An Interview with the R&B Band A.T.L.D.V!

A.T.L.D.V. is the newest band of this millennium! They are here to deliver great songs that will stand the test of time as sure as the bands before them. Their debut album, set to be released this September, will cross all genres of music and all walks of life too.

Their debut single is called “Fallin 4 u” and it provides the heat of today’s hip hop and r&b with a pop edge and a  classic Motown sound all in one hot mix. With Angel Brown, King David and Ike Nyce on the leads, this pairing is sure to have you fallin in love with this song & this band.

They have recently followed up “Fallin 4 U” with a more upbeat love triangle song called “Lookin 4 Luv.”

To bring awareness to this years 20^th Anniversary Million Man March, ATLDV has written a new song to shed light on these inequities. Entitled “This Old World,” it is a tribute to those lives and a glimpse into how this world needs to change.

Learn more about ATLV in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! Where does this interview find the band today? 

Well, today we are in New Orleans preparing for our 1st live performance at the Essence Festival.

Is there music playing in the background?

Yes, our music is playing in the background. Our new single “DJ TURN MY RECORD UP” is what’s playing for the dancers right now.

What music do you all like to listen to when you are relaxing or answering interview questions?

Lyberty likes to listen to smooth r&b of the 80 & 90’s,  Storm likes to listen to Beyonce and Ike Nyce listens to EVERYTHING from 2Chainz to Prince (My Favorite).

How does 2017 so far compare to last year?

I think last year we were working hard to get our brand prepared by doing shows with headliners like FANTASIA, ANTHONY HAMILTON, KEITH SWEAT, MAZE, ETC. This year we put out our very 1st music video from our forthcoming album “THE FUTURE OF R&B BANDS,” which has opened new doors to things like national radio/video play to doing  interview with you. So we are happy that we are building our brand.

Did you all approach this year differently then you did 2016? 

Yes we sure did! We were determined to be apart of Essence this year (we had been trying to get in there since our 1st album DREAMS STILL COME TRUE 3yrs ago) but since the video release of our new single DJ TURN MY RECORD UP we have been getting more opportunities to do bigger things this year so far. Well finally, our essence festival DreamVision has manifested now We are looking forward to have radio/video outlet bless our band with spins & play on there stations and networks. We hope to continue building our brand in this era.

Growing up, did you all always want to be musicians?

Yes IKE was always trying to be like Prince as a performer but he only plays percussion, Lyberty is more of the producer songwriter. She got in the studio with the guys and learned everything they know and now produces tracks for the band. Storm plays guitar, writes, sings and rap too.

Can you recall the moment you realized that you could really make music together and be a band?

It was after Ike had been on tour with EARTH WIND AND FIRE overseas in Europe and in Japan. That’s when we realized that if fans of EWF still come to see them after all these years, WE could do the same thing with a male & female R&B BAND. That was about 4 years ago.

Why do you think your name truly represents this group and the music that you create?

A.T.L.D.V.  means Artist That’s Living our Dream Vision. The music reflects us individually and collectively as Artist.

Let’s talk about your debut single, “Fallin 4 U.” What was the inspiration for this track?

Well Fallin 4 U was the 1st single off our debut CD Dreams Still Come True, which is available on Tidal, iTunes and everywhere digital outlets sell our music. That song was inspired by Diana Ross and really the Motown sound with a twist of present day current productions. The story is about thinking you know love until you really meet someone who takes you to another level in love.

I’ve read that your 2nd single off your 1st album, Lookin 4 Luv” is about the first black bachelor… What was it like putting it together?

Yes, it’s about the ABC network not having, yet to this day a black bachelor on the show The Bachelor, so we wrote this song in hopes that the ABC network if they ever do cast a black bachelor, that they would use our song as the theme song for the show. The song speaks from the bachelor, the bachelor’s friend (who helps him pick the best girl) and the girl who has to compete with the other girls for his love.

How do you think “DJ TURN MY RECORD UP” prepares people for your new sophomore album due out this September?

