A handful of new artists in R&B music are steadily carving our their own paths to greatness and new girl group DMK are on a mission to leave their mark in a big way. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan and a product of the legendary Motown music sound, Damoli (22), Melanee (22) and Kourtney (21) are a close-knit trio who are proud to do their part in preserving the R&B music sound for their generation through perfected harmonies and unapologetic authenticity.
We caught up with the ladies for a quick chat about how they got their start, their new single, which powerhouse songstress moved them to tears when they met, their TIDAL Discovery platform and much more. Check out our interview below.
How did DMK come together as a singing group?
Melanee: Well we started off in a play, actually. We started off doing a play together and Damoli and Kourtney were already in the play but, I came a little later. When I auditioned for the play, I stole Damoli’s part [group laughs], so it did start with some drama! We don’t have that type of drama anymore but, it was part of what brought us together initially. From there, the 3 of us sang together as part of our roles in the play and the harmonies that we had and the bond that we shared while singing (even though we didn’t particularly care for each other at the moment) brought out a chemistry that we couldn’t deny, even at 9 and 10 years old. So, after that, we continued to sing together and it’s just been the same three girls for the past 12 years.
Does everyone sing lead?
Melanee: It just depends on the day. We all take turns singing lead. It just depends on who sounds the best doing whatever part, there’s no set lead singer.
Why do you think it’s so important to preserve R&B music for this generation?
Kourtney: Coming from Motown, everybody has that soulful voice so, of course we want to keep that going coming from Detroit. It’s so important because it made such a big impact on the industry and I think that a lot of artists are kind of veering away from that. We really want to stay true to it because it’s an important genre for music and expression. You can express so many things through R&B music so, DMK always wants to stay true to that.
You guys recently premiered your “Love The Way You Love Me” video on Tidal. Talk a little about your experience with the Tidal Discovery platform.
Damoli: Well, it’s been really exciting. It’s a cool outlet because we get to be heard by different people outside of our usual family and friends. It helped us expand our fanbase and it’s just been really cool and exciting. I mean, it’s not everyday that you get to be on Tidal!
With the many different types of girl groups who have come before you, how would you describe your image and what type of R&B girl group that you guys are?
Melanee: I think the interesting part of us is the fact that we have completely different personalities so, it’s almost like three different “girl group types” in one group. For me, I have more of like the TLC-tomboyish type of style. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problems dressing it up and being sexy, but the opposite is more the type of style that I would naturally go towards. Then you have Kourtney, who has always been the more feminine, sassy, sexy girl so, she’s probably the Destiny’s Child type of girl in the group. And then Damoli is completely in the middle; she’s like the SWV type of girl in the group. I think that’s what makes us so relatable, especially to young girls. You have three different girls with three different personalities and three different styles all in one, but we all work cohesively within the group. So, I think every girl can see themselves in each one of us.
What’s been your experience being an R&B girl group in a climate where there aren’t many in existence?
Melanee: It hasn’t been the easiest because everybody always has this certain perception of girl groups (they break up, they don’t work, beef, boyfriends, etc.) but, I think that it definitely makes us work harder. You know, we always talk about how girl groups are so necessary and kind of missing at the moment. The good thing about DMK is that we’ve been the same three girls together for 12 years so, when people are skeptical, we have that fact to back it up. And then the moment we open our mouths to sing, people are like “oh, ok, well, maybe these girls are the exception.” So, I think [being one of few R&B girl groups today] is a blessing and a curse. Aside from that, it also makes us happy to see that there are other girls groups starting to come into the picture because we do believe that they are so necessary period; it’s not just all about competition.
You guys were recently announced as one of 4 finalists in the Empire song contest. How was the audition process for that?
Damoli: Well, they had us go around to a lot of different cities and sing one of the Empire [theme] songs. We actually sent in a YouTube video and from that, they choose 10 finalists. From there, we had to send in a casting video and then they just recently told us that we made the top 4. So, we’re excited.
Tell us about some of your musical influences. You recently did an impressive YouTube cover of Boyz II Men’s “Thank You.” Are they an influence of yours?
Melanee: Most definitely, Boyz II Men are one of the biggest influences. You can’t deny their harmonies and since our niche is our harmonies, they were definitely one of our influences. Of course, all of the Motown acts; The Supremes, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. The Four Tops lead singer Levi [Stubbs] is actually Kourtney’s granddad. Also, SWV, TLC, Destiny’s Child, En Vogue. En Vogue is who we really model our harmonies after for sure. You can compare the content of our original music that will be out soon to how real and raw SWV’s lyrical content was, just very relatable. For individual influences, for myself, it would be Toni Braxton for her lower register. For Kourtney, Anita Baker and for Damoli it’s Minnie Ripperton and Mariah Carey. Oh! And can’t forget Brandy! Brandy, Beyonce and Jazmine Sullivan.
We actually met Brandy almost a year ago when she was playing Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. We heard her shoes when she was coming down the steps and we just immediately started crying! [laughs]. It was THAT serious. Brandy is a vocal beast and she is everything we all wish to be one day so, to meet somebody who is that influential in all of our lives was absolutely incredible. That’s a moment that we’ll never forget.
What advice do you have for other young women coming up in the music industry?
Melanee: One of the main things that we’ve done for sure is to make sure to keep God first. We grew up in the church and we keep that going within our group. We pray often.
You also have to be yourself. Unapologetically, you have to stay true to who you are. Kourtney always says that everyone wasn’t given the same vision that God gave you. As long as you can see it, it might take a while for everyone else to catch on, but as long as you stay true to yourself, you’ll never fail and never be disappointed in yourself. Also, you HAVE to keep going. Don’t stop at the first no, the second no or the third no because the hard work definitely pays off. And just to perfect your craft. I think those are the fundamental things that we go by.
What can fans and people who are getting to know DMK look for next?
Kourtney: Well, we actually will be releasing a few new songs over the next couple weeks on SoundCloud. We also plan to have an EP out this year and an album out next year. To keep up with all of that, everyone can follow us on all of our social media platforms @DMKOfficial to get the heads up on release dates. We just look forward to sharing our music and our craft with the world!
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Check out DMK’s new single“On My Way Over” below.
