MWN: Can you introduce yourselves and tell us more about how Hamilton Park was created?
Hamilton Park: This is Markus Free, it’s Chris Voice, it’s your boy AD, and this is Hamilton Park.
Chris Voice: Hamilton Park is actually a park on the eastside of Atlanta. It’s where we hung out and used to chase the girls. Yeah, more so once we realized that we had a love for music, we kind of started meeting up, then working out, you know, doing laps and pushups and whatnot. So that’s kind of what the essence of Hamilton Park is [as friends and a musical group].
MWN: As self-described connoisseurs of love, how is this reflected in the music you create?
Markus Free: Definitely it reflects in the music we create. Simply, because we don’t just throw things out there, we luckily caught a wave of music where R&B was really popping and we were able to catch this wave of where we are now. You can catch that in our music. That’s why I say Hamilton Park is very needed, because we still carry the wave of real singing, but still mastering where we are in music right now [with modern production and flow].
MWN: Focusing on your latest single “Make Love,” what are some of your favorite moments in the creative process for this song?
Markus Free: For me it was hearing the guys really hitting those registers and really being able to express their vocals.
Chris Voice: My favorite part was simply just the recording process, like, you know, it was just real fun and it was just, you know, we just had a lot of fun recording this record, even though it’s a “make love” record. No pun intended, lol…it was just fun recording it.
Anthony Dorsey: I agree with what each of my brothers are saying.
MWN The music video for the single “To Sleep” was released earlier this month. Is there a specific moment from filming that video that has been memorable?
Chris Voice: For me, it was having a home boy of mine drive up from Alabama, and that just meant a lot to me. You know, even though it was just him by himself. We come from a place to where at one point time there was no one there pulling up from Alabama. Even though it was just my one friend, we’re spreading out, you know, people are supporting more and more; even a small support. I appreciate it, that’s definitely memorable for me.
Markus Free: I would say for me having Mo Quick from Streetz 94.5 be able to pull up. You know, when you’re independent and you and your team, like Playtime/Lost In Music, are able to pull off things at such a high level to get a video and a radio station to come out. That showed, like yeah, we really are tracking in the right direction.
MWN: Your upcoming album STAY includes tracks that were produced by Grammy Award winning producers, Ace Harris and Ayo & Keyz? Could you share what the experience was like to work with them for the album?
Markus Free: I’m a songwriter, so anytime I get to work with anyone that’s Grammy nominated or Grammy award-winning, I soak up, I peep game, I shut up, and listen. I don’t try to be the one who talks the most. Working with Keyz, it was like dope because that’s the bro. And, you know, he’s so talented and so humble. One of his rivals was cutting a record on us and Keyz, you just interact with him and hear him on the phone talking and he just talks about us with such a level of expectation. So just to hear that over the phone during sessions is like yeah, we got to show up.
Chris Voice:Yeah, I agree. More so just sitting back and soaking up the whole experience and being able to work with, you know, Grammy award-winners, shoutout to Ayo & Keyz, and Ace [Harris] as well; very talented, very humble guys.
MWN: Where did you draw inspiration to construct the final sound of the album?
Markus Free: I would say from natural vibes. Like we’re smokers, we’re lovers. You just blend that and that’s how you get the whole vibe of this. The album is just like smokers who like… I hate to keep emphasizing smoking, lol, but it’s just a vibe. It’s just like, you know, you kick back and you just listen to the album from top to bottom, whether you’re having sex, whether you’re riding through the city, going to the crib or whether you with your girl and you all are in the car together. It’s just like the right vibe. It’s a color. It’s kind of like the same color as STAY [album art]; that’s the color of the music. It matches so well.
MWN: Not every song can make it to the finished product. How do you decide which songs to make the cut and which didn’t?
Chris Voice: Shout out to the Playtime Management and shout out to Lost In Music, our label. We really sit down, you know, and handle things accordingly. We sit down and go through the records one by one and decide which ones will make it, which ones are not. We handle it all ourselves.
Markus Free: Yeah, just picking records that are married to each other as far as the sound being consistent with the sound. STAY has a sound, a consistent sound. A consistent message in the sound.
Anthony Dorsey: I would say, like it was kind of fun just going through and listening to each of the records and listening to them in their entirety and then making those decisions. I mean, it was fun. The whole process. It’s hurtful, having to turn down certain records. But, you know, at the end of it all, it’s gonna be for a greater good because you want to put the best records out, you know, at the most premium time.
Chris Voice: When you’re doing it, like you’re kinda right at the cliff, like you about to jump into putting out another project, so to speak. Like you’re at the finish line. You know, like the last lap. So the adrenaline starts to pump, like the anticipation goes up!
Which tracks off the album are your personal favorites for each of you and why?
MWN: Markus Free: For me, probably “Stay”, the title track. Only because, lyrically, it means a lot to me.
Chris Voice: I would say for me, “Politics”. That’s a super vibe right there. It’s one big ass vibe. As soon as the record drops like you’re in the vibe.
Anthony Dorsey: For me, I would say “Make Love”. I like “Make Love” because it’s an intimate record. Who doesn’t want to make love, lol, it’s just a vibey record to make love to.
MWN: What would be the main takeaway you want listeners to have from this album?
Markus Free: I definitely want people to understand, like in the most humble way, I could say is Hamilton Park is needed in this era of music simply for the point [that] we need to push [R&B] boy bands forward and with the music, we’re doing it. Like I think R&B groups are in a body of music. They’re chasing a group sound versus just making dope ass records. Hamilton Park, we just make dope ass records and it just so happens it takes Chris, Anthony and Markus and we make up Hamilton Park. And you know, the color man. We want people to get the music in our new [vibe], just how we present ourselves differently. Like I was talking to the guys the other day like we just want to be us on purpose. And so that’s what this project is. It’s us being us on purpose.
MWN: Last question. Is there anything else you would like to mention for those who will be reading this interview?
Chris Voice: Make sure that you follow us @thisishamiltonpark on Instagram and @Hamilton_Park on Twitter. Make sure that you grab our brand new singles, “Make Love” and “To Sleep”, and support the music video. Most of all, we want you to know that you can trust Hamilton Park with R&B. I’m surprised my brother Markus didn’t tell you that because he tells everyone that. But you can trust us with the future of R&B. This is HP.
Markus Free: Remember that, you can trust us with the future.
Anthony Dorsey: You can trust HP with your hearts.
By: Anastasia Logan | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!
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