Mothers Favorite Child

The influences of the writers, musicians and vocalists of Mothers Favorite Child range from Soul Music and Classic Rock to Hip-Hop and Reggae and virtually no other sound is off limits. Mothers Favorite Child represents the best of what true music for the soul has to offer. Whether it’s a live stage performance or a studio recording, Mothers Favorite Child completely captivates the listening audience and offers up every ounce of energy it possesses.

Do not, by any means, snuggle up to satisfaction quite yet. Just when we think it could not possibly get any better, they whisk away another layer to reveal . . . MORE.

MothersFavoriteChild began as a gift of intuition . . . an intricate feeling deep within the core of producer/songwriter Paris Toon. Using his “gift”, Paris carefully assembled a collection of incredibly unique and talented individuals, and bestowed his lyrics and musical thoughts upon them.

With much nurturing, this gift grew to become the name for an incredible musical experience that reflects a time when R&B songs would bring impromptu smiles to our faces. A time when music caressed the heart, moved the soul and lifted the spirit. As a collective, the purpose of Mother’s Favorite Child is to not only recall the roots of R&B, but to transcend the past and present face of the genre with its “Neo Soul”.  The Soul Album is due summer of 2009.

Mothers Favorite Child has introduced an acoustic set - “nude” versions of the songs so many listeners have already embraced.

Mothers Favorite Child’s “Unplugged Soul” started as a way to keep its musicians in shape and working, while the construction of their full-length album continues. After making a few appearances in selected venues, they seem to have attracted even more attention than their acoustic headlining acts from the music and poetry worlds alike.

Anticipated demand has provoked the idea for Mothers Favorite Child to record an EP of its new acoustic sounds in addition to its full length album to be released in mid 2009. And so it shall be, while the world is sleeping, the greatness of Mothers Favorite Child is being created.

For more information on the developments of Mothers Favorite Child’s recordings and performances, please join mfc’s mailing list.

Mothers Favorite Child was practically a household name and then they disappeared. We find out why, where they have been and where they plan to go next. We also have the exclusive story on who their new lead vocalist is.

NSN: OK, so last we saw of MFC you were giving killer shows while supporting and sharing the stage with national acts. Just when the Industry thought you were going to be the next Neo Soul group to go national we couldn’t find you. What happened and where have you been?

MFC: We felt we needed a new mood . . . some new inspiration as well as a new fan base to add to what we already built on the East Coast so we moved out West. We felt it was necessary to change our overall lifestyles in order to make our music a full-time career. A new start in a different place and a good business plan has helped us tremendously. We had a fear of becoming one of those bands that plays the same clubs month after month, year after year without ever taking chances & making changes. Some musicians are content with being comfortable and fear what we view as true success. We want to truly examine our demographic and broaden our fan base significantly. Moving West was the best opportunity for a new and exciting start. So far, It has paid off dearly.

NSN: The “face” of Mothers Favorite Child has changed several times. How are you able to maintain your fan base while continually gaining a new audience?

MFC: I think it has to do with just making sure we continue to write great songs. We can write a song and have several different versions with different vocalists and they seem to always stand the test of time. No version of any particular song is truly better than another because everyone seems to have their own favorite version. It also helps to have great musicians for shows and there are many unknown great musicians in every city and town.  We just hustle and find them. It also helps when you have vocalists like Rhian Ayanna join the movement.

NSN: How was Mothers Favorite Child born and how did Rhian Ayanna become a member of MFC?

MFC: (Paris) Originally I wanted to put together some songs that I wrote and invite different artists and musicians to perform them. I put some musicians from different states together and we rehearsed the material then recorded. Some of the musicians liked it so much they thought we should put a band together and play some gigs. Since then, the singers and musicians have changed but the passion, hustle and songwriting has not. I met Rhian when I was working with a producer (Chandlar) who had sent me some tracks he had did. I heard her voice on one of his tracks and just knew I had to work with her. I had never in all the years of listening to singers been so inspired to want to work with someone.  I truly fell in love with her voice, lyrics and music.

