Locally Grown: inc.
Brothers Daniel and Andrew Aged have spent the better part of the past several years touring with the likes of 50 Cent, Beck, Cee-Lo and Raphael Saadiq. It’s been a fun ride, they’ve learned a lot and they’ve made some good friends – not to mention a decent living. But the brothers felt like there was something missing. They knew, deep down, that they had more to offer than just session work.
“It was sort of a feeling we were starting to have,” Andrew says from the brothers’ home outside L.A. “There was something more that had to come out. We didn’t know what that would be. It was sort of a risk, but there was just something in us we had to do.”
The result is the pair’s new project, inc., and their debut, no world, a bold, honest and introspective R & B/soul journey that’s been building quietly inside them for years.
“It’s really different playing with other people as opposed to making our own music,” says Daniel. “Playing with other people, you’re trying to get inside their music... It’s almost like you’re playing a part. With this, it’s much more internal. What do we want to say? What do we want to put out into the world?”
“We can put our full heart into it,” adds Andrew. “We’re grateful really to have this chance.”
The brothers grew up in Monterey, CA, and were weaned on the sweet, soulful sounds of Sam Cooke and later on, D’Angelo. Andrew, who plays guitar and sings, and Daniel, who plays bass, started playing together when they were just pre-teens, mimicking the “black American and gospel music” that surrounded them.
“We heard something in this music,” Andrew explains. “It’s like a spirit we’ve always followed. There’s something inside this music that is calling us. Soul music and R&B is a language that we always wanted to speak. It’s just inside of us.”
They’ve learned from some amazing musicians over the years, such as Parliament horn players and guitarists who played with hip-hop artists like DJ Quik and helped create the 1990s G-Funk sound. They also saw just how rough life on the road can be and learned firsthand that the music has to be the most important thing.
“I kind of think there’s no going back now,” Andrew says. “We’ve found our home. It’s taken a lot to find it. But we’re just happy to be moving forward.”
No world comes out February 19 and the pair have several shows lined up in California before they head to Europe. With a moving and fresh twist on the classic R&B/soul sound, and an undeniable dedication to their craft, this tour is sure to be just the beginning for inc.
