P.Y.T. Lauren Mayhew, Tracy Williams, Lydia Bell, and Ashley Niven are P.Y.T. a fresh and exceptionally talented new pop group from Tampa, Florida. Though all four girls are only thirteen and fourteen year olds, the members of P.Y.T. have been friends for several years. Lauren, Tracy and Lydia met at age six when they began performing with "Entertainment Revue," a Tampa-based musical theater troupe; Ashley Niven later joined the Revue at age nine. Over the years that followed, the girls have individually developed their talents and amassed considerable experience through involvement in live theater, television, radio, print, and musical revues.
In the fall of 1998, Lauren, Tracy, Lydia, and Ashley decided to form a musical group and began refining their stage choreography and vocal style. Notes Lydia proudly: "Our parents encouraged us but they didn't push us." "We asked to do it," Tracy affirms. "We put this together ourselves!"
The result is P.Y.T., an enchanting blend of upbeat, R&B-flavored pop in the style of the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears and smooth vocal harmonizing a la En Vogue and Boyz II Men. The girls' stylistic versatility is demonstrated by energetic pop/dance tracks like "Something More Beautiful" (the first single), light-but-tight funk songs like "D.F.W." ("Down for Whatever"), and the heartfelt ballad "Book of Dreams."
"We like all kinds of music, from R&B and hip-hop to pop and show tunes," says Lauren. "I think our album will reflect the influence of all those styles, something for everybody!" "Something More Beautiful," the first single by P.Y.T., will be released in September 1999. It will be followed by P.Y.T.'s debut album in mid-april of 2000. In the meantime, their career is already off to an amazing start: P.Y.T. have spent a good part of the summer touring with pop superstars NSYNC and are now on tour with Britney Spears. These tours only hint at the kind of success P.Y.T. will no doubt have in the near future.
"Performing isn't really work for us," says Ashley, "it's something we love to do. We practice hard so that, once we can get on stage, we can focus on having fun."
"I think both kids and grown-ups will enjoy our music," Lydia explains, "and relate to us as people. I mean, we're really close friends doing what we love to do most and having a great time. Everyone can relate to that!"