It’s a fun song that can get the party started at the club or the family BBQ. We wanted to bring fun filled music to the airwaves, from an R&B BAND prospective. There’s plenty of solo r&b artists out there that make great fun filled music like Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Chris Brown to name a few. But NO R&B BANDS doing it in today’s industry. This is sad by the way, because it sends a message to our youth that we can’t work together and we can’t build and create together. We are here to open that door to allow younger artists to explore writing and recording a full body of work together as a group, band or duo.

How will the other songs on it be different or similar?  

The full body of work contains, like I said earlier, our influences as individual ARTISTS and as a collective group effort on most of the songs. That means we have songs that has one lead on it and songs where we share the leads throughout the project, from the socially conscious THIS OLD WORLD (AIN’T A FRIEND OF MINE) to party songs like TURN HER UP. We got something for everybody.

How do you think your sound has changed over time?

This 2nd album is more creative, because we all have had the opportunity to grow as artists and we have learned how to best place our talents to the songs. It’s still fun and social but we are more experienced when it comes to the production.

Let’s also talk about your other single, “This Old World.” How did this song go from being an idea in your heads to a full-fledged track?

The idea came from our struggle as Black Americans living in a time where you can have the video of a black person being killed on camera and the killer(namely cops) get to still have a pay check and get acquitted of the charges. THIS OLD WORLD AIN’T A FRIEND OF MINE.

How excited are you all to be performing at Essence Fest?

You just don’t know! We are over the moon twice happy about this opportunity to be apart of such a historical event, where legendary artist and new artists like our band get to go and meet and greet one another in a loving & respectful setting.

Is this your first time performing there?

This is our very 1st time performing at Essence. Thanks to Joy Collins Profet and her assistant Ihaku and her Essence staff for making us feel welcomed.

Will you have a chance to walk around and enjoy the other artists playing at it?

We sure will! We have many friends that wanna see us win as a band, like Kelly Price, Brandy, Jill Scott and Chaka Khan. They all have been very supportive of bringing R&B BANDS back to our industry.

Where else can fans see you perform this summer?

We will be in Jacksonville, Fl. in August, and in Columbia, SC in September and a few other places too.  You can go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/atldv for all of our tour dates.

What do you think makes a perfect show ATL DREAMVISION?

When we get to perform with our full band and dancers (that includes our horn section)!

Who are some of your favorite artists?  

PRINCE, OUTKAST, MINNIE RIPERTON, EWF, MICHAEL  JACKSON, JOE, ERIC BENET,  MARY J BLIGE, BIGGIE, ANITA BAKER ,MAXWELL, ARETHA FRANKLIN and LUDACRIS.

Who would you all to work with in the future? 

KENDRICK LAMAR, BRUNO MARS, RAHEEM DEVAUGHN and NEW EDITION.

What would be a dream collaboration for this band?

ED SHEERAN, JOE, KIRK FRANKLIN, FANTASIA , ERYKAH BADU and DJ KHALED.

What do you hope is the message of your music?

PEACE, LOVE, FUN AND INFLUENCE  OF SELF LOVE and FOR THE LOVE OF OTHERS THROUGH GOD’S EYES.

What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?  

We hope we are able to make their day just a little bit brighter and fun with our songs while giving them something really real to think about when it comes to how to treat your family and friends and your community.

What advice would you give to a band just getting started? Or even to someone young that is thinking of becoming a musician one day?

Just because you don’t see bands, groups and duos in our present urban industry, be fearless and create music with your brothers or sisters. Go out and support your art and somebody will support you. If you have a talent, don’t let anyone stop you from perfecting your craft. The best work in the world is allowing your talent to support your livelihood.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

We are A.T.L.D.V. and we need your readers to support our DREAMVISION by supporting R&B BANDS at national radio & video outlets across the country. Help us break through that glass ceiling so that our urban music industry can have the success stories like top 40 bands like COLDPLAY, IMAGINE DRAGONS, THE CHAINSMOKERS and MAROON 5 just to name a few.

Support our brand and we promise to support every station that gives us their support!