YouKnowIGotSoul had an opportunity to speak to Brian Casey from the legendary R&B group Jagged Edge. The group simply launched their double album “A Jagged Love Story” to rejoice their tenth studio album. We discuss to Brian concerning the strategy that they took with this new album in addition to among the challenges that got here with it together with a number of pushbacks. We additionally discuss them utilizing autotune all through the album and why it was essential for them to bridge the hole between younger and outdated R&B listeners. Lastly we discuss concerning the group’s brotherhood and why they’ve been capable of launch music persistently for over 20 years now.
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YouKnowIGotSoul: You guys simply dropped your tenth studio album “A Jagged Love Story”. Once you look again at your journey, what are you most pleased with?
Brian Casey: Certainly one of issues I’m most pleased with is having the ability to be constant. We come from an period the place so many acts had been producer pushed, so for us to have the ability to try this for ourselves is nice. We got here from So So Def and lots of people thought that Jermaine Dupri had the recipe to what Jagged Edge was, however we’ve at all times written our personal music. We’ve been capable of be constant. Once you return to our albums, you possibly can say that the sound that we’ve created is constant. It’s not like a method on the primary album and totally different on the second. When you could have producer pushed acts, you hear sounds altering at sure factors of their careers. We like to have the ability to trip so far as possibly an old-fashioned really feel and in addition one thing that’s contemporary, however we at all times wish to offer you that Jagged Edge sound.
YouKnowIGotSoul: A whole lot of artists that got here out of your period, they’ve stopped releasing new music and simply tour off their catalog. What’s that dialog like with the remainder of the group to proceed pushing?
Brian Casey: I believe everyone is aware of me and my brother do the majority of the songwriting, so there are a lot of occasions that we’ve sat round collectively and talked about our favourite teams like New Version, Man, Jodeci or Boyz II Males. It looks as if all of them acquired to 3 or 4 albums and stopped making new music. We at all times cautioned ourselves towards that to not be like our favourite teams. It looks as if teams get to their third or fourth album after which they’ve no real interest in making new music. For us, a part of why we needed to be within the trade is as a result of we like to make music. Touring is nice and we love feeling the appreciation from the followers, however there’s nothing like getting into and making new music.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Over the past two albums, the group has actually gone unbiased as you guys run your individual label now. “A Jagged Love Story” skilled a handful of delays, so discuss what occurred behind the scenes.
Brian Casey: Once we had been underneath a significant label system who run like pipelines, we nonetheless had albums pushed again. It’s simply a part of the file trade. With “Layover”, once we came upon we had been doing Unsung and we acquired the date, they instructed us that two weeks previous to airing it. We took these two weeks and put collectively an album. As a lot as we had been proud to have the ability to try this, we rushed some issues to satisfy that date. “Layover” was simply to accompany the episode and let individuals know that we’re nonetheless out right here making music. When it got here to “A Jagged Love Story”, our aim was to place it out two years in the past. We had a few sampling points that we would have liked to get cleared. With no main label, some issues simply fall on you. We had been attempting to get some samples cleared and that took a full yr, so we had that as a difficulty. Additionally we didn’t shoot any movies for “Layover” so we figured we needed to get some movies on the market for this album. We’ve carried out three movies already and we’re about to do “Seasons Of Us” quickly. Once you notice what actually goes into this and what number of processes there are, one other yr has handed. We didn’t plan to make it this lengthy. In addition to earlier than COVID occurred, we had been on the highway each weekend. When you could have a significant label, they deal with all the pieces for you however once you put all of it in your shoulders, it’s a whole lot of work however on the similar time, we’re getting that have. I believe the subsequent album goes to go so much smoother and it gained’t be pushed again for 2 years. *Laughs*
YouKnowIGotSoul: How did you strategy this album creatively and when did you determine it will be a double album?
Brian Casey: We began to virtually really feel responsible as a result of we nonetheless had individuals ready. Earlier than we knew it, we had been already at about 19 songs. We finally acquired to 22 and determined to make it a double album. If you consider it, it’s really a triple album as a result of we’ve got 31 songs. I’ve by no means seen an artist actually take the followers with them by means of the entire technique of placing collectively a file. As soon as we began listening to the entire physique of labor, we had been like “Let’s simply give all of them of it”. So long as the followers have been ready, we needed to present them a glimpse into the method once we make an album. We’ve had albums the place we’ve recorded 60 data however solely put out 14. We simply needed to present them an even bigger chunk as a result of the followers have waited so lengthy. Once we again to take heed to it, we felt it was cohesive and we felt we had a whole lot of nice data.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We seen on this album that you just and Brandon produced a handful of songs. We all know you guys as songwriters, so when did you get into creating beats as effectively?
