New UK group Encore is made up of singers Mark and Cairo and rapper Pierre, and after releasing their mixtape ‘Bread and Butter’ last year, their fans (which includes N Dubz’s Dappy) are eagerly awaiting the release of their new single ‘Fun Last Night’ in February and a follow up as-yet-untitled debut album later in the year.

With Cairo having to leave early, I sat down with Mark and Pierre to talk about being nothing like JLS, signing fans breasts and more…

How did you guys get together?

Mark: We met over a series of events and industry parties, a bit of this a bit of that. You know how it works…

I read that you guys were three solo acts who came together to become Encore?

Pierre: We all write songs, so we got together to write a tune initially and sent it off to management and then they put in the idea that maybe we should stick together and make something of it and we have just been going from there – that’s how we got together. We’re all brothers now, we are that close.

How long has it been since then?

Mark: About two years now…

How was it recording your mixtape Bread and Butter?

Mark: It was fine, we had ten days in the studio to ourselves.

Pierre: We’re normally working with other producers in the studio like Red One, and all these other top producers, which is great because it’s what we have always wanted to do but to actually get the chance to work in the studio, just us three and building the vibe between us was exciting and fun. You can probably tell by listening to the mixtape that we had fun.

What are your favourite tracks?

Mark: My favourite is ‘Hands High’, ‘Road Trip’ and ‘Room Service’…they change a lot.

Pierre: Yeah, they do but I’m always feeling ‘Hands High’, I’ll probably put it on before I go out because it gets you in that mood. ‘Road Trip’ as well – I like all of them so I can’t really put them in any sort of order…but ‘Hands High’ is my top track.

So I imagine there is a full LP due out in 2012?

Pierre: There is, there is, there is.

Mark: There is an album in the works.

Pierre: It is completed but still needs little tweaks, we are just looking forward to the release of the album because obviously we have been working together for two years now and all the material on the album is what we have come up with over these two years.

Mark: It’s just exciting.

Does it have a name?

Pierre: It doesn’t have a name yet.

Mark: We have got a few ideas but –

Pierre: If any of the fans could send in some name suggestions that would be great.

Is Bread and Butter an indication of what we can expect from the album?

Mark: Erm, not exactly.

Pierre: ‘Bread and Butter’ was what we were feeling at the time, we were on that vibe with the R’n’B, old skool and the funky mix. But I think the album is more mainstream, commercial but still us. Don’t expect ‘Bread and Butter 2’ expect something amazing.

Who are your musical influences? Mark, I know you like Brandy – a lot of the male singers that I have spoken with have name dropped her.

Mark: There are loads of people I’m influenced by Usher, Mario, Joe…there are loads…Michael Jackson.

Pierre: My mum is West Indian so I’m coming with Bob Marley and the Calypso side of things, and of course R’n’B. I’m a rapper and I love Tupac, Biggie and now Drake…and so it’s just an endless list…

Pierre, you're the rapper and so what did you think of the more negative commentary regarding Drake’s emotional ‘Take Care’?

Pierre: People know how Drake is and if you listen to his previous albums you know what type of guy he is, so when he brought out this album I kinda knew what to expect because I know that he is an emotional guy and he is not afraid to pour out his heart on a track. So for me it wasn’t like ‘this s**t is too emotional’ I just thought ‘he is honest’ and you can feel that. I respect his work and his art – but yeah he’s a very emotional guy.

Do you personally think there is room for it in Hip-Hop? A lot of his peers have implied that there isn’t.

Pierre: Obviously Hip-Hop is so used to being about hardness, but it’s also about freedom of speech and allowing yourself to be an individual. So I respect that and that’s him so if people want to say that he is moist or whatever that’s their opinion.

I’ve heard you guys don’t like the term ‘boy band’?

Pierre: (To Mark) Tell the truth, tell the truth…

Mark: I ain’t feeling it.

Pierre: We don’t want to be labeled as a boy band, we don’t mind people getting confused and saying ‘Encore, the boy band’ but we don’t see ourselves as a boy band, we see ourselves as individual artists collectively together. It’s not an issue because people do label us as a boy band and then see what we are really about. Then they will be like ‘we are a cool boy band’ and Dappy [from N-Dubz] already said that we are a more real JLS or The Wanted…that’s what he said.

