Check out our interview with talented British rap duo Bars and Melody.
Rapper Leondre Devries and singer Charlie Lenehan took the world by storm when their debut single “Hopeful” entered the UK charts at number 5. Fast forward 6 years, several world tours and platinum albums later, Bars and Melody are ready to take it to another level.
The duo doesn’t hold back lyrically. Their music drips with emotion and authenticity that is raw and unfiltered. Their latest single “Henny” is a reflection of their daily lives and experiences since they were teens. Keeping the writing process lucid, they found themselves hit by a wave of inspiration resulting in the entirety of “Henny” being recorded in just 20 minutes. The track is a combination of drill, trap and pop, reminiscent of the likes of AJ Tracey, Steel Banglez, Yung Thug and Travis Scott.
With a tight trap beat, rich fat 808’s and a catchy hook and vocal echos, “Henny” oozes with energy and fire, sure to add heat to any party. Hoping to inspire people to think outside the box and not be labelled by people’s opinions, the duo aren’t trying to be a positive influence… They want to be a real influence.
Follow Bars and Melody @barsandmelody
[vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL9B76UWNs4″ title=”Bars and Melody – Henny (Official Video)”][vc_column_text]
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Diverse, pioneers, underdogs.
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
We were the first ever golden buzzer from Simon Cowell on season 14 of Britain’s Got
Talent.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Feel-good, unique, universal
Do you ever get nervous?
You don’t get nervous when your living your dream.
Tell us about your newest release “Henny?”
Henny is a feel-good song that you can put on to suit any vibe.
Which artists and styles inspired and influenced you?
We’re inspired by all corners of the music industry so it’s hard to pin point a certain person.
When all the partying is over how do you like to chill out?
Music is our hobby and lifestyle so we spend the most time handling our music career and
making music but aside from that we spend a lot of time at the beach and play a lot of Fifa.
Best stage you have ever play?
We’ve played many phenomenal shows across the world but if we had to pick one it would
be a stadium show we played in Japan for 90 thousand + people.
Funniest thing that ever happened at an event?
Obviously not funny at the time, but looking back we headlined a polish festival and during
the set, I (Charlie) fell over on stage, snapping some ligaments which was caught from
multiple angles and is quite entertaining to watch back.
What is different from the Rap music and style from the UK to the US?
I think both countries are starting to take heavy influence from each other which is creating
a huge heat wave in the industry. We take a lot of inspiration from both sides and both
countries are constantly evolving the game
What’s your favourite club/venue to perform?
Charlie – My personal favourite is Bristol O2 Academy, it was one of the first venues I got to play at in my career and was also the place of my first concert, which was Mac Miller. RIP Mac. It was surreal to play a venue which held such a strong place in my heart. Leo – Mine is the O2 Arena in London, we’ve played multiple shows there and its such a phenomenal venue and also a dream and land mark for every artist.
Did you guys had events/gigs planned and cancelled because of COVID? If so have you done any online events or interaction with your fans?
We had a whole world tour ready to go, we were a few weeks out in rehearsals when we heard the news we would have to cancel it all due to the pandemic. We recently did our first ever livestream concert which was a strange but incredible experience.
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
We enjoy every part of what we do, we know exactly what we signed up for and even embrace the imperfections within what we do. It’s a lot of pressure and its hard to handle sometimes but we wouldn’t change a thing.
What’s your advice for the newer artists?
Stay hungry, stay humble.
What’s next for Bars & Melody in 2021?
Consistent releases is something we have struggled with in the past so our priority right
now is making sure we release as frequent as we can whilst still maintaining a high quality
of music.
As a popular artists and influencers you guys are followed by so many people. How do you feel about that pressure of doing always the right thing, and encourage people to follow their dreams?
For a long time we’ve been in a side of the industry which requires us to be positive role
models which has been hard, not because we are bad influences but to maintain what is classed as a clean image nowadays is unnatural and a false representation of who we are. We have always promised to be real with our fans so now at our age we are able to be real influences.
Best advice ever given?
Stay true to yourself.
Name one your strengths?
Our brotherhood, it’s kept us together through everything.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
Roast dinner from our lovely assistant Neve.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Clarity.
Do you support any charities?
We try and give back as much as we possibly can and have worked very closely with many
charities including the princess Diana foundation. We are also involved heavily in a evolutionary humanitarian crypto currency called edgecoin which is centred around changing the face of the educational payment system.
What is your favourite healthy food?
When we are at home we try and maintain as much of a healthy diet as possible, Charlie’s favourite veg is sweetcorn, and Leo’s is sprouts.
And your favourite cheat food?
Our favourite cheat food is Taco bell.
What would be a deal breaker on a first date?
Eating with your mouth open is a no go.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Charlie – Eminem. Leo – Tupac
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
Retired, sipping a cocktail on the beach.
How would you describe your fashion style?
Diverse and unique, we follow trends but in our own way.
What do you think of Social Media?
We think its great however it can be a very dangerous place with many faults in the system
that need to be changed however its completely changed the entire world and us as artists
can definitely vouch for that.
Where we can follow you?
@barsandmelody on all social media
Quote: Carpe Diem
Movie: Leo – anything anime in obsessed. Charlie – stepbrothers
Travel destinations: Leo- anywhere with snow and slopes – Charlie – Thailand, where I’ll be going very soon.
Sports team: Leo – Tottenham hotspurs Charlies – Liverpool