Brian Casey: It’s been a course of that began again once we did the “Jagged Little Thrill” album. One of many causes that our manufacturing has grown is as a result of we taught ourselves play the keyboard whereas being on this enterprise and being on the highway always. A whole lot of occasions artists like Alicia Keys and John Legend come into the trade studying play devices already. Simply the development of studying devices, we’re lastly comfy with the place we’re as musicians. It’s displaying within the manufacturing and within the progress of it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: How do you steadiness your basic Jagged Edge sound with among the extra fashionable manufacturing in R&B as we speak?
Brian Casey: We learn a evaluation that stated Jagged Edge is one of the best at mixing what was with what’s. We took that as a praise and it made us focus. We will do a few of what’s occurring proper now and nonetheless mix it with what we do finest and make it a hybrid. We attempt to make it the place it’s not completely unfamiliar to our outdated listeners and in addition seize some new listeners. A whole lot of occasions we see our diehard followers taking part in the music with their children and so they love the music too. We really feel we didn’t wish to simply pass over the youthful era, however we additionally didn’t wish to pass over our diehard followers. We tried our greatest to bridge the hole. Lots of people knock the youthful era of R&B, however we’re not like that. I imagine they are often higher guided with the message of their music, however I like what they do. Calling their music trash isn’t one thing we’re keen to do and we needed to include it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We seen some autotune on the brand new album “A Jagged Love Story” in addition to the earlier venture “Layover”. Discuss concerning the utilization of autotune for Jagged Edge and what it does for the group’s sound.
Brian Casey: I don’t really feel like we’ve got to do it. We had been speaking about Pleasure P from Fairly Ricky about this and he’s a diehard Jagged Edge fan. Pleasure requested Brandon about this and my brother’s reply was like “We will do no matter we wish to do”. I believe when individuals come to see us dwell, everybody is aware of we will sing. I don’t assume it’s a thriller to individuals. We’d be virtually throwing away what the youthful era is doing prefer it’s trash in the event you take a look at the autotune factor. The youthful era likes that sound, so for us to disregard that and nonetheless wish to garner new followers, it will be dumb on our half. For those who come see us dwell, we’ll sing these songs with out something. We don’t really feel it hinders us in any type of method. Additionally among the vocal settings that are available ProTools, they aren’t essentially autotune. There’s a sound that gives that looks like autotune, nevertheless it’s only a vocal bundle. You need to be into manufacturing to know that, nevertheless it’s not the identical as when T-Ache got here out. On the similar time, we had used autotune on a couple of songs on “Jagged Little Thrill” and “Arduous”. It’s not our fault that T-Ache staked his declare so arduous that folks thought he got here up with it. We had been doing it 5 years earlier than that.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Kyle and Wingo are the last word workforce gamers and so they perceive their roles within the group. With you and Brandon dealing with the vast majority of the songwriting and producers of the group, how do you determine who sings which components on the songs?
Brian Casey: I wish to spotlight that much more as a result of we really feel the identical method. This group couldn’t have made it with out these guys being one of the best workforce gamers. They’re essentially the most humble guys we may ever ask for. To be sincere, I wish to get them on much more data, however me and my brother are within the studio a lot that we will’t even anticipate them to come back as a lot as we’re in there. We’re in there on a regular basis. They’d don’t have any lives like us in the event that they had been within the studio with us on a regular basis. At any time when they arrive, we sprinkle them on the songs and choose the components that match their voices finest. Individuals don’t perceive that Kyle has among the finest falsettos. I believe he rivals Maxwell or anyone that sings in that register, however he’s only a workforce participant. He doesn’t take a look at his position as one thing that must be on the entrance. They’re one of the best workforce gamers we may have ever requested for. After I take a look at different teams and so they come out to start with and let you know that they’re brothers however you then discover out in a while that they’re not. We actually are brother. Earlier than we even got here out, we had been collectively on a regular basis. Us having the ability to make it this lengthy within the enterprise is a testomony to our actual friendship. It’s nothing pretend about it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Speak about that loopy run the group had from “JE Heartbreak” to “Child Making Undertaking”. It was like an album yearly or so for seven years. Simply replicate again on that point as a result of that was loopy.
Brian Casey: The music enterprise can afford you so many various materials issues and privileges, typically we as artist don’t deal with it like a job. Me and brother by no means needed to fall into that entice. We’d deal with our music profession like a job. We’d rise up and go to the studio on a regular basis. Our dad at all times instructed us “You’ll be able to’t be afraid of the arduous work”. We needed to put our hours in and produce our creativity minds everytime we acquired within the studio.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Something you’d like so as to add?
Brian Casey: We’re already halfway by means of the 11th album. We simply gave you “A Jagged Love Story” however we don’t know cease. We’re going to place slightly extra give attention to midtempos and uptempos. For us, it’s at all times going to search out that wonderful line in between it. We would like it to be sensual however we wish to you to have the ability to groove to it. On “A Jagged Love Story”, there’s a file known as “Can’t Assist It” so it’ll be just like that. This new album gained’t be 31 songs, however we’ll nonetheless be supplying you with this work. *Laughs*