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Mary
Mary :
The name evokes an appeal to above, a spiritual call, a joyful
noise. Which is why singer/songwriters Erica and Tina Atkins
chose "Mary Mary" as their performance moniker.
Mary Mary's music -- sometimes co-written and all produced
by hot R&B/hip-hop producer Warryn Campbell is contemporary
and caring, funky and faithful, surprising, soulful and deeply
spiritual.
Thankful, the
group's debut album for Columbia Records is pure gospel, made
for those who may not yet have been touched by The Word but
will be moved by the beat. "We were thinking about the
Marys in the Bible, and there are two specifically: Mary Magdalene,
who was delivered from evil spirits and of course Mary, Mother
of Jesus, both of whom were very instrumental in His ministries,"
explains Erica, the slightly older and more laid-back of the
20something siblings. "It's all about Jesus and telling
people who He is and of His love. That's the whole purpose
behind Mary Mary." With voices steeped in soulful intensity,
melodies that soar engagingly above the beats, and affirming
lyrics that combine traditional gospel concepts with rhythmic
immediacy, these young women have created a glorious package
that delivers the straightforward message of God's love consistently
through every bumping track, starting with the guitar-driven
"I Sings," in which Tina and Erica raise their voices
in praise of all their blessings. From the dancefloor funk
of "Shackles," the album's irresistible first single,
to the driving rhythms of "I Got It" to the deep
groove bump of "Joy," Mary Mary celebrate spiritual
redemption and unshakable faith so powerfully that sitting
still is not an option. Their slower tunes describing the
Lord's grace, such as "What A Friend" and "Still
My Child," also display their gorgeous melodies and seamless
harmonies, further creating in a listener the twin senses
of joy and peace. At a time when other gospel artists have
already made strides into secular arenas with ever-more contemporary
R&B tracks, Mary Mary have carried the art of creating
modern praise music into a new category of creativity, honesty,
originality, and soulfulness. "I think one of the misconceptions
about gospel music is that it's dreary or sad, or 'Oh Lord,
help me' --something that brings you down," says the
outgoing, animated Tina. "That's not me. I'm living in
a natural world--first natural, then spiritual, my heart is
still the same. It's just my relationship with God is always
there. Being thankful or talking about joy just goes to the
music that I hear and that's how I write these songs."
Born to gospel-singing
parents amid five other sisters and a brother, Erica and Tina
were raised in a strict churchgoing family in Inglewood, California,
where gospel music--the Clark Sisters, Commissioned, the Winans,
Shirley Caesar, John P. Kee, Rev. Milton Brunson, Hezekiah
Walker--was the only music allowed in the household. The Atkins
kids soon comprised most of the church choir's soprano section,
but Erica and Tina's vocal talents earned them coveted soloist
spots. After singing with the popular "Bobby Jones Gospel"
program on BET with their siblings, the two middle sisters
realized that "music was completely in our hearts."
In 1995 they were recruited as part of the cast of the Michael
Matthews traveling gospel show "Mama I'm Sorry,"
doing up to eight performances a week in a variety of U.S.
cities in an extremely competitive atmosphere among the singers.
Their talents earned them slots in a second Matthews play,
"Sneaky," and they toured for more than a year,
honing their stage presentation as well as strengthening their
voices. All along, the two had been writing their own songs,
separately and together, enlisting each other and family members
to put the tunes on cassette tape. A chance meeting with producer
Warryn Campbell around 1996 was the key event that brought
Mary Mary into existence. A "church boy" himself
who was impressed with the women's songwriting skills, Campbell
collaborated on tunes with them and brought the new material,
as well as the sisters' own originals, to his publisher, EMI
Music. Executives were so enthused that Erica and Tina landed
their own publishing contracts, and a tune they wrote and
performed on with Robin S., "Dance," was quickly
added to the best-selling "Dr. Dolittle" soundtrack.
Producers of the inspirational soundtrack to "The Prince
Of Egypt" clamored for their work, and their "Let
Go, Let God," was included on the album. Another composition,
"What More Can He Do," was recorded by Las Vegas
femme trio 702. Mary Mary felt they had truly been blessed
when one of their idols, Yolanda Adams, recorded two of their
songs, "Time To Change" and "Yeah," for
her current album.
The circulation
of Mary Mary's songs throughout the recording industry brought
offers of record deals from several labels. With a clear conception
of how they wanted to be marketed to a broad audience, Mary
Mary chose to sign with Columbia Records. As such, the pair
is the first gospel act to be signed to the label. A major
part of their self-concept is dictated by their artistsout
religious beliefs, which means they define themselves as strictly
gospel--and not just inspirational--artists. "Inspirational
music makes me feel good, like I can go on, I can make it,
I can do whatever I put my mind to. But the gospel tells you
about what God can do, it tells you the good news of Jesus,"
explains Erica. "Because our music is so hip-hop and
has an urban feel, a lot of people think, 'Oh it's inspirational,
it's contemporary.' It can be. But listen to what I'm saying
[in the song]. The songs that we write tell the message of
Christ specifically." This artistsotion to the core mission
of their startling songcraft is what makes Mary Mary's music
and personal presence so continually refreshing, a artistsotion
sometimes lacking in the sounds and lifestyles of other artists.
It's a artistsotion that informs the uplifting, upbeat spirit
of Thankful. So clap your hands and be prepared for a transformation
to joy.
 _.:Mary
Mary Official Site
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