Discussions on gender equality often centre on struggles women face in the workplace with reports last year of their being less women leading FTSE companies in the UK than men called Dave and less in America than men called John. In the music industry, however, girl power finally reigns supreme.
“Now is the time for women. I don’t think it’s harder in the music industry, I think we’ve got some amazing female artists. I think we need more, especially girl groups, and I think it is our time now” says Nadine Samuels, from Aylesbury, one third of the new girls group M.O “M.O means modus operandi, it’s Latin for mode of operation. It is a positive way to achieve your dream or goal. You hear it a lot in police programmes. We found it when we were in a taxi and it was in a Drake song, The Motto, it just stood out to all of us.
“I’ve had times when I thought maybe I’ll never get into the industry, if you believe in it you can make it happen but you’ve got to work and take every opportunity that comes your way, however small; it might lead to other things.”
Nadine grew up in Aylesbury and apart from partaking in shows at her school, Quarrendon School, now The Aylesbury Vale Academy, her singing was confined to her home.
“I was always obsessed with singing, I knew it was what I wanted to do. There’s videos of me at four or five singing. I’m obsessed with music. I love it. I was sat in my room, constantly singing, trying to perfect notes off a tape recorder.”
After meeting through industry events as they tried to pave their way to success, the girls found themselves in the studio together.
“We’re just three girls who are obsessed with old school R&B, 90s music and we just came together because of that. We share the same passion. I love writing and getting the music together. We’ve been doing it for about three years now and it’s so amazing to share with two other girls.
“We’re all have our roles that we love more. I love the studio, that’s my favourite place to be. I write a lot.”
Hailed as the British TLC, these 90s babies are influenced by the era in both sound and style.
“We’re massively inspired by groups like TLC, Destiny’s Child and Spice Girls, they’re a group that’s influenced everyone. It’s about the old school era really.
“We’re all into the same thing. We’re always going to the boys section in a clothes store. We like anything that’s baggy and comfortable you won’t really find us in dresses and heels.”
The girls supported Little Mix a couple of years ago and so I wondered what crazy things they had got up to.
“We just loved eating, we love food,” Nadine tells me, without a hint of humour. “We don’t go out partying, there’s no mad crazy stories. We work really hard and love every minute of it, but we’re also obsessed with food.”
M.O’s new single, Who Do You Think Of?, was released last month and is available to listen on iTunes, Spotify and on Apple Music.
Their first solo show is at the O2 Academy, Islington, London, N1 0PS on Wednesday, October 26.
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