POETICALLY SPEAKING
"Poetic delivery with musical intent" – that’s what singer-songwriter Marsha Ambrosius and emcee-songwriter Natalie Stewart call the fusion of soul and spoken word that is Floetry. The London duo’s name was suggested by a fan. Recalls Natalie: "Somebody said: 'Yo, that stuff you do is so dope. It's like poetry, but it's like you're flowing.' I thought, aha – Floetry! My flow goes with Marsha's singing to stress the meaning of our songs. We are a songstress and a floacist."

They are also much sought-after songwriters. Among the compositions they’ve provided for other artists is "Butterflies," the second single off Michael Jackson's Invincible album. The pair has worked extensively with Glenn Lewis, penning "Simple Things," "Lonely," "This Love" and "Take You High," from his World Outside My Window. They wrote "Love Again" for Jill Scott and Jazz from Dru Hill, from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack, as well as "You Are" for Bilal, from 1st Born Second. Faith Evans and Brandy likewise requested songs from Marsha and Natalie.

Still, the #1 priority for Floetry is Floetry. To illuminate who they are, the pair composed a defining anthem, "Floetic," which serves as the first radio track off their debut album, as well as the title of the album itself. Says Marsha of the disc's musical center: "We put floeticism into everything we do. We are two opposites on the planet coming together and making something real creative happen." Natalie confirms: "We're very different. People often laugh and say Marsha's jiggy and I'm earthy. But we round each other out."

Indeed, these opposing forces complement one another, which is evident from their respective musical tastes. Says Natalie: "I have a Jamaican family, so I have a lot of reggae in me, a lot of rare groove vintage soul and revival music. Marsha has a lot of funk and soul in her. We're both into hip-hop, but my hip-hop is

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ABOUT THERE STYLE
But the two are quick to point out some of Floetic's darker themes as well. Natalie declares: "I’m a character writer, a storyteller" and suggests that not all her stories end happily. Marsha also concedes the expression of some difficult truths: "When I record a song, my main goal is to be honest. If I'm singing about a woman who just got beat down by her husband and she's about to die. I'm gonna sing just like that woman." With the song "Sunshine," for example, the girls explore the theme of loss in a way that exemplifies their bond as collaborators and friends.

Natalie comments further on Floetry's aspirations: "I jokingly say that what I'm working toward in life is to be influential. I've been famous since I was born – when there were only six people in my world, the other five knew me, so I've been famous. Now it's about influence. Love songs today seem to be about arguments and breaking up, and the club songs are all about getting one over on someone else. It seems like every music video has some kind of fight in it. There are lots of things Marsha and I want to say that aren't necessarily dark and dingy. It's like, come on, I just want to be happy for someone. We don't deny the difficulties in life, but we want to say something positive, too."