BEHIND THE STYLE AND FLAVA WITH ERICA DEE

CF: So Miss Erica Dee, What’s you’re real name? For real!

ED: Erica Dee, People don’t believe me when I say that.

CF: What have you been up to lately?

ED: Luscious Beats has been my main focus. has been my main focus. It’s my duo project with Melissa Meretsky who’s from Wassabi Collective. We put together Luscious Beats last June, through my second year at music school and we wanted to do a project combining DJing, MCing, Singing and Live Percussion. I only played dancehall and hip-hop at the time but Melissa wanted a bit more up tempo beats so I got into everything from House, to bangers to Disco! This whole thing was born in a month. We sat writing on our back porch and threw a set together and began touring.

It’s been magical.

CF: When you aren’t focused on Luscious Beats what are you up to?

ED: Mainly, focusing on a lot of solo projects. Basically at this point it’s hard to separate everything because I’m so diverse.

At the moment  I’m working with Neighbor, Small town DJs and Wax Romeo, focusing on the disco house kind of style, so I can have my soulful R & B roots shine through.

CF: Does your music influence your style?

I’m all about expression. I feel like I rock a bunch of different styles, I always try to find a happy medium in between. On the soulful, funky, R & B tip, I like to have elegance to it and rock the curly hair and the sexy bustiers. I also MC over electronic music, so I find myself expressing my style through funky colours, shorts over purple leggings, glasses with no lenses, crazy glasses. I always like to keep my asymmetrical hairdo which I have no idea about but it works for me!

I think I’m always trying to find a balance between electronic music style and hip hop and classy so it’s a mash up of all those things.

CF: What’s your favorite accessory?

I’d have to say the glasses. but I actually have to wear glasses but the glasses that are my prescription aren’t the ones I want to wear. I actually wear my contact lenses with glasses with no frames The reasoning for this is because I’m so blind I can’t wear big frames I would only be able to see through certain parts.

CF: What’s on your iPod right now?

ED: Little Dragon, this group from Sweden, the lead singer is Yukimi Nagano.They are really amazing, crazy electronic a music with soul attatched to it. It’s more atmosphere electronic music. Also Chrissette Michele is amazing.

CF: Whats the craziest outfit you’ve ever rocked?

ED: Ooh this is a hard question! (laughs!) Fluorescent pink tights with fluorescent pink leg warmers, blue booty shorts with fluorescent pink suspenders and a black bustier top. I wore that to this party we played at Fandango Farm and I had crazy airbrushed make-up that night!

CF: When shopping what are you always in search of?

ED: I’m always on the lookout for accessories. I do like Bang On and American Apparel, I’m into comfortable cotton but I’m also really into vintage and second hand shopping. I only spend money on my high tops, I only wear high tops, I never wear girl shoes except for boots because I like to be comfortable, you will probably never catch me in heels cos I’m already pretty tall and you can’t really skateboard in heels!

Catch Erica Dee performing with DJ Nu Marc at The HiFi Club, Wednesday, December 16, 2009.

Kimberley Jev

For more on Erica Dee: www.myspace.com/erica_dee

Photo courtesy of Lucas Image.ca