Dec 5

Dec 5 BABE #329: TIERINII + TIKYRA JACKSON - Southern Avenue

Tierinii and Tikyra are sisters by blood and bandmates by choice. Four years ago, they combined their talents and joined Southern Avenue, a soul and blues band by way of Memphis, Tennessee. Today, they tour almost 200 days each year and serenade crowds with electrifying, soulful stage presence. This talented group brings together their diverse backgrounds to share intimate, powerful, and motivating stories with their growing fanbase. While this interview format is a bit unorthodox for BWH, we couldn’t pass up the chance to spotlight two equally talented, valued members of Southern Avenue.

The Basics:

Tierinii:

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Current city: Memphis, Tennessee
Alma mater: N/A
Degree: N/A
Very first job: Singing, starting at age 9. I sang at three different churches and I got 75 bucks per church. My mom took it all, but I got a lot of practice.
Hustle: Lead singer, Southern Avenue

Tikyra:

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Current city: Memphis, Tennessee
Alma mater: University of Memphis
Degree: Bachelor’s, music business
Very first job: I worked at Dollar Tree. I was fresh out of high school and hired on my birthday. I was so excited.
Hustle: Drummer, Southern Avenue

The Interests:

Babe you admire and why?

Tierinii: I love Esperanza Spalding. She's so unapologetically raw and herself, and she's so beautiful. The way she writes music and the way her brain works—her overall musical language is very appealing to me. I just love her.

Tikyra: Beyoncé, honestly. Her all-female band in 2008 is the whole reason I'm doing drums and performance, so definitely Beyoncé and Nikki Gillespie, her drummer.

How do you spend your free time?

Tierinii: Well, I have kids—so what's free time? I love to clean and I love to cook. When I'm off, I'm with the kids, and I really enjoy being at home because we rarely are. So I'm like: Yes! I get to do laundry, I get to bleach the floors. It helps clear my head and unwind from the road, because there's no routine on the road and at home I can do everything exactly how I want.

Tikyra: I love to paint. I kind of just started getting into painting, so that's been cool and fun. I have some ideas I want to try whenever we're home. I would love to do a comic series.

Who are the musicians who have most inspired and influenced you?

Tierinii: Michael Jackson. We grew up in church, so most of my influences come from church and soul music, but when I was little Michael Jackson was the first person I kind of snuck around and listened to and watched. He loved James Brown, so then I loved James Brown. Of course, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Billie Holiday—all the greats.

Tikyra: Pretty much the same for me. I got my first iPod, and I went to her and said, “You’ve got to put music on it.” For me, the first two artists I started rocking on replay were James Morrison and John Mayer, along with gospel music and all of those artists. There was this group called the Clark Sisters. They had a kid, and one of the kids was a drummer, and my brother and I started listening to him and built a bond through that.

The Hustle:

Tell us about your hustle.

Tierinii: We tour almost 200 days per year, and then they expect us to make an album somewhere in-between. But that's what we do—we make music. We try to write every time we feel inspired, because it's easier to write before the label gets involved. So we try to sneak it in when we naturally feel like writing. I have kids, so during the school season we'll do four-day weekends so I can come back home and get them ready and to school for most of the week, and when the spring and summer hits we'll do about two to three weeks at a time. We're a really young band, so we're constantly grinding and things are moving really fast. Southern Avenue has been a band for about three years, and our debut album was released two years ago—so yes, still very young.

Have you always had a passion for music?

Tierinii: It definitely chose us—we didn't really have a choice. Not that I ever wanted to do anything else. As long as I can remember, I have always loved singing. My parents were musicians. My mom plays the organ and my dad plays the guitar, and we were always at church in choir rehearsal. We were there every day of the week, so we were immersed in it.

Tikyra: I was always interested in music, but I didn't consider in a passion—I think I was just trying to get my hands on something. When I was about 9, we had a drum kit in the house. Instead of my brother kicking me off the drums because they were his, I guess he heard the potential and showed me some stuff. Ever since then, I was like, OK, I have to do this. I got to high school and did drumline and learned some rudiments and stuff like that.

What’s it like working and performing together as sisters?

Tierinii: It's pretty easy. I think what makes us a little bit different from our other sisters is that we're really individuals, and we don't really give a f*ck about what people say or think. We're really invested in being ourselves; as an artist, that's what you have to be. You have to be truthful. A lot of times, women have to play by the book in order to get what they want. We play by our own rules, and we're just in the same mindset of, If we want to do it, let's do it.

Tikyra: I think we work well together because we both have the same drive about what we do. The best part about it is when we dress alike unintentionally.

Tierinii: Yeah, she thinks we're Mary-Kate and Ashley...

How have your past professional and academic experiences prepared you for the work you do today?

Tierinii: Oh man, I hated everything academic. I love to learn, actually, and I love to read, but the school setting just wasn't good for me. I did home school for my senior year and played around on my computer making beats. I always knew music was the thing for me. I loved choir, I loved band, and I loved entertaining. I had no friends in high school, but I entertained the entire school. I would just strut down the hallway doing the Beyoncé "Crazy in Love" walk. Everyone knew me, but I had no friends. I just went to school to show up and show out—it just wasn't the setting for me.

Tikyra: I loved school. I enjoyed being around other kids. I was always very outgoing and when I got to high school and discovered drumline, that's when I started stepping out. When I went to college I joined the music business program; it helped create a lot of opportunities; people like Mike Busby, who worked with P!nk. At the time I didn't know it, I was just happy to be in the studio.

What would you say is your biggest career milestone to date and why?

Tierinii: We got a BMA (Blues Music Award), which was big. We've won other awards, but that's the official genre award, so that was big. I just think we're so early in our journey that everything feels so exciting.

Tikyra: I think honestly doing the Lockn' festival and seeing Tedeschi Trucks Band and John Mayer, because there's not a lot of artists I know personally—but if we're playing on the same stage as John Mayer, that's a big milestone. He was the first artist I was obsessed with, so as soon as I saw he was there I thought: This is it. We made it!

How has being a woman affected your professional experience?

Tierinii: You’ve got to be tougher than men to be a woman in the entertainment industry. I think sensuality is a superpower. A lot of men find it and they try to shut it down and tell you not to oversexualize yourself, but I'm just me and I can't help me, and people who are intimidated by it either try to take advantage or hold me back. My biggest advice is just be unapologetically you. Watch your back. Keep your eyes open. I hate to say don't trust anybody—but just be smart and trust your instincts, and good will come to you. It's the energy you attract. Just be you and love yourself.

Tikyra: I agree with Tierinii. Just be firm about what you want and also make room for yourself, because a lot of time it's easy to get overlooked.

Career and/or life advice for other babes?

Tierinii: I would tell them that they are divine beings. Don't let anyone tell you you're crazy.

Tikyra: If you have an itch to explore something, explore it, because you never know what could come out of it. I think it's important for us to always to keep flourishing. I don't think it ever stops. Go after it. Don't be scared that you can't figure it out, because you will. Don't give up.

Connect with Tierinii and Tikyra:

Website / Instagram / Tierinii on Instagram / Tikyra on Instagram

This interview has been condensed and edited.

In partnership with: Bourbon and Beyond

Bourbon and Beyond is a Louisville, KY-based festival featuring a perfect blend of bourbon, food, and music. Learn more about the fest here and keep an eye out for 2020 dates soon!