Interview with Nicole and Mark Hamilton aka H₂O Productions


Q: Please tell me how you've met each other. Did each of you make music before you teamed up?

Nicole: Actually, we were both making music prior to meeting each other. Mark was writing songs in a team with his brothers and I was just getting into producing. We met in Washington, D.C. (where Mark is originally from) through a friend of Mark's who at the time was my boss. The mutual friend is a well known hip/hop and R&B producer named Chucky Thompson.
Hmmmm, how did we meet? Well, I studied Music Technology at New York University and worked weekends at Daddy's House, which is a recording studio owned by Sean (Diddy) Combs. At the time, there was a lot of GREAT music coming out of the Bad Boy camp: Notorius B.I.G., Craig Mack, Faith Evans, 112, etc. Those were projects that changed the face of R&B as we know it...kinda like the introduction of Hip Hop/R&B and I was priveledged enough to be around while all of that great music was being made. ANYWAY, Chucky had just secured a sweet production deal and was about to start his own thing down in D.C. I was young, inexperienced as a producer and COMPLETELY in awe of this man's talent, so when he and his wife at the time asked me to move down to D.C. to help them with their recording studio, I jumped at the chance! So, a few weeks after graduation, I packed up my stuff and moved into their basement in Maryland (until I could find a place of my own) and began working for what was then, Chucklife, Ent. Well, Mark and his brothers would come by Chucky's house all the time to hang out and be in the studio with him...just to be around the music. They'd bring over songs they were working on and I'd play my tracks for them. At the time, Mark didn't produce at all and I didn't write lyrics. As time went on, Mark and I decided that music was something we really wanted to pursue and we buckled down and got serious. We purchased some 'starter' equipment (analog 4 track recorder and cheap microphone) and got to work. It's funny because there was a group of us that all kinda came up together...Mark and I, an artist by the name of Raheem DeVaughn who has an album called 'The Love Experience' out on Jive Records and a producer by the name of Rich Harrison (an old high school friend of Mark's) who produced 'Crazy in Love' for Beyonce and most of Amerie's first two albums. We ALL hung out at the studio, soaking up Chucky's musical vibes and just learning about how things work in this industry. Anyway, that's how Mark and I met. What started out as a friendship, grew into a musical/business partnership and ended in marriage...and the rest, as they say, is HISTORY!

Q: Which musicians are your influences?

Nicole/Mark: We would just like to make the distinction between musicians we LOVE and musicians that influence us...we listen to and appreciate a LOT of different music, but as far as INFLUENCE is concerned, well...to us, that means someone who has changed or impacted the way we work...the way we approach what we do...our process of writing and producing...SO, in light of that, we'd have to say some of our influences are:
Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface, Miles Davis, Gamble and Huff, Eric Roberson, Chucky Thompson, Joni Mitchell, Earl Klugh, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and the list goes on and on...

Q: How would you describe your music style and where do you see your place in today's music scene?

Nicole/Mark: For the most part, we would describe our musical style as a mixture of Soul, R&B and Pop. 'SOUL/POP&B'. We would like to think that our music has the ability to cross a lot of different lines. We have records that could work for Jill Scott as WELL as Usher or even Kelly Clarkson...we mean the SAME record. In our opinion, a good song is a good song. Period. It's up to the artist to put their personal stamp on it and make it their own, but we just do what we do. We feel like our songs can go anywhere and reach a multitude of people regardless of race, culture even age! We play our music for all kinds of people to get their opinions...it's funny cuz most of the time the songs are well received by people in our parents age group (the folks that grew up on REAL music with LIVE musicians) as well as a younger crowd who like to dance and are into more beat/groove driven music. At the end of the day, we like to make your head bob AND make you feel the message being conveyed by the record...we like to think we have a little something for everyone.

Q: Please tell me how the While U Wait album came about and how did you met the featured musicians. Who of them has impressed you the most?

