DRAMA

Photo: @bigcameraguyhou 

Name, where are you from?
Na'el and Via, Chicago

Describe your style in three words?
Dark, Dance, Love.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Via: I don't get out much these days def want to see Bad Bunny! But I'd say the best concert I've ever been to would be Nsync in 1999 in San Antonio. The production, the lights, the fire, the dancing and the costume changes… definitely was a game-changer for me.
Na'el: Best gig I've ever been to was Daft Punk live at Lolla 2017. I've never seen a light show so grand and well put together. Daft punk performing in the middle of a pyramid was next level.

If you could be on the line up with any two bands in history?
Robyn and Amr Diab… Would be three different artists from all over the world singing about love.
Via: I've been listening to Robyn for years, I recently got reintroduced to her when she released the Honey record. I'm just blown away by how well she has developed as an artist. It's so refreshing and inspiring to see someone be so successful without all the public eye drama. I think our sounds would mesh really well together and, I mean, not to mention the possibility of becoming friends!
Na’el: I feel they both define what DRAMA is; sadness, love, and romance dance music.

Which Subcultures have influenced you?
Via: Definitely am inspired by the hip-hop universe and Brazillian jazz. My dad played drums at a weekly party called “Hip Hop Hump Day” in Austin Texas in the '90s. It was the first and only rap music I was allowed to listen to until I was 13. He also had some friends from Brazil who would come visit for SXSW and I just remember really loving the bossa nova jams they made.
Na'el: So many different subcultures have influenced me but if I had to pick one it would be Chicago house music. I loved the dance and soul vocals element it brought. It would seriously put me on a high listening to house music.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Via: Anthony Bourdain was amazing. I would have to eat some good Thai food with him. I really love the culinary art world. I went to two culinary schools in my teens and worked in restaurants for close to 10yrs. I'm sure most people would pick a musician but I would love to sit and talk with him about food and life. I just really respect his legendary career and presence in the universe.
Na'el: Jay-Z would be my pick. I would love to pick his brain on how he balances music and business. I feel he does such a great job at being focused and ahead of the game. Much respect.

Of all the venues you’ve been to, which is your favourite?
The Metro for sure. It's a legendary venue known all over the country. They take good care of the artists that perform there. The sound and overall vibe is super homey.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
DJ Emmaculate. He's e a dope producer/engineer from Chicago who produced and mixed 100s of records that came out of the Midwest. What's pretty dope about him is that he understands music as a collective which is hard to find these days in engineers.

Chicago-based duo DRAMA is the collaboration between producer Na’el Shehade and vocalist Via Rosa. Combining the complementary dynamics of their unlikely pairing by blurring the lines between R&B and dance-pop, the pair recently signed with Ghostly International. DRAMA's debut album, ‘Dance Without Me’, is scheduled for release February 14. Alongside the announcement, they have shared a new single and US/UK live dates, including headline dates at London's Heaven and Manchester's Night & Day Cafe.