meet the atl finalists: dazz & brie

On Thursday, October 10th, four acts will perform at the AFROPUNK ATL Battle of the Bands Finals at The Basement.

Grand Prize at the Battle of the Bands is the once-in-a-lifetime chance to join the star-studded, line-up of the 2019 AFROPUNK Carnival of Consciousness in Atlanta, on October 12th and 13th. But the Battle of the Bands is not only an opportunity for a big break most musicians seek throughout their careers; it’s also an occasion for Atlanta and Southeast-based artists to showcase their music, their creative spirit and their artistry to the AFROPUNK audience. So this week, we’re spotlighting all the finalists, asking them questions about who they are and what this moment means to them.

Next up are Dazz & Brie (born Dazzmin Murry and Kabrelyn Boyce), a fabulous rocked-up soul duo from Little Rock, Arkansas, whose goal is to light up the world and to not dance alone.

What are your names, ages, and the instruments that you play? And, where are you from?

Dazz, 20-something, drums, guitar, keys, vox from North Little Rock, AR. Brie, 20-ish, lead vox, from Atlanta, TX. Yes, there is an actual Atlanta, TX!

What are your favorite things about where you are from? (Especially when it comes to Black culture of where you are from.)

I think that where we’re from, our culture has been stifled a lot, but our favorite thing is the reclamation of our Black voices. Everywhere you go in Little Rock, there are more events, more creatives coming together to really build the city up so that it works for us. The support is unmatched because we all know how important it is for us to leave our marks so that the next generation will know someone was here before you, and someone gave a damn. Take care of it. It’s definitely a familial unit here, and we don’t take that for granted.

In your own words, give us a short description of the kind of music you make.

Our music is a blend of rock ‘n soul. We incorporate heavy drums and rhythmic guitar with soulful melodies and harmonies. We also have one motto: “we don’t like to dance alone.”

If there was one or two core thoughts or ideas that you want your music to convey, what are they?

We want our music to encourage others to be themselves, unapologetically, and to not stop pushing until they see their dreams come to fruition. If you were blessed with the gift and the vision, then the only thing left to do is the work.

What are your musical dreams and aspirations? Not fame-wise, but creatively.

We aspire to travel the world as full-time musicians, we want to inspire others to fearlessly pursue their dreams, and we’d love to eventually score movies, do voice-over acting and get into other realms of entertainment using our gifts.

What do you think you can do with music?

Our music can be used as a vessel to say what needs to said in a moment where it’s hard for our voices to be heard. We’d like for our music to transcend prejudices and break down walls of hatred, and we think we can make the world dance.

Name one artist that you would like to collaborate with? What do you think that collaboration would sound like?

We’d love to collaborate with Miguel. He’s just so powerful and fearless on stage. We also love the places he explores lyrically. It would sound like the love child of Earth Wind & Fire and The Rolling Stones.

What are you most looking forward to if you win the Battle of the Bands? What do you think winning could do for you?

We’re looking forward to playing the stage at AFROPUNK. We’ve been spectators before and the beauty in the Blackness of it all is really overwhelming. We want to be apart of that on an even deeper level. Winning would give us a broader audience who hears where we’re coming from — you know, the weirdoes and awkwards of the world. We need our voices heard too.

Anything else you want to say to the AFROPUNK audience as a way of introduction?

We’re just so excited to be here. We can’t wait to rock out with y’all, and .. we don’t like to dance alone!

Go support Dazz & Brie at the AFROPUNK Battle of the Bands ATL 2019, at The Basement on Thursday, October 10th.