Sharpening up for round two - C-Sharp set to release second album next year

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

It is a more mature and developed C-Sharp band that will be bringing a whole new sound to their sophomore album, The Invitation, next year.

Consisting of Aeion 'Yaaka' Hoilett on bass and vocals, Dwain 'Wiya' Campbell on keyboards and vocals, Chevaughn Clayton as lead singer, Randevon 'Randy' Patrick on drums and Lamont 'Monty' Savory on guitar, C-Sharp has travelled the world making music and is eager to once again invite fans into their world. Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner recently at Grafton Studios, C-Sharp spoke about their beginnings and how their sound has moved from their days at The Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts to a more diverse and mature sound.

C-Sharp started in December 2001 with core members Hoilett, Campbell and, at the time, Ordean 'Bingy' Francis while studying music at Edna Manley College.

Along the way joined Clayton, Patrick and Savory, who says the group are as close as brothers.

In 10 years they have amassed an impressive resume, having toured most of Europe, parts of The United States of America and other parts of the world, and worked with a line-up of top artistes.

After releasing their debut album titled What A Day, in 2005, C-Sharp is looking forward to their sophomore album.

Hoilett said, "For this album, we're feeling out a lot of different sounds. We've really grown into our music and know what we want to sound like. It's refined Jamaican pop music, it's mento, reggae, dancehall, rocksteady. We're influenced by different genres, so the end sound is going to be practised, rehearsed and have that chemistry, and is all Jamaican."

"The Invitation is not going to be a compilation of songs but a sound, a whole package," Clayton added.

So far, the group has a number of tracks ready for the album and still have to decide which to choose from. In the meantime, they are still in writing and creating sessions to make even more C-Sharp music.

Writing for the album, they say, is often done collectively from ideas of various group members, or sometimes individually. The themes are usually bright, producing feel-good music that will get people rocking and forgetting about their problems.

Shopping for a label

"We put a full 100 per cent into our music, we've practising together for 10 years now so we're on the same page," Hoilett said.

The group is also shopping around for a label, but if not satisfied are prepared to release The Invitation independently.

"When we released the first album, we didn't really have the experience. We didn't know what to expect, we were just eager to put out our music; and since then we've learnt a lot. Right now, we're interested in getting our music played outside of Jamaica, which the first album did," Hoilett said.

Clayton also added, "We did tours in Europe from the first catalogue before anyone in Jamaica offered us a gig, so the music speaks for itself and we don't want to limit ourselves to just home."

People can look out for No More, What's the Matter with the World and Nurse, on the new album.

C-Sharp came off a successful tour of Europe earlier this year, and will be performing at Bands Incorporated 3, at the Victoria House on Saturday, and at The Deck the following day.