Karmina

KARMINA Pop music charts are often littered with pretenders whose main claim to fame is their daddy’s fortune, their ability to lip sync on cue or the fact that they’ve been successful at acting. By contrast, the music of Karmina -- helmed by sisters Kelly (lead vocals, harmonies, keyboards) and Kamille (lead vocals, harmonies, guitars) -- reminds us that even in pop music there’s no substitute for actual substance. Karmina, which means “song” in Latin, is all about real musicians who possess talent, know-how and determination. Setting themselves apart from these pop wannabees, Kelly and Kamille write, sing, produce and perform music that springs entirely from their own creative designs. Although Kelly and Kamille are only 23 and 21 respectively, they’ve already acquired a good deal of experience and expertise upon which to build a lasting career. They’re one of the first acts signed to the newly inaugurated CBS Records. As evidenced by the songs that encompass their debut album, Backwards into Beauty, and its first single, “The Kiss,” Karmina’s music possesses a soulful, seductive embrace that tugs at the emotions, without sacrificing the hooks, melodies and exuberant sense of fun found in the very best of pop music. Co-produced by Karmina and Guy Erez, the album features eleven riveting original songs, each extending an instant embrace. At the same time, the album provides an undeniable affirmation of the way Karmina is able to meld their savvy and sensuality. One such excerpt is found in the lyrics that accompany “The Kiss,” in which they borrow lines from William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet and intertwine them with their own: “Palm to palm, let lips do what hands do They pray Is it a sin to do what we want to? Don’t care where we’ve been Give me my sin again” The title itself, Backwards into Beauty, comes from a lyric in the album’s lead off track, “Satellites,” and it sums up the album’s overall concept. “We’re all constantly trying to find ourselves, and we grow as people through our experiences – that’s universal,” Kelly explains. “Most of us feel strange and awkward at some point in our lives, but we can take those unique things about us, make them into something that’s beautiful, and, in turn, express who we are.” In many ways, the album evokes the approach of classic singer/songwriter albums of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne created many of their classics. “We wanted to get back to that approach when you had the same songwriter responsible for all the songs and one producer overseeing the entire album. When it’s the work of a small, intimate group of collaborators, an album becomes much more personal and cohesive,” adds Kamille. Several of the songs from their album have been featured on network TV, including programs such as NCIS and Cane on CBS and The CW’s Life Is Wild. They made their performing debut on national broadcast television this past December, appearing with such stars as Sheryl Crow, Fergie, Carole King, James Blunt and Reba McEntire on the CBS holiday special, A Home For The Holidays, which featured Karmina playing a song they wrote especially for the program at the request of the producers. Kelly was born in Germany and Kamille in Hawaii – polar opposites on the globe – where both girls were raised before moving with their family to San Francisco. When the girls were only eight and ten years old, their mother enrolled them in the San Francisco Convervatory of Music where they took classes that included music theory, composition and classical voice training. As Kelly points out, “If you know how to do all of that, then you have the foundation to do virtually anything in music.” Before long, Karmina was successfully competing in prestigious music competitions, among them, the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, ASCAP’s Lester Sill Songwriters’ Workshop, the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra Competition and the California State Vocal competition, which they won no less than 27 times. Initially, they could have been lured in different – and diverging – directions. Kelly was a skilled soccer player and even made it to an Olympic development team. Kamille was winning dance competitions and sang classically; so well, in fact, that veteran Grammy-winning producer David Foster teamed her with Josh Groban to perform at various high-profile fundraising affairs. After eight years in San Francisco, the girls moved to Los Angeles where they attended the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, and earned their Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Industry. Kelly went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Music Education, as well as a teaching credential. “We always wanted to be the best at what we do,” Kamille insists, “but we wanted to know what we were doing – this wasn’t a hobby for us, we weren’t dilettantes – so we made a point to learn everything we could.” Thanks to a fortunate confluence of talent and timing, Karmina’s music education and hard work paid off: A copy of the band’s demo found its way to an executive at the newly formed CBS Records. The record company’s management team approached the duo in December 2006, laid out their vision for the new label and immediately offered Karmina a place on the roster. “We couldn’t imagine life without music,” Kelly concludes. “We want to make music that lifts the spirit and has a positive effect on everyone that hears it.”