Is JLS like a big no-no for you?

Pierre: Na, when JLS were on X Factor I slightly wanted them to win because for me they were young brothers coming out and doing there thing and they did remind me of a UK Boyz II Men but now that people are trying to compare us I’m like ‘we are not JLS’, we respect their work but it’s not that time…

At all?

Pierre: At all. They’ve got their own market.

Have you met them?

Both: Yeah, we have met them.

Pierre: They are nice guys, they are cool.

Mark: Very down to earth.

Pierre: I like Oritse; I speak to him more than I speak to the other guys. So he is cool.

Have you met any celebrities you don’t like?

Mark: Scandal! (Laughs)

Pierre: I met Jordan [glamour model Katie Price]; we went to the premiere of Paranormal Activity 3.

Mark: She is gassed.

Pierre: I met her and gave her a mixtape, she took the mixtape and it was a good thing for her to do because she is hard to reach. But she was a bit uptight and seemed like she didn’t have time for anybody and that she doesn’t want to hear what you have to say so that was a bit telling for me.

Mark: I can’t think of any celebs I didn’t like…

Pierre: There isn’t a bitchy side to us that is like, ‘I don’t like that person.’ If someone is different then it’s like cool, we don’t look at people that way.

What is the best advice you have been given about the industry that has stuck with you?

Mark: Just the standard things like just keep on going, and don’t let anyone steer you from your goal.

Pierre: I’ve got one; “inspire to inspire before you expire”, someone said that to me and I love it. It’s sticks in my head.

Mark, have you ever rapped and Pierre, have you ever sung?

Pierre: I sing, I try and sing…for me Cairo and Mark are the top singers right now in the UK. The way I see it, I am learning from the best right now.

Mark: Yeah man!

Pierre: (To Mark) Don’t get arrogant - see he has a big smile on his face now - but I’ve been learning little riffs and they’ve been teaching me little licks and I’m learning more scales and everything else. (To Mark) you do spit my bars though?

Mark: I spit his bars but I don’t write bars that’s not my thing but I might, I might try it someday and see.

What do you guys think of …the fame?

Mark: Fame? I don’t think we have got fame.

Pierre: (To Mark) Come on, we have got fame. Four years ago could we walk in Manchester or whatever and have people coming up to us and asking us for our pictures and autographs and that? That’s a part of fame. First of all it was a weird experience for me, no one knew who I was before and I would never have someone not being able to breathe and crying in my presence.

Mark: Oh yeah that’s a bit weird, it’s like ‘Wow all this for me?’

Pierre: But I understand because music touches people in different ways and sometimes things, which are said on songs certain people can relate to. It can help them get through certain situations that they are going through in their lifes. It’s a blessing in a way, but at the same time it’s like a shock.

Mark: It’s definitely something you need to get used to, but I think we are adjusting to it better than we were before.

Speaking of fans, tells us about some of the more outrageous things a fan has done to show their love for the group?
Pierre: Signing titties, them telling us that they want to have our babies – one told us that they wanted the band in their bed right now.

Mark: What else?

Pierre: It’s hard to cope with y’know.

Oh yeah, it must be sooo hard (laugh)

Mark: They are like sixteen and so it’s like ‘What you doing?’

Pierre: Yeah it’s worrying it’s like ‘Where are your parents?’…But the older ones however…

(All laugh)

What is on your iPods at the moment?

Mark: Frank Ocean.

Pierre: He listens to Frank Ocean especially because that’s his boy.

Mark: I’m listening to Angel’s mixtape.

Pierre: Mine would be Drake’s Take Care, I’ve been banging that out over the weekend.

You definitely like that LP then…

Pierre: There are four tracks on there that I am like ‘Yeah, I would listen to that’.

The one with Rihanna?

Pierre: That’s a good track and ‘Cameras’ as well…’Lord Knows’ is a big tune. Who else? Angel and The Weeknd really.

OK so what’s next for Encore, give me your outline for the next year

Mark: Our next single ‘Fun Last Night’ that will be out in 2012, early in 2012

Pierre: The album will also be out this year.

Mark: We hope to do more tours and more shows, performances.

Pierre: You can see us at clubs doing PA’s and just writing – working on material and just pushing the music out there for you guys to enjoy.\

Good luck with everything guys!