posted at 2:56 PM, 23 August 2009 -
Mini Viva's debut single "Left My Heart In Tokyo" is just a few weeks away from being released. The duo met two years ago when auditioning for a new group. Britt Love (a.k.a. Mini) talked about it in an interview:«It was all by accident really. I had been doing a performance arts course at Newcastle College and went to a breakdancing convention at DanceCity to see some friends. There was a leaflet about these auditions and I never really thought it was for me. I was more interested in dance, but I went along anyway. I thought it might be a nice day out down south. I didn’t actually want to do it. I hadn’t prepared anything and mumbled through Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, even forgetting the words, but they seemed to like something and asked me back.»
Various band formats were tried out, but Britt and Frankee hit it off immediately and the management team decided the two as a duo was most appropriate. For the past 19 months Mini Viva have been working with the Xenomania production team. «I didn’t realise who they were when I first went,» says Britt. «Then I realised what a big deal it was, as they are the team behind Girls Aloud and have worked with Kylie.»
«We like to call it a modern day Motown», says Frankee Connolly (a.k.a. Viva). «Every month, they host a showcase of all their artists and everyone performs, so it's a nice family vibe all of the time. It's not a boot camp, but everyone's got to be hard-working. No-one's allowed to come in with hangovers, there's no drink allowed in the building, you've got to be here on time to work.»"Left My Heart In Tokyo" was initially released as a remix by French producer Fred Falke. It was put out last October on World's Finest Records, a fake label set up by Xenomania. «It was good to have that underground release because it meant people listened to the music rather than writing us off as another girlband», said Frankee.
Mini Viva are being hailed as the 21st century Mel & Kim. «Well, it's nice to be compared to them, but we're totally different,» points out Frankee. «We're a lot edgier than them, and we rap as well, which they didn't do. We bring a realness to the pop world. You know, like the Fast Food Rockers from the '90s? We're nothing like that.»
«We don't want to be too styled,» adds Frankee. «We want other girls to look at us and say, 'We want to be in their gang'. We don't want them spending loads on designer outfits.»
Record company interest is apparently bubbling in America: «We flew over to do a couple of showcases in LA and while over there, we went to this private DJ party. And I could not believe it but Will.i.am played our single....», says Frankee.
The girls recently performed at Sweden's NRJ Festival, in front of 20.000 people. Here's a live video of "Left My Heart In Tokyo":
Labels: Mini Viva
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