Rachel: okay, Can you please introduce yourself, and what you do in the "group"?
Maria: We are HelenaMaria, and I'm Maria.
Helena: And that would make me Helena. And we both sing and harmonize, play piano, and acoustic guitar; and we write our songs.

R: So when did you first realize you had a passion for singing?
H:Well it definitely started first with uhm, taking piano lessons when we were 4, so we realized we had a passion for music, because that was very fun to us.
M: It's funny, Maria said piano lessons but when we were little we would like make our own radio station, and looking back on it music was always a part of our lives.But uhm, we realized we mostly had a passion for it our senior year in high school. We had written a few songs by then and we had our first performance basically at our high school, in the spring of our senior year. I think there were 300-400 kids in the auditorium. We were really nervous for it, but we realized that we wanted to persue it after we graduated.

R: So it started around then when you started HelenaMaria?
H: Yes, the "group" HelenaMaria. At first we were calling ourselves Helena & Maria but after we recorded our CD, we decided to mash the two. The idea of MariaHelena came into question but ah, as you can see I won it all.

R: Where do you look for inspiration when you write?
M: Through just our daily lives. And y'know I hate to say it, but relationships have a big impact on growing up in general, because you know it happens so quickly. And you try to take time to you know, just reflect on it. Kinda like a journal.
H: Well we never actually wrote journals.
M:Yeah we never really kept a journal but music is kinda like our journal.
H: I agree.

R: Do you prefer smaller or larger audiences?
M:Well, I just love any audience.*laughs* It's a different thing, like if we're playing a more acoustic show and there's you know a smaller audience, you feel like you have a closer bond. But uhm, of course I love playing in front of a lot of people too.

R: What is the funniest thing that has happened on stage?
H: hmmm. Well I forget words a lot. That's happened and then i kinda just mumble something.That happens.

R: What is your favorite Song to perform live?
H: We have a bunch of new material. We have a song, it's a new song, it's called overdrive. It has a lot of energy. That's always fun. Sometimes we close our show with that when we play with our band. God, I love playing them all. They all portray y'know different feelings, different energies.
M: But yeah I agree overdrive is fun.

R: If you could choose any celebrity to tour with whom would it be, and why?
H&M: John Mayer.
M: Because, he, he is awesome. You have seen him live right Helena?
H: Yes, I have Maria.
M: His song writing is really good.

R: So he is your favorite artist?
M: Yeah definitely one of our favorites, he was a big inspiration to us when we were learning guitar too. Although we can't even come close. But uhm, watching him is just amazing, and to pretend that you can play like that.

R:Do you ever wish to look back and live the life you had before?
M: Oh no, I love it the way it is. I don't know what I would be doing if I didn't do music. I think I would probably live a boring life.
H: We basically made the decision after High School, like Maria said to pursue it.
M: Other than that we were planning on going to college but it just didn't feel right for us at this time so, it's hard to imagine y'know, if we went to school that would be fun, but now that music is such a part of my life, I am totally content with that. That is what I want to do in some way.

R:What are your main goals musically?
M: Just to keep pushing away, plugging along. To set little small goals at first, we are working on getting a second CD recorded. Keep on playing out.
H: Expanding our fan base little by little, which is what we've been doing. But we're not stopping.

R: What are some messages you try to get across in your music?
M: I definitely try to, I don't wunna say clean, but I wunna push a more posotive image and message more that anything. I think It is important that kids have something like that to lookup to. We are always just ourselves. To stay true to ourselves, and it's important for all musicians to do that.

R: Do you have any advice for any up and coming musicians trying to make it?
M: Well you can do anything if you believe in it. But it always started with just a passion, or a want to do it. So you can never just stop.
H: And there will be places that make you feel unconfident in yourself but, you cant let that stop you. Like they wont let you play here cause your music isn't fitting or whatever, but then there will be places that greatly accept you. So you can't let little obstacles get in your way.

R: What is your philosophy on music?
H: I guess it's more what you feel more than anything, y'know we studied music. So I think it is important to study it and know a theory and everything when it comes to writing. But more that anything it is a feeling.

R: Thanks for the interview.Anything you would like to say to your fans at musiqtone.com?
M: We love you all and hope to see all you guys soon. To see you or talk through to you. Feel free to talk to us online!