NSN: What sets you apart from most other artists?

MFC: Our lyrics automatically put us in a different place than most other artists.  The words of our songs bring poetry back into the mix & end up channeling the very best efforts from the musicians & vocalists involved with the project.  I believe with Rhian now singing in MFC this will even set us apart even more.

NSN: What are your favorite MFC lyrics?

MFC: (Paris) My personal favorites are 15 Minute Kiss, Beautiful and Gently.

NSN: What commercial artist or group do you think best defines your style of music?

MFC: Well, we conduct ourselves as more of a musical movement than a band. On stage and lyrically though, I’d say we’re a little more like vintage 7o’s bands.  Prince, is my (Paris) biggest influence. I am also heavily influenced by Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder & Donnie Hathaway and since we can’t even touch what they did, all we can hope for is to come close and have others appreciate our version of what they created. With the addition of Rhian I think our energy will be better focused and balanced. It is truly a blessing when you have an artist who understands the business and the maturity it takes to make it.

NSN: How do you feel about your current album and what would you like listeners to take from it?

MFC: The Audio Files was really a way to share something with our fans while we create the “album of our dreams”. It was fun to put a new spin on our classic MFC sound by inviting a few producer friends to bring a little progamming to the mix.  I think we’d like listeners to recognize that we are pretty versatile and are able to easily create different vibes whether it’s with live instruments or programmed tracks.

NSN: Does the material on the Audio Files CD reflect a new sound for MFC?

MFC: No. It reflects more of a pre-production sound which I guess you can say would be new to our listeners.  We usually re-record the songs with live instruments. So this is a new sound for MFC to release to the public but not a new sound for us in the pre-production process. This is not something I would do again.  I feel for us the writing process should stay in the vault and our listeners should only hear our professionally recorded songs.  We have released enough demos and live bootlegs.  It is time for people to hear our music the way it is suppose to be heard.

NSN: Paris, you are the “bandleader” and yet, we never see you . . . why?

MFC: (Paris) I like to concentrate more on the behind the scenes work.  I was never into the stage thing. I was always into the intimacy of writing at night alone with the image in my mind of the show and feeling the energy coming from the stage while being an audience member. I like the building of things and then moving on to what comes next.

NSN: When can we expect to see a live MFC performance?

MFC: A new cd is expected to be in stores late Spring of 2009 with the Unplugged Tour soon after. We will be playing in the states and we are working on going overseas as well.

NSN: How would you compare your upcoming album to the recently released Audio Files EP?

MFC: Well, The audio files was more of a collaboration showcasing other producers’ ideas of how they wanted to remix some of MFC’s songs. The new cd has the original sound that Mothers Favorite Child got its early recognition from the sound we personally feel most at home with and inspires us the most even if it is no longer the “industry standard”. We have a rock album, soul album and acoustic album all coming out in 2009.

NSN: Who do you most admire in today’s music scene?

MFC: Many of today’s artists haven’t really given us much inspiration but we do appreciate people like India Arie, Kanye West, Omar & many more. And Prince still throws a track on his album that makes us mad that we didn’t write it. It’s really hard because everytime I think I like a new artist I put on Donny or Curtis Live and realize we all have so much more to do to work on.  

NSN: How do you feel about the internet music world?

MFC: It’s really helping to bring a lot of incredible “unknown” artists to the front of the line. There are so many talented people out there who wouldn’t necessarily be considered by the commercial music industry but could easily compete with what’s featured in the media. If not for the internet, I don’t believe MFC would have found as much success without having to sacrifice some of our vision. We have been able to release our without an exec telling us it won’t work or that we should be doing, sounding or writing like someone/something else. It also gives artists a great opportunity to network with other musicians & industry professionals. Rhian received a publishing deal overseas because of the internet which has helped greatly with our download sales.

