Six Guys. Five Different Countries. One Sound.
They found each other on Internet through their common musical interests despite a great distance between them. Though they have been singing “together” since 2011, they had never met in person before June 2014.
Nothing says “harmony” like coming together across international borders, as they write on their Facebook page.
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Six Guys. Five Different Countries. One Sound.
They found each other on Internet through their common musical interests despite a great distance between them. Though they have been singing “together” since 2011, they had never met in person before June 2014.
Nothing says “harmony” like coming together across international borders, as they write on their Facebook page.
Meeting on the Internet
It all began when Simon Åkesson (Sweden) and Jean-Baptiste Craipeau (France) got to know each other on a forum for the 1950s group The Hi-Lo’s.
Jean-Baptiste had previously done YouTube collaborations with Evan Sanders (USA), Andrew Kesler and Danny Fong (Canada). Having successfully recorded four-part arrangements, they wanted to extend to six-part singing. Jean- Baptiste contacted Simon and also James Rose (England).
They chose a song with special meaning: “Gold Mine,” which was the first track on the debut album by their musical heroes Take 6. Each singer recorded his part, one at a time, starting with Evan on bass and moving up to Jean-Baptiste on top. Though the project was meant to be a one-time collaboration, an experiment of sorts, they felt like a real group when they witnessed the positive response from their YouTube audience. It was a reaction unlike any they had seen from previous projects, propelling them to do many more.
In a private Facebook group they discuss and enhance the arrangements until all are satisfied.
“We never rehearse together, but sometimes we ‘meet’ every day on Facebook,” explains Simon.
Finally Together
When Swedish choir Kammarkören Sångkraft was planning to host a choral festival, Accent was one of the groups that everyone was interested in inviting.
“We have talked a little about meeting, that it would be fun,” says Simon, “so when we got the offer from the festival we just accepted.”
A few days before the festival, the group met—for the first time—at Simon’s place in Skellefteå, Sweden. Though moving from digital collaborations into the live domain dealt many unknowns, the connection was immediate and strong. The blend, groove, emotion and showmanship were all there. All six guys agree that the group functions at a higher level than they thought possible. Musically, it’s the most exciting project of their individual lives. Following several performances in Sweden, all they could talk about is when they would be able to do it again. There has been no shortage of prospects.
What was once a fun bedroom project has now turned into a real live group with a wonderful message about the power of music. Though their meeting in Sweden could have been a novelty act for one night only, it was actually just the first chapter of their story. Their Internet projects were merely the preface.
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