Miss R: Firstly I wanna know how the two of you how met?
Erika : We originally started chatting on Facebook. Dee at the time was a solo jazz artists and I was an emerging rock artist known as "Erika Dawn." I lived in Virginia at the time and he was in Atlanta. I booked a few gigs in Atlanta which allowed me to travel down there pretty often and surprisingly he happened to be booked on the same gigs! It was like god was calling us to come together.
Miss R: Was music something you (both) always wanted to do?
Dee : Music has been all that we've known our whole lives. I started performing live when I was 10 and Erika has been singing and performing for years.
Miss R: Who are some of your favourite musicians/bands from the past and present?
Erika : They range so far but here is a list of the most prevalent inspirations to our sound:
Rick James
The Gap Band
Zapp Band
Dam Funk
Kashif
Jesse Johnson
Cameo
PNAO
Jody Watley
SOS Band
Pomo
Duran Duran
Chromeo
Empire Of The Sun
Client Liason
Miss R: Talk me through the beginnings of 'The After Party Experience'?
Miss R: Talk me through the beginnings of 'The After Party Experience'?
Dee: It originally started as an idea for us to create a steady income for ourselves and our close musician friends. We had the idea to do a band and dj combination for private events (something that he Southeastern United States Private Event Market was missing)
We started a cover band/dj combo together called The After Party Experience around the same time we got married in 2014. One year later, we started working on remixes together and decided to branch off into a electronic alter ego project called The APX (short for The After Party Experience) We began to have the idea to mix our previous fields (jazz and rock) but in a way that people can still dance to. The APX was born from the aspiration of us wanting to do something different and make our own mark in the world of music.
Debut single 'Capture The Moment'
Debut single 'Capture The Moment'
Miss R: What is the creative process like? Do you each have a different role?
Erika: Yes, Dee does most of the mechanics and instruments and I hear where things should go, like drum patterns and style. I do most of the vocals and a lot of the melody ideas.
Dee: We're always on SoundCloud searching for inspiration from the world of underground music. We also have a good team of songwriters here in Atlanta lead by our good friend Oli J. When we have a core track that both Erika and I are feeling, we then put the pen to it to make magic! After that's done, I'll then probably add live saxophone or vocoder to give it that APX sprinkle!
Miss R: As husband and wife working together..
What's the key to making it work?
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
What's the key to making it work?
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
Erika: Respect and lots of communication. Last but not least prayer and patience.
Miss R: I believe you're due to drop your debut EP this year!!!
Do you have a title? What can your fans expect from this?
Erika: Yes, but we don't have a tittle yet. Our EP actually MIGHT be turning into a full album because we have so many good songs completed. This project will give our fans a 80s funky feel with a twist of nudisco! People can expect to hear my different vocal ranges as well. Strong funky production that will make your head bop so hard that you might break your neck!
Miss R: Are there any musicians/producers you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Dee: There are too many to count! But we can always start with the list of inspirations we talked about earlier!
Miss R: Do you have any upcoming shows/ tours planned?
Erika: Yes we are working on a tour starting in the fall but some spot dates before then. Everyone can always keep up with our tour dates here: www.bandsintown.com/theapx
Miss R: I loved your remix of "I'm In Love" by Evelyn Champagne King.
Would you consider jumping on a old-school Reggae track using your Electro-Funk magic?
Erika: Sure why not? Sounds good to us. We're always trying something different!
Click here to get the track!
Miss R: What other interest outside of music do you have?
Dee: I love branding and film and Erika loves interior decorating, cooking, health and beauty.
Miss R: Is there something you would like to do more of in the future?
Erika: Yes we both would love to travel the world and explore different cultures and get involved in making a positive difference here and around the globe.
Miss R: What's next for The APX?
Erika: New music, touring, and videos and then more music!
Dee: Well next is getting this EP released so that the world can truly hear our sound. We were also recently endorsed by Native Instruments so there will be some upcoming projects with them as well!
Keep up to date with Dee & Erika via the links below.
twitter.com/theapxmusic
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