The Few started as a group of friends with diverse musical backgrounds who committed to collaborating, while half the group lived in New York and the other half in Florida.  Beginning in 2009 as a songwriting project of Jonathan “Pre” Clarke and Ruggero “Deca” Vittorini, the group enlisted longtime friend and classically trained musician Chris Belt to help complete their first record.  While Pre and Deca had worked in hip-hop since they were teenagers, Belt’s background began in punk rock and progressed to classical guitar and orchestral conducting. The group’s taste in pop music was complementary; their songs reflect a shared love of Southern rap and classic soul, infectious melodies and signature arrangements.  Critical to the realization of their musical ideas was the guidance and eventual addition to the group of Raul Perez, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with experience in punk rock, hip-hop, and film-scoring.    

The first release from The Few is FLA Heartbreak, a timely exploration of love and relationships set against the backdrop of Florida’s urban decay and suburban sprawl.  “The music definitely has that quality of creating its own little universe,” says Belt.  “It somehow captures the sort of crazy juxtapositions and incongruities that characterize Florida, but manages to come off sounding urban and even cosmopolitan.  It’s just a product of who we are as individuals and how we work together.”  

Most of the compositions on the EP began as instrumental tracks created by Pre while he was living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and sent to Deca, then residing in Tampa, Fl, to record vocals, with both Pre and Deca contributing lyrics. When they needed a guitar player or got stuck on an arrangement, they would enlist Belt (in Orlando, Fl) and Perez (Bronx, NY).  The result is a concise record with an expansive sound encompassing R&B, hip-hop, and pop, and including two instrumental compositions - one each by Deca and Belt.  

The themes in the lyrics, while revolving around relationships, are diverse and at times, challenging.  “I’m proud of the fact that the record has those love-it-or-hate-it moments,” says Pre.  “Hip-hop has always done that, pop to some extent.  It might make you uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, there’s real emotion there.  Period.”  

FLA Heartbreak will be released in February 2012.