Gary Mayes is making noticeable tracks with his group Nu Era. Based in Houston and on Soulmuzick Recordings, the artist has unleased his N.E.-Xperience Vol. 1 project, a diverse collection of urban helpings.

In an interview with GospelFlava.com, Mayes outlines some of the background behind his musical influence, and touches on the new album too.


GospelFlava.com: Who are you musical influences vocally and also on the production tip?


Gary Mayes: We're a little bit of Fred and Radical for Christ, John P. Kee and New Life, Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence and Tri-City. We fit into every category that you can imagine.

As far as being in the mainstream, we are in the dead center. We got something for everybody. We didn't go all the way hip-hop with everything being programmed. We didn't go all the way traditional gospel with your organ. We didn't go all the way contemporary with your acoustic guitar. That puts us in the mainstream with what is going on right now musically.

As far as production, my biggest influence is Greg "Daddy Red" Curtis ( he wrote "Just a Prayer Away" for Yolanda Adams and he's also done production work for Douglas Miller.)

Following him are the likes of Keith Crouch, Rodney Jerkins and Kevin Bond, J. Moss, Paul Allen and the whole P.A.J.AM. clique. Fred Hammond's production is unreal. He wears the title well as the "Babyface of Gospel". The "big three" for me are Keith Crouch, Greg Curtis and Rodney Jerkins.

Then you can add in Kevin Bond to that big three to make it four.

Vocally, there is none like Donnie McClurkin and Fred Hammond. As far as the female vocalist, CeCe Winans is unreal, and you have Karen Clark and Kim Burrell. A lot of people sleep on Lejuene Thompson, she don't get the props that she should. Charles Woofolk is real nice.


GospelFlava.com: What does Shawn McLemore bring to the album?


Gary Mayes: You gotta add Shawn Mac to my list of favorite vocalists. Shawn brings a whole new level of singing. He's actually not from Houston, he's from LA, so to add to what he already brought from Houston to LA is unreal.

Album: The N.E.-Xperience Vol. 1

The sheen of this album is brightest on its heavy dose of slow urban jams and down home Gospel songs. Shield your eyes as Nakkita Clegg (a member of Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers) takes the lead on the .... See full album review.

This cat has range. He has the runs and he has the "Word" behind what he sings. He brings ministry to this record.


GospelFlava.com: And what about Nikki Ross, can you talk about her?


Gary Mayes: Nikki brings an unbelievable presence. She's always been compared to Kim and Karen, but Nikki is her own. She has perfect pitch, she plays keyboard when she sings. With her vocal talent, she will go somewhere totally different that what you can grasp with your physical ear. It's almost unexplainable.

She is unbelievable as a vocalist, check out the song "Unconditional". A lot of the vocal arrangements were done by Nikki. The stuff that I gave her, she took and made something totally different. I love working with her in the studios, in the studios she is unreal.