shermanology
Curaçao remains central to that feeling. The island gave them a musical education that was ne- ver narrow, And their Surinamese heritage adds another layer. The hypnotic quality of Surinamese drums remains a source of futu- re exploration, while Papiamento appears as a way of making the music feel closer to home. Their identity appears in language, clo- thing, rhythm, humour, and the way they carry themselves.
“Living in Curaçao has had a huge impact on us. On the island, you’re surrounded by so many different genres: hip-hop, R&B, danceha- ll, salsa, merengue, bachata, re- ggaeton, reggae, ranchera, pop music, the list goes on. Having Dutch roots also exposed us to more electronic music, which had a major influence on us as well.
Today, we still combine all of tho- se musical influences in our mu- sic. We often talk about taking cultural sounds and flipping them into something new. We also write songs in our native language, Pa- piamento, because it feels spe- cial to us. We like feeling at home in our music, and there is almost always something Caribbean wo- ven into our songs.
One thing I’d also like to men- tion is that we’re half Suriname- se. Our mother is from Suriname. We mostly talk about Curaçao because that’s where we grew up, but Surinamese music has in- fluenced us too. The drums in a lot of Surinamese music are incre- dibly hypnotic, and that’s some- thing we’d love to explore more in the future. You can hear our roots in our music, but also in the way we dress and speak.”
Dorothy’s voice has become one of the clearest signatures in the project. The songwriting comes from the same instinctive place as the production: quick ideas, harmonies by ear, and a belief that the first emotional impulse often carries the most truth..
“My relationship with songwri- ting has always felt very natu- ral. My parents used to say that I was writing songs in my sleep. I didn’t believe them at first, but apparently I was. Andy and I were writing songs as kids, even while doing the dishes. It’s always been something that came naturally to us.
Over the years, I’ve learned not to force anything. The songs that come together quickly are often the ones that perform best in our sets and on the radio. When we started attending writing camps
in the US, we noticed that many professional songwriters work the same way. Usually, your first idea is your best idea because it’s the most natural one. Don’t overthink it.
When it comes to singing, that journey has been a little more complicated. About 10 to 12 years ago, I developed nodules on my vocal cords because I was using the wrong technique. It was a ho- rrible experience. I had to learn how to speak and sing all over again. Luckily, I had an amazing vocal coach. It took about a year before I was able to sing properly again. That experience taught me how to take care of my voice, and it helped me rediscover my joy for singing.”
Shermanology’s evolution has of- ten meant resisting outside pres- sure to simplify. Tracks like “Boyz N Da Club,” “Hotter,” and “It’s A Killa” placed them across diffe- rent corners of dance culture, but rather than trap them inside one formula, those records expanded the frame.
“It hasn’t always been easy. Many times throughout our career we’ve been told that we should stick to one sound. But we’re both pretty stubborn, and honestly, we’re glad we didn’t listen. We believe that as long as you’re authentic, it can work.
Of course, we do think the mu- sic needs to feel cohesive. There are certain elements that make a Shermanology record a Sherma- nology record. It’s usually soulful, warm, and often carries a little bit of nostalgia. I think people accept the evolution because they know we’re making music we genuinely love. We believe artists should be free to create whatever they’re fe- eling in that moment.
What’s funny is that we approach fashion in exactly the same way. One day we might feel like wea- ring something urban. Another day Dorothy might feel like dres- sing like a princess. Sometimes we love a grungy look, and other days something elegant feels ri- ght. Should we wear the same outfit every day? Of course not. We don’t feel the same every day. For us, freedom is doing what you love.”
“In a way, we tend to release more of the uplifting tracks, while a lot of the darker ones stay on our computers. So we decided that it’s time to show all sides of Sher- manology. We always write ac- cording to the mood we’re in, and trust us, we have a lot of darker
tracks. That’s definitely something we’re going to explore much more this year. That doesn’t mean we’re moving away from uplifting mu- sic, we’re definitely not. But lately we’ve really been enjoying a dar- ker mood on the dance floor, and I think that’s something we’re going to continue embracing.”
The wider scene around them has changed dramatically. Sher- manology came through a more organic era of house culture, but now operate within an industry shaped by algorithms, social me- dia pressure, and short attention spans. Visibility has become part of the job, even for artists whose strengths are rooted in feeling ra- ther than content strategy.
“This is the God honest truth: this is not something that comes na- turally to us. We really have to dig deep to find a way of doing it that feels authentic. We think we’ve found a direction that works for us, but it’s still very much a lear- ning process.
There are definitely parts of it that we enjoy. Social media gives us the opportunity to show our personalities, our humor, and even talk about some of our struggles. We don’t want to sound drama- tic, but there is actually a lot of planning involved when we create content for social media.
Finding the balance between sta- ying visible and staying true to ourselves is something we’re still figuring out. For us, it’s important to separate social media from our artistic instincts. We see them as two completely different things, and treating them that way helps keep the process from becoming stressful. At the end of the day, we believe it’s better to focus on the things that make us unique rather than trying to do what everybody else is doing.”
On stage, scale changes the psy- chology of connection. For Doro- thy, singing to a smaller room can feel more exposed than perfor- ming to thousands.
“Honestly, I think it’s easier to per- form for a big crowd than a small crowd. For me personally, Dorothy speaking, it actually feels more intimate when it’s a smaller au- dience because singing becomes much more personal. I’m kind of shy, so if you asked me whether I’d rather perform for five people or ten thousand people,
I would
choose ten thousand people for sure.
09
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
