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The
latest additions to the UK R&B sound 3rd Edge have been honing
their blend of UK garage, R&B, hip hop and soul into their own
sound. Described by Ms Dynamite as "...a really talented and
genuine group of guys."
Coming together at a Gillingham Garage club at the end of 1999,
vocalist Thomas Jules Stock joined up with DJ and MC Julian Thompson,
and Dan Grant to form 3rd Edge.
Their early sessions consisted of nothing more than half sketched
songs, but it's the seeds laid in these early days that have blossomed
into their current sound.
Debut single 'In & Out' quickly became a hit on the club circuit
and pirates, with follow up 'You Know You Wanna' hitting the top
20.
3rd
Edge will be supporting the Sugababes at the Royal Court on March
27th.
Q&A with Thomas Jules Stock
Did you always want to be a vocalist, or did you have any other
potential careers in mind?
To be honest I'm one of those people who go wherever the water takes
me. I fell into it when I was younger; in fact I went straight into
the studio after leaving school. I didn't have a clue in school what
I wanted to do. I took up P.E and stuff like that. Half biology, half
physics. But didn't amount to much because here I am, singing!
Did you receive much encouragement from family and friends?
Oh yeah. I basically got into it because my auntie, who is a singer
herself, supports Beverley Knight on backing vocals. She got me into
it. She introduced me to some producers and they really liked what
I was doing. Another auntie is an actress, her husband is an actor
- he's just done the prequel to The Exorcist - so it's in the blood
I think. And my uncle's elder brother is our manager, so you can see
it's a real family business.
Are you following any other garage acts right now?
I
loved the garage vibe about three years ago, but now it's evolved
and changed into a different sound. I don't like it as much as two
or three years ago. It's gone from jump-up, vocal, soulful jungle
to hardcore drum and base. At the moment I really love the 50 Cent
album. I think The Streets are excellent, and Beverley Knight is just
amazing. Justin Timberlake is wicked. I find myself listening to really
good vocalists and picking up on how they do things.
Some critics have said that your second single, 'Know You Wanna',
marked a departure from garage/hip-hop in favour of a more commercial
pop-sound. Would you agree?
With the second single we were just trying to reach out to the kids.
Give them something poppy and bubbly and still be ourselves, but giving
them something we thought they would like. Show our fans that we're
really versatile, we don't just stick to garage or drum and bass,
we can do pop stuff and we've even made a rock track. Loads of people
loved it and it went to number 17 in the charts.
How did you rate your experience when performing on Top of the
Pops?
I was SO nervous it was stupid, and I mucked up SO much! Maybe people
couldn't tell because they didn't the routine I had planned, but I
just thought I was terrible. I've never been so nervous, not even
when I performed in front of 30,000 people in Amsterdam. That was
nothing in comparison to Top of the Pops! It's a show you grow up
with, when suddenly - wham - you're on it!
What do you think is the most important part of the song making
process?
Catch a vibe. Be honest with the music. Don't try and take it somewhere,
let it lead you instead.
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