Interview with Shermanology: “the music that we create represents our musical upbringing and our vision”

Netherlands-based trio Shermanology is comprised of Andy, Dorothy, and Leon, three individual who have been on fire as of late. With their number one smash hit, "Can't Stop Me Now," along with a spellbounding performance with Afrojack at Ultra Music Festival, Elektro was thrilled to chat with the EDM act amidst their crazy touring and studio sessions.

We have read that growing up singing was as natural as speaking. Was your entire family into music?

Our fathers and uncles are singers. Andy and Dorothy's father's name is Tony Sherman. He started out as a solo artist and later he joined a group called 'The Sherman Brothers.' Leon's father, named Kenneth Sherman, also was a member of this group. We grew up watching them do a million rehearsals, lots of performances, making music and just simply creating magic. They're our biggest inspiration.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

Our parents all loved the same legends so our musical influences are quite similar. We grew up with the music of artists like Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Donny Hathaway, Peabo Bryson and Micheal Jackson... just to name a few.

What were your first jobs?

Dorothy: I sang in a band.

Andy: I worked at Pizza Hut.

Leon: My first job was delivering morning papers.

How did you get your name?

Our last name is Sherman. The music that we create represents our musical upbringing and our vision. That's how we came up with the name Shermanology.

Andy, you were discovered by Jimmy Low from Public Demand Records and replaced Craig David as lead singer for Artful Dodger. Tell us about that experience.

When I was 19 I was performing with my dad in Spain and one of our shows was in the hotel where Jimmy Low was staying. He saw me perform and after the show he offered to move me to the U.K. and become the new member of Artful Dodger. Within a month I moved to the U.K. and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I learned so much performing as an MC. The experience was truly great. During this period I started developing my skills as a songwriter and I also got to learn how to DJ. I was amazed by the love the U.K. has for electronic music.

Dorothy, how about your experience as lead singer for Suprèmes Tribute. Tell us about that.

It was fun! We had to perform for 6 months on the beautiful Island Rhodos. Andy and I did a "Platters" tribute and Leon did a "The Tramps" tribute. This was a perfect time to get used to the stage and test our vocal skills. Our vocal cords got trained by performing night after night. It was incredibly hard work, but it definitely paid off. Overall the experience was great.

What was the craziest thing you guys experienced on tour individually or together as a group?

We all agree on this one. There's a club in Glasgow called ''the Arches''. We've performed there twice in 2011. The crowd over there is out of this world and we love them. Their energy is crazy and they rock it out from start till finish. We can't wait to go back.

What made you guys want to connect and form your own group?

Dorothy: Andy and I have always worked together. Andy always spun at parties for fun while working professionally as an MC as well as myself. After working the stages as MC's for quite some time we decided to do our own thing. Andy was already familiar with DJ'ing. Starting Shermanology was a natural step. After about 2 years we asked Leon to come and join us. We've worked with Leon in the past and we always said that we wanted add him to the group when the time was right. We contacted him and he immediately flew over. After a proper introduction at Lakedance Festival it was clear. He's here to stay.

How do you describe your style?

Energetic and uplifting. Vocal.

Being related, is it tougher or easier when you are touring? We hear stories of brothers, sisters, cousins fighting more. Any truth to that?

In our case, no not really. The most important thing is to accept that we all have a different character. It's all about reading each other's manual. Whenever we're tired or whatever we call in a ''time out''. We don't discuss anything until we've had a good night's rest and a proper meal. The good thing about working with family is that arguments never last long and we're very patient with each other.

How did the collaboration with Afrojack come about?

We have known Afrojack for quite a while now. We used to work each other at a lot of parties where we hosted as MC's. The chemistry was always there. When he launched his label we started sending him our new material. We hooked up to let him listen to our demos and he loved it. We signed to his label and the rest is history

What was it like working with him?

Afrojack knows exactly what he wants. If a track doesn't sound right he immediately knows what needs to be altered. He's a person who always has a strong vision. We love working with him. Afrojack has shown that everything is possible if you work hard and believe in yourself. We've made a lot of music these last 6 months so get ready for some more Afrojack and Shermanology music!

Have you ever performed any of the big festivals such as Coachella, Ultra, EDC? What festival would you most want to play if you could only choose one?

We performed with Afrojack last month at Ultra Music Festival. The show was absolutely amazing. We'll be doing Coachella amd EDC is definitely on the wish list.

What artists would you like to collaborate with that you have not already?

We would love to work with Nicky Romero, Tiësto, Daft Punk, R3hab and SHM would be nice too.

What can fans expect for 2012?

We've been locked down in the studio for quite some time. We've got a lot of solo projects coming. And we are also working on some exiting collabs. We've been working on Afrojack his album the last couple of months, so watch out for some new Shermanology and Afrojack collabs as well.