"Fancy Me Yet

An electronic ambiance of witty indie undertones settles over the crowd of expectant eyes and tapping feet as the Miami trio of Natasha Dueñas, Alex Gaynor, and Chris Bernard take the stage at this stuffy warehouse we’ve been summoned to and we fancy ourselves front row to their little show.
 
This Fancy Me Yet, highlighted by lights and surrounded by Natasha’s beautiful voice,  delivered what the raspy voiced group  promised the day they circled my tiny blinking Sony recorder in front of that little white house after a day of Bluemess recording. Their voices gone, mimicking that of chain smokers, and bellies in an uproar, they introduced me to Fancy Me Yet.  I allowed myself to get sucked into the hype, and why would you resist? After all, they are possessing.

As you stand at the foot of the stage Natasha struts in balancing on her shiny blood red pumps and sways behind her Roland, looking like a Venetian goddess of rock; with eyes shut in absorption and lips bestowing a game of words that is clearly her dominion.  Alex, with his pierced lip and long fingers, hums along with Natasha in a teasing dialogue whilst emanating life to their song through his Fender Strat. And their newly acquired drummer, Chris, fools us all with a shy, quiet stance to later pound away at his flannel covered drums for the benefit of the bouncing crowd.

Fancy Me Yet began belting out this hopscotch of bellowing rhymes in the spring of 2008; when Natasha and Alex began an acoustic collaboration that they soon wanted to take to another level.  With Natasha’s younger sister, Michelle Dueñas, on board the group began introducing quirky symbolisms, metaphorical chants and spellbinding beats to frank lyrics that became the love child of “Into the Groove” and a tripped out Yeah Yeah Yeah ballad; only a thousand times better.

In the summer of 2009 however, Michelle decided to leave the project after 6 hectic weeks of recording with Bluemess Productions and their new EP sat drummer-less until a certain Chris from West Palm Beach came along. Faced with a crash course in unique drum strokes but a passion for this band impossible to duplicate, Chris fasted on Michelle’s style and provided a dedication clear when he left his other project behind to become part of the fancy. 

Now Chris, Alex and Natasha make up the trine force that is Fancy Me Yet.  And Natasha the tiny leading lady, is not only a former Latin Grammy nominated singer songwriter, she is also an open book of the industry’s dos and don’ts and is full of a vivacious drive unique to that of  someone signed to EMI at the tender age of 15. When she was signed all Natasha wanted to do was make it to the music scene and just…ditch school. “[I’d] sing in Italian if I [had] to!” she yells at me from across the little porch where we’ve huddled.

But after a few years of the industry’s mainstream demands for teenage lovesick pop-rock ballads about “tatuajes” and “lagrimas” and catering to a Latin audience not suited for her true artistic spirit Natasha “wasn’t happy,” and she left her record deal to the shock of many.  “The reason she left her record deal was to record music that came from the heart….that she believes in,” says Alex, and Natasha chimes in with a satisfied hunger in her tone, “for me it’s not about the money, it’s about the music, that’s why I left and I really believe in this band.”

And it’s hard not to believe in Fancy Me Yet when their meticulous obsession with perfection thickly hovers in the atmosphere in the Bluemess Productions studio. Perched on stools and eyes glazed in concentration, Fancy Me Yet showed me, for the first time that spring afternoon, what true musical passion is. Natasha, all eye liner and long, jet-black tresses, taps her foot against the floor as Alex sways his head in perfect rhythm as their voices come through the speakers to envelop the room in their  unique sound. Natasha’s sweet voice is the volatile force that turns a charming lullaby into a command, or a bitter memory to a reminiscent hum. And Alex’s whispered harmonies and almost narrative intros wrap around Natasha making Fancy Me Yet a ride of high pitches and unpredictable rhyme crafted together with never-ending duets and a partnership made to finish each other’s sentences.

“The main thing is to, when you hear songs to connect emotionally. That’s the most important part, so [people]  can feel it. So they can feel what we’re feeling when we’re playing it,” confesses Alex, “we want to share that with people.” And in their new EP, which is full of playful beats and dramatic screams that embody their versatility and incredible range, they depict this flawlessly.  With a female leader that has taken full reign of her artistic desires at last, Fancy Me Yet does not hold back. They say it all and when Fancy Me Yet pumps through the room you feel it all too. “We want everyone to experience this,” declares Natasha, “…from California to Japan.”"

- Diana Poussin