Nicole/Mark: While working on writing and producing music to shop to major labels, we happened to be spending a lot of times in New York and going out to various showcases. At the time, we were staying with a good friend of ours, named Kendra Ross, who is also a very talented artist (check her out at www.kendraross.com). Well, Kendra just happens to know pretty much EVERYONE on the music scene in NY, so we would go to a show and see a performer that we liked and she'd introduce us. Most of the artists on the project are friends of hers...and now, friends of ours. We would get together with them and write or record songs to shop or songs for their respective projects. They are great people as well as EXTREMELY talented musicians.
Through an intersting chain of events, we ended up going to an Eric Roberson (Erro) show at S.O.B.s in NY. We already had his album 'Esotheric Movement' and were big fans of his and wanted to work with him. So, we went to the show and met him afterwards and gave a CD of some tracks we produced. He went out of the country to tour, so it was a while before we heard from him...but when he finally did call us, he was like 'I already wrote and recorded one of the songs you sent me!' needless to say, we were THRILLED. We went to his place, hung out, gave him some more tracks, and started to build on what we consider a great working relationship and also a wonderful friendship. Eric impresses and inspires us most because he is really one of the reasons we even decided to DO this compilation. One day, while sitting at his kitchen table, he said 'You guys should just do a compilation'. We shot some ideas around with him and just ran with it. We have always been very focussed on the 'major label' side of the game and Eric opened our eyes to a whole new side of the music industry...a side that is proving itself daily as a viable source and direct competition for the majors. The world of independent music is fresh and innovative and exciting and we are happy to be a part of it and even happier to have a person like Eric to serve as a blueprint and mentor. In addition to the song he did for our compilation entitled 'I Dare U 2 Stay', we have also done a record for Eric's upcoming album due out in February AND we recently worked together on a ballad called 'Beautiful Distraction' for Kenny Lattimore and Chante Moore's new album 'Uncovered', due out in October on Jive Records. So, be on the look out for those new songs.

Q: Why did you a compilation with nine different singers (plus Nicole herself) instead of concentrating only on one artist?

Nicole/Mark: Well, we just started recording these songs with all of the artists and they were coming out good, so we put it out. We do not currently 'have' an artist that we work with exclusively, so the compilation was a great way to showcase our production without going on a mad search for the perfect artist. We also like the fact that each artist brings a certain something of their own to the song that they sing, which is a great way to show our versatility as producers. All of the songs sound like h₂O Productions, but they are also unique in their own right.

Q: You've released your album on your own. How content are you with the reactions so far? And how hard is it for you to spread the word of your music without a large label in the background?

Nicole/Mark: We are very pleased with the reactions to the compilation thus far. People have been very supportive and we are starting to gain a nice little buzz about the project. We have gotten some great reviews and write ups on various websites and publications and are getting a few spins in the UK and Canada and on internet radio, so we definitely can't complain. As for the second part of your question, well...as with anything, money and resources make all the difference in the world, but on the flip side, effort and perserverence have their place as well. Having the support of a large label to fund your marketing and promotional efforts is a blessing. It takes major dollars to compete with major label artists. Bottom line: Exposure costs money, but there are ways around that, or rather, things one can do to promote a product on a limitied budget without the assistance of a major label. The internet is a FABULOUS resource and it is open 24/7! You can sit and surf, research, type and connect with people all over the world, for FREE, regardless of time differences or anything else for that matter. I mean, here we are, in Philly, conducting an e-interview with you in Germany! Need I say more? We cannot even count the number of forums and websites we visit or how many promotional CDs and e-mails we send out just to get people to know that this project is even out there...it's a lot of hard work and is very time consuming, but at the end of the day, you get out what you put in and that makes it that much more rewarding...plus the people you meet and contacts you gain along the way are invaluable.

Q: You're living in Philadelphia, a city that's famous for its musical heritage (Philadelphia International Records, Gamble & Huff) and current musicians like Jill Scott, Kindred, DJ Jazzy Jeff etc. How much has the "sound of Philly" influenced you and what's the soul music scene like in Philly today?

