Following in those same famous footsteps of their trailblazing predecessors; New Edition and NKOTB to The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, yet still very fresh on the scene themselves, CRFW [Curfew], comprised of group members Jacob Logan, Leo Sclamberg, Freddy Pomee, Reif Harrison & Jake Ryan, are already predestined to take the music world by storm with their picture perfect blend of Pop / R&B / Soul melodies and electrifying dance moves.
We recently caught up with 1/5 of the collective, Jacob, in order to find out what it is exactly that makes this latest addition to the “boy band” phenom actually tick…
Muzikscribe: Now tell me your whole inception into music -- When did you all first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for CRFW?
CRFW: I’ve known I wanted to perform since straight out the womb. My mom grew up singing and dancing, and I really learned a lot from her growing up. Me, my mom, and my little sister, Chloe, would harmonize to the radio driving in the car, which had me ready to sing in a singing group since I was a kid.
Muzikscribe: Now where exactly do y’all hail from? And growing up there, who all did / do you all consider to be your strongest musical influences?
CRFW: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, but now live in Irvine, California. When I was really young, my dad would play The Beatles around the house and they were probably the first music act that I fell in love with. Once I hit first grade, my dad played Bieber’s first single while pushing me on (my) stroller while going on a run, and I fell in love with his music. I wanted to be a Pop star ever since.
Muzikscribe: Now from an individual standpoint, what do each of you bring to the table both personality-wise and creatively?
CRFW: We all bring something unique to the group. Leo’s our guitar player. He can pretty much play every instrument. He’s also got a little country twang in him that diversifies our voices. Jake’s tone in his voice is crazy smooth, and he brings a lot of emotion when he sings. Freddy, he’s got the range, he belts our high notes.
Muzikscribe: In having said that, how do you all classify your overall sound and / or style?
CRFW: I’d say right now we are still figuring our sound. We don’t wanna be put in a box. We can really dip into any genre we choose. But If I had to pinpoint, I’d say a Pop sound with some R&B mixed in.
Muzikscribe: Where does the group’s moniker originally derive from?
CRFW: T-Low thought of the name for us, and we took it and ran with it.
Muzikscribe: What particular string of events actually led to your initial linking up with Terry "T-Low" Brown of famed R&B trio Next?
CRFW: For me, I had already known Freddy from both of us touring with “KIDZ BOP” while we were younger. Freddy had already known T-Low, and when he caught wind that he was try’na start a boy band he thought I’d be a good addition.
Muzikscribe: Switching gears here… What do you all feel will be the ultimate key to your longevity? And what will it be then that will continue to sustain you all in this business?
CRFW: I think the key to our longevity is us sticking together, and not letting anything separate us along the way. Fame changes people, but if we stay real with each other we should be solid.
Muzikscribe: What do you all want people to get from your music?
CRFW: I feel like we see our music as stadium songs. We want people to gather in a football stadium, and no matter what they look like or where they come from they can all connect with us and with each other through our music.
Muzikscribe: If you all could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
CRFW: If we could collab with one artist, I’d have to say Bieber. He’s the real reason I started taking singing serious in the first place.
Muzikscribe: If you all could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
CRFW: I’d have to say Madison Square Garden. Speaking of Bieber, when I was in first grade I watched his documentary and the plot to the movie was him performing at MSG. For the group that I’m a part of to perform there would be a dream come true.
Muzikscribe: On a more serious note, are you all happy with the current state of R&B? And, even more specifically, why do you all feel that we, the masses, don’t see the group dynamic like it was back in, say, the nineties?
CRFW: I really didn’t grow up on real R&B, but I did grow up on groups heavily inspired by it; such as *NSYNC. There hasn’t been a real European boy band to hit mainstream since the ‘90’s, but I think the world is ready for one now. We want to be the ones to take that spot.
Muzikscribe: Do you all have any other outside / additional aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?
CRFW: This is all I’ve ever wanted. Being in a boy band specifically. Growing up, I’d jump around in the mirror with 4 imaginary guys next to me singing my harmonies and hitting my dance steps.
Muzikscribe: To date, what has been your greatest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?
CRFW: Back when I was in “KIDZ BOP,” I performed at the Hollywood Bowl. It was one of the biggest crowds I’ve ever performed in front of, and it was one of my proudest moments. Seeing all the kids in the audience sharing moments and memories with their families thanks to me and the 3 other kids up on stage with me was beautiful, and I hope we, CRFW, can help create memories for kids all around the world.
Muzikscribe: What’s an average day like for you all?
CRFW: When we are together we are usually rehearsing or actually watching other groups that came before us; such as *NSYNC and New Edition. We also hoop a lot. Me and Freddy been try’na teach Leo and Jake how to play. Some things you can’t teach I guess . Haha, I’m trolling!
Muzikscribe: Please discuss how you all interact with and respond to fans...
CRFW: With this just being the start of our journey I wouldn’t say we have “fans,” and even when we do I’d look to them as more of supporters. We’ve been doing shows at high schools and getting crowds hype, and all the kids have been so supportive and we appreciate all of y’all.
Muzikscribe: What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
CRFW: Favorite part about this line of work gotta be seeing how excited everyone gets to meet us after they watch us perform. It lets us know they really enjoyed our performance and want to connect with us on a personal level, and we love it.
Muzikscribe: What advice would you all have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
CRFW: I think with us just starting out it’s hard to give advice of what the lifestyle could turn into ‘cause we aren’t there yet. But what I can say is just to really make an effort to become friends with your bandmates. These boys are my brothers now, and I wouldn’t rather take this journey on with anyone else. That’s what makes it so fun.
Muzikscribe: Lastly, what’s next for CRFW?
CRFW: We got almost 30 songs recorded, and we just wanna keep recording and experimenting until we find our sound and are confident that we are making the music we want y’all to hear from us.
Muzikscribe: Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention?
CRFW: Think you got it all covered!
Muzikscribe: Any "closing" thought(s) for our readers?
CRFW: This is just the beginning. Who knows where this thing could take us. We ready to find out.