NSN: What artist(s) would you like to collaborate with?

MFC: Anthony David, Omar, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Prince

NSN: Do you see an end to MFC anytime soon?

MFC: We do not see an end to MFC. The band may stop performing but the music seems to continue.  People still ask if they can remix our songs and we get requests often from other artists who are interested in performing and recording songs as covers. As long as people are inspired by the songs that have already been published, MFC will continue on through another, even if we no longer play, record or release new cds.

Checkout Rhian Ayanna on buySOUL.com for more info and music samples!

Rhian Ayanna joins mothers favorite child.

Nigel hall releases cover of Simply You on his debut album Nigel Hall The Face of Thing To Come

Mothers Favorite Child came to the scene, not as an individual or a band but as a musical movement. Producer/ Songwriter, Paris Toon formed this particular movement to convey his belief that true soul music is organically grown from inspiration. His purpose on the planet has always been to write and produce great, timeless music that creators and listeners alike can admire and be proud of.

The key element in the Mothers Favorite Child music-making process is recording everything from the scratch vocals to rough musical ideas as if it’s the final recording. Each recording brings new magic and sometimes evolves into new sounds resulting in multiple interpretations of then and now.

As a gift to those who believed there was no reason for some of these “rough cuts” to remain buried within studio hard drives, Mothers Favorite Child opened the vault and blew the dust off of a few favorites, showcasing the soothing vocals of Tanya Thillet and the poetic lyrics of Paris Toon. The result is MFC’s latest collaborative effort - “The Audio Files”.

Here and there, snippets of these pre-produced studio tracks have made their way to various websites across the cyber universe and as a result have created a surprising demand for a full-length album. This highly anticipated creation has been in the works for some time, delayed only by the creator’s need for the “truth” in each and every track (that truth compiled of the best musicians, vocalists and lyrics for the project).

download the cd at:
iTunes.com
buySOUL.com
Amazon.com

Mothers Favorite Child’s song, “Beautiful” will be featured as GarageBand.com’s R&B Track of the Day on Tuesday, the 8^th of November, 2005.

Mothers Favorite Child Live at SOB’s New York City The artistic works of Mothers Favorite Child, in every form it has taken to date, are made to fondly recall the roots of Soul music while continually taking the genre to a place far beyond tangibility. The lyrics are created to provoke a contemplative state while the vocal and instrumental compositions fall perfectly around them as festive decoration.

The purpose of Mothers Favorite Child has always been to create great, timeless music that the creators and listeners can admire and be proud of. Serving as a musical movement, the key to Mothers Favorite Child’s success is seeking out the most suitable, skilled musicians to perform the story of each composition as if it were their own. These individuals have been discovered everywhere from New York City to Pittsburgh to Japan to Amsterdam and each of them have their own incredible interpretations of the material. Whether it’s a stage show or a studio recording, Mothers Favorite Child completely captivates the listening audience and offers up every ounce of energy it possesses. Just when the vibe of the studio tracks have you hitting the ceiling, Mothers Favorite Child takes you crashing right through it with their live performances.

The sound of Mothers Favorite Child in its true, live musical form is nothing short of euphoric. It creates a memory that thrives within the minds of every spectator . . . a memory that inspires conversation in lyrical form. It is this conversational continuum that has led Mothers Favorite Child to release some of their recorded live performance material to their loyal listeners. Even those who were not present are able to embrace a feeling of nostalgia as the band takes a detour through soulful bliss.

Attention all underground Soul listeners & supporters!
If you’re looking for another little taste of what MothersFavoriteChild has steadily been serving up to the independent community, be sure to check out the recently released “Soul Lounge Vol. 1”: The Vibe Compilation: A Collection of Street Soul Music ( distributed by Warner Bros. Records ). MFC’s “Simply U” is featured on this seriously smooth cd and is certain to be another favorite on your playlist.