Mark: We are huge fans of Philly International and the whole Sound of Philadelphia. They are responsible for some of the biggest hits in music. PERIOD. Their music was hot back in the day and is STILL relevant RIGHT NOW. That kind of longievity is unheard of these days. In 2005, you can turn on the radio and hear 'For the Love Of Money' and it is STILL the jam! It doesn't seem to be dated at all because their music was not based on trends. We don't necessarily make music that SOUNDS like Gamble and Huff, so to speak, it is moreso the honesty and integrity of the 'Sound of Philadelphia' that has influenced us most. We just try to approach our songwriting and production with that same timeless, honest feeling...we can only hope to come up with a few hits as great as theirs along the way...have u SEEN their catalog?!?!? WOW!
As for the music scene in Philly...we are pretty bad about going out. We need to get out and about more and experience the whole 'Philly Soul' thing, but we pretty much stay in and work most of the time or are have sessions at other studios...hopefully, that will change soon. On the flip side, Philly is starting to make a name for itself on the hip hop scene as well. We have been doing some work with a hip hop producer by the name of Chad Wes (old high school friend of Nicole's) who has produced many records for Roc-a-fella. It's nice to work with people who do something TOTALLY different that what you do...each party brings a little of their own flavor to the mix. It makes for nice texture in the music.

Q: Judging from the liner notes of While U Wait it looks like your not to happy with what can be found on major labels and heard on the radio. What are the reasons in your opinion why most music just misses that certain something and has been widly degraded as background noise?

Nicole/Mark: Well, we believe that a lot of the music on the radio today is forced upon us. The label execs, who may or may not be musicians come up with what they want to give us (regardless of what we may want to hear) and they package it up and doctor it up and flood the airwaves and television broadcasts with it. So, often times, a song will be released and the majority of the public may not even feel it...but if they keep spinning it and pushing it on us, they can dupe is into believing that it's good...and eventually, they wear us down and make us believe that it's what we want to hear, subsequently changing the standards of what's exceptable to suit their needs. In the end, it works out to be less work for the label folks...less artist development, fewer musicians, etc. Now a days, the music pretty much comes secondary to the marketing and styling and image of an artist. The industry is selling a product, rather than exposing an artform. There is very little artistry in the art of music these days. The emphasis has shifted to things of a much more superficial nature, which is why it's hard for music lovers to connect with what's out here now. Which is where we'd like to come in. We believe we, among others, have been called to bring balance to the radio. That is why h₂O Productions will continue to submit to the majors and knock on their doors, because we believe that we have something that can help get the pendulum swinging back in the direction of music as it was inteded to be. We understand the need for dance music and club bangers and we understand that people want to move, but we also see that people are starving for something more...that is why the independent scene is blowing up the way it is...people are SEEKING OUT what that want because it is not being made available to them by the powers that be. If folks want it, and it's out there, they will find it. Eventually, the majors will wake up and take notice that the indie/underground folks are on to something...then, perhaps, they will lend their dollars to fund a 'musical revolution' of sorts and at least try to INCORPORATE music of substance into their format...who knows?...but when they DO, we will be ready to rock and roll!

Q: What can we expect from h₂O Productions in the future? Are you already working on new songs? Are there particular artists you like to work with?

Nicole/Mark: We are like a musical doughnut shop! We make fresh music, daily. Haha. No, really, we try to build or catalog and make new music as often as we can...so, we work on music on a regular basis. We have TONS of material...enough to put out several albums right now! lol. But, we are currently working on songs and ideas for our next compilation which we hope to release in the spring of 2006. We are also considering releasing a 'While U Wait...' remix album in the interim, if things go according to plan. We are also actively submitting to the majors for upcoming projects. As stated previously, you can look for us on Erro's upcoming album and the new Kenny Latimore and Chante Moore project as well.
Hmmmm, there are a few artists we'd like to work with...right now, as far as major label artists are concerned, we would love to work with Justin Timberlake, Brandy and Carl Thomas. On the indie side, We are always down to do more collaborations with Eric Roberson and are looking forward to working with Abby Dobson and Peter Hadar on their upcoming projects as well.

For more infos visit h2o-music.com, cdbaby.com and read my review of While U Wait.