Get to know the sisters going from YouTube covers to their own album.
The ladies in VanJess made a name for themselves through YouTube covers, but it's their original music that's drawing attention now.
Following March's release of their single, "Adore," the sister duo has been turning heads both on the internet and in real life. With products in music, clothing and much more on the way, VanJess's vintage vocal talents could lead them to become the next big thing. Before everyone else hears about them, here are 10 things you should know about VanJess.
They Crafted Their Own Sound Through Others' Music
Between covering popular artists and growing up listening to a wide range of musicians, the sisters have found their own sound by taking what they hear in other people's songs and finding how it best suits them. They credit that wealth of music knowledge with developing their old-school sound for the modern day. "Our sound is about being true to ourselves, and people are into that."
They're Working on a Full EP
"Adore" was just the beginning (more on that later). VanJess has been teasing their fans with the possibility of new original music for quite some time, and the recent single is just the tip of the iceberg when compared with what's still to come. If "Adore" is any indication, the record will likely be surrounded by fanfare and multi-platform connections from social media to clothing.
They Were Born in Nigeria
Although they were raised in California (and you might not guess they were born anywhere else), Ivana and Jessica were born in Nigeria. Currently based in Rancho Cucamonga, there's more '90s R&B vibes in their music than anything international.
They're Social Media Queens
Your mom might not know about VanJess, but over 300,000 people on YouTube sure do. Combine that with their 42,000 Instagram followers and 21,000 followers on Twitter, and that's a bigger fan base than many artists have after touring for years and making handfuls of albums. But don't expect boring promotional tweets and scripted Instagram posts all the time. VanJess uses their social media to connect with their fans and build relationships with the people who have gotten them this far.
They Designed Their Own Merch
Alongside the release of "Adore," the duo dropped the first round of their merchandise as well. For an act that built the beginning of their career on YouTube, having the visual side coupled with the music was very important to them. "I think what we like about it is that it really represents our style," Jessica says. "A lot of people know us for our style because it's very laid back and chill."
"Adore" is the Beginning of the Next Step for Them
Although they'd love to tour with some of their favorite artists (including many of the ones that they cover), the next phase for VanJess is to put out enough original music to fill one of those shows. Now that "Adore" has been out for a bit, they're fully focused on putting out an EP and then a full-length album. By then, maybe they'll be ready for that world tour they've dreamt about.
They Balance Each Other Out
While Jessica may be constantly stressing out and worried the duo isn't doing enough, she's always got her sister there to help her calm down. "I call her Zen Panda. She's always just chill about everything. You'll never see her upset. She helps keep me relaxed and tells me that everything's chill." The always-positive Ivana also happens to be the go-to therapist for her family and friends.
They Got Their Big Break from Drake
Well, not really. The sisters started singing and putting videos on YouTube while they were still in high school, but it was their cover of the Canadian rapper's hit "Headlines" that propelled it from a hobby to a career. "It was really just a fun thing. When we got our first viral video, it was just this weird thing. People would see us at school and know who we were."
Their Famous '90s Medleys Developed Over a Phone Call
"While I was at college, I would lock myself in the piano rooms for hours," Ivana says. "I remember calling (Jessica) and being like 'Hey, I've got this idea. What if we do a '90s medley?'" From there, Ivana started looking at piano tutorials on YouTube to find chord progressions that would fit the list of songs they'd come up with. And so the '90s medleys were born.
They Taught Themselves to Play (and Sing) By Ear
"We're not classically trained or anything," Jessica says. "We just hear things and figure them out. Making all those adjustments for our covers really taught us how to vocally produce ourselves." Ivana took a year of ear-training a handful of years ago, but admits she generally just sticks with her musical instincts when crafting a song.
