When Mike Del Rio and Crista Ru had their first jam session years ago in New York City, it was pure musical magic. While it took them a while to actually turn their energies from their own projects and focus on a collaboration, the final product was more than either of them could have dreamed. As POWERS, the now-LA-based duo dropped their EP, Legendary, earlier this year and have joined DNCE on tour. Myspace had a chance to chat with them and find out more about the people behind POWERS.

Crista’s First Introduction to Music was More Doo-Wop Than Retro Dance Tunes

"The first time that I was really, really impacted by music was when we were in my dad’s Oldsmobile," Crista said, “and I was two or three years old. My dad had gotten The Platters’ “You’ve Got the Magic Touch,” and I’ve never forgotten that cassette tape when I heard it for the first time. I was in the backseat, and I was really little."

And Mike First Picked up a Microphone While Doing Karaoke at Christmastime with the Family

“On Christmas Eve every year, my uncle had a karaoke machine,” he said, “and this was in the '80s. So it was the newest technology at the time. My family and I would have microphones and sing Frank Sinatra tunes and Bing Crosby and Tony Bennett songs. And that was the first time I ever held a microphone. I had to have been one or one-and-a-half years old so I was really a baby.”

They’re Called POWERS Thanks to Crista

Mike admitted that he came up with a list of names that just didn’t work, but Crista really thought about how their band name could make an impact. “We tried to find one thing that was easy and really put a stamp on what we were trying to do with the intention behind the music we’re making and the feelings we’re trying to give,” she said. “It’s a very empowering thing. And then we were like, ‘Hmm empowerment. What about Powers?’ We googled it, and no one had it and we thought this was it.”

The Myspace Connection

“Crista and I met in a band seven years ago in New York. I met this guy in a train, and believe it or not, we Myspaced each other. Myspaced the guy in the band, and I walked into rehearsal and Crista was there but on another project. I ended being the guitarist in the band and was there for a year or two. Then we went our separate ways, but we always kept in touch. We always had really good creative chemistry. We also jumped around about being a band but it was always a joke. We kept stockpiling these songs, and then one day, Selena Gomez got one of the songs we were stockpiling. And her manager asked us what we else we had going on. Then POWERS was just the most fun collaboration for the both of us, and we couldn’t imagine these songs going to anyone else."

Crista is a Kick Ass Hula Hooper

“I just really enjoy hula hooping,”  she admitted. “I just find it meditative. It’s a fun exercise. I wasn’t in the circus or anything. I really like hula hoops.”

And that Skill is the Inspiration for the “Hot” Video

During the filming of the “Hot” video, she is the one who’s continuously making that hoop go round and round. “We were in the studio one day, and I was working on the song while Crista was hula hooping,” Nick revealed. “And then there was this one lyric that made us realize this was so dope. It was all very instant, but we wanted to have a cartoon orgy around us while this was happening.” Crista continued, “Then we had to do a video with me hula hooping the whole time. The video exceeded our expectations because we didn’t really have a budget but wanted to do a visually appealing one-take video that looked like a movie.”

 “Legendary” is Autobiographical but has a Bigger Message

“You make your life happen,” Mike said. “That song is autobiographical for both of us, but it’s also about what our generation is doing now. We want to make things happen and work hard to do them.”

POWERS are DNCE Fans

Sure, they’re on the road together. But Mike and Crista agree that the Joe Jonas-fronted band is a show that shouldn’t be missed. “They’re great,” Crista said. “The shows have been awesome, and most of the dates are sold out. DNCE is absolutely fantastic, and we have fun every night. They’re so, so much fun to watch. And we go into the bus every night and are so grateful they wanted us to tour with them.”

Crista is “Tour Mom”

Crista makes sure that everyone is healthy while they’re going from city to city. “I usually pack the snacks,” she said. “I’m tour mom. First thing, I pack stuff to help out with sore throats because once we’re out, everyone seems to get hoarse. We have packs of water, KIND bars, dried fruit and nuts. We’re like little squirrels. It’s the least rock and roll thing.”

They Want to Tour with Coldplay

When Coldplay announced that they were releasing a new album, the duo quickly hopped on Twitter and revealed that they’d love to go on tour with the band. And if they got to collaborate onstage, they would jump onto any song Coldplay would want. "If I could just have something that wasn't planned and they asked us to come onstage like on 'Paradise,' I would just jump on the chorus and sing with them. It would just be a lot of fun."