Sisters follow songwriting 'Bloodline'

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Nyanda and Nailah Thorborne have long been the most public faces of the quartet of sisters they are a part of, having some visibility as the duo Brick and Lace. However, the music talent of the Love Is Wicked singers, whose album was released about four years ago, seems to have extended to their bloodline - which is the name of the songwriting company which they have formed with sisters Tasha and Candace.

Nailah reflected the enthusiasm of all four when she spoke with The Gleaner from Miami, where the four are based physically. She said that although they have been writing songs together for years, Bloodline was formalised "about a year ago".

"We wanted to take it to the next level," she said.

So far, the highest point of that 'next level' is Say Yes on the debut album by former Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, released in March this year. The song was written on a request, the sisters' publisher sending them the track while they were in Jamaica. "We were going to Ocho Rios, listening to the track and vibing it. Sometimes it is really quick with songwriting and sometimes you have to let it marinate," Nailah said.

Say Yes was one of the songs that flowed and the sisters recorded it in Miami as required for the submission process.

And the songwriting process is initiated either by a request or the Bloodline team assessing where they can make a pitch. "We do get together sometimes and we write. And there are times when our publisher would request us to write," Nailah said. There is also a 'Who's Looking' list, which indicates performers who need songs, for reference. The Bloodline team does not always travel four-strong to be on location for songwriting assignments, sometimes separating into duos.

Listening and background work are key to writing a song for someone else. "You have to do your research, listen to their (the potential performer's) music, what they like to talk about in their music," Nailah said. The song is then done to demo stage. "It is a cool process. You get to be another artiste" she said.

"We have a home studio that we use. We travel to Los Angeles a lot and we use studios there," Nailah said. She added that producer Supa Dups, a Jamaican producer in the US, is "a real good friend" of the quartet, with whom they work a lot.

Then, if and when the song is accepted and recorded, "when you hear other people singing your song it feels good".

Just as Bloodline is the formal opening up of another aspect of the sisters' music involvement, the songwriting company is in turn the entry point for a broader business base. "We see it as a parent company, with a lot of companies under it," Nailah said.

"It is a different avenue. It is another income stream. It is another way to release our creativity and talent," Nailah said.

And, as the name states, the enterprise is being kept as a family business. "We are a company. We are above board. We are sisters. I cannot 'eat a food' and my sisters not 'eat a food'. We started like that and it will end like that," Nailah said.