***Below are three interviews taken during the promo time. Each one is credited at the end.***

i5 Interview April 14 2000 by Dan Peters
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SINGING?
A: Since I was eleven.
C: Seventeen years.
G: Eleven years.
T: Since I was three.
K: Since I was six.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A SINGER?

A: Mum and dad. They used to take me to the theatre. In school I would dance up to my teacher's desk instead of walk. Television and Michael Jackson.
C: Mom. Took me to see "Grease" when I was four. I got up in my chair and sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You."
G: I just started singing. My music teacher had me enter a contest eleven years ago. I won third prize.
T: My father introduced me to opera when I was six.
K: My mother and her sisters were singers. It's been a longtime passion. I used to stand on tables and sing.
FAVORITE BAND AND/OR SINGER?

A: The Beatles. James Brown. Michael Jackson. Mariah Carey. Janet Jackson. The Backstreet Boys.
C: Barbara Streisand. Michael Jackson. Backstreet Boys. Luther Vandross.
G: Luis Miguel. Mariah Carey.
T: Freddy Mercury (always dreamt of doing a duet with him). Queen. Led Zeppelin. U2.
K: Barbara Streisand.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG?
A: The Best is Yet to Come. Frank Sinatra.
C: Always and Forever. Heatwave.
G: Salvador Dali. Mecano
T: We are the Champions. Queen.
K: People. Barbara Striesand.
WHICH SONG WILL BE YOUR FIRST HIT?

A: Distracted or La Di Di La Di Da.
C: Distracted or La Di Di La Di Da.
G: Scream Shout. (Co-wrote).
T: Distracted or La Di Di La Di Da.
K: Distracted.
FAVORITE i5 LYRICS?
A: "Thump, bump, shake your rump!" (Scream Shout)
C: "I'd rather rescue myself." (Cinderella)
G: "I don't want to be like Cinderella waiting for somebody to come and set me free." (Cinderella) "I'm a sweet and sassy girl. I have what it takes to rule the world. Holding on to what I believe. I'm in control of my destiny." (Sassy Girl)
T: "I wanna see you come into my life before I give you some..." (La da dee La dee da)
K: "I can slay my own dragons. I can dream my own dreams. My knight in shining armor is me." (Cinderella)
ANY ADVICE FOR FUTURE SINGERS?

A: Use your natural voice - don't imitate. Take classes. Don't let others push you down. Be confident. Enjoy. Have a giggle!
C: Be realistic. Know your odds. Believe in yourself. Look at yourself hard in the mirror and be sure you have what it takes. Give 150%!
G: Practice. Do your own thing. Be who you are naturally then take classes. Develop your own style.
T: Don't be afraid. Go for your dream. If you can plan it, it's better, but don't let fear stop you from making your dreams come true. Go for it! Have fun!.
K: Go for your dreams but have a fallback plan. Hope for the best but expect the worst. Work hard. Do it!

BEST PART OF BEING IN AN ALL-GIRL BAND? A: Performing together. Being on stage. Locking in a harmony gives me goosebumps. High energy. Camaraderie.
C: Never a dull moment. Consistent conversation.
G: First real group of female friends. Never had sisters. They are my family. I feel safe with them.
T: Never had sisters. We share clothes, humor, stress. There's a space for each one of us. A power rainbow!
K: It's like having four older sisters. We are very real with each other. Great girls I can relate to.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT TOURING?
A: I love having my hair and make-up done. I love being pampered.
C: Performing! Finally getting feed-back from an audience.
G: Being in different places.
T: Seeing beautiful blonde guys...To meet people all around the world. Food, sites, culture, fashion!
K: The tour bus! Performing in front of people.

FAVORITE COLOR?
A: Blue (look at my hair!).
C: Purple.
G: Pink.
T: Yellow and silver.
K: Metallic blue and silver.
FAVORITE FOOD?

A: Fish and chips.
C: Pizza and corn dogs.
G: Mexican.
T: Indian. Curry and chocolate.
K: Everything! Angel hair pasta with shrimp. Sushi!
FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

A: Vanilla or strawberry.
C: Oreo.
G: Cookies and cream.
T: Dolce de leche (Haagendaz).
K: French vanilla.
ANY PETS?

A: Baby Shitzu named Benny. He looks like me - funny hair. I would love to put blue in his hair but he's sensitive.
C: Two cats. Boots and La Rue.
G: No.
T: A dog name Sheila.
K: No.

WHAT ANIMAL WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?
A: Monkey. Very mischievous.
C: Lion or tiger. Love their beauty, strength and mystery.
G: Monkey. Fun.
T: Black panther. Powerful, sleek, strong and graceful.
K: Bird. Flying symbolizes getting up and soaring.

IF YOU WERE TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT HELLO KITTY, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT?
A: Something about friendship. Hello Kitty and her friends. C: Pink Precious Kitty.
G: I love Hello Kitty.
T: Pinky Smiley One.
K: Kitty Kate. (About Hello Kitty and me).

WHICH INSTRUMENT REMINDS YOU THE MOST OF HELLO KITTY?
A: Electric guitar.
C: Electric guitar.
G: Drums.
T: Drums.
K: Electric guitar.

IF YOU WERE A SANRIO CHARACTER, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL YOURSELF?
A: Cheeky Miss.
C: Tuffy Tiger.
G: Pinky.
T: Wildy Childy.
K: Spunky

K. WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTTO BE?
A: Cheeky works!
C: Rugged Rumbley!
G: Life is beautiful!
T: Always have fun!
K: Be true to yourself and real with everybody.

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR?
A: Bizarre. Quirky. Outrageous. Slapstick. Physical. I love Lucille Ball... I should have been born in the forties!
C: Sarcastic. Witty.
G: They think I'm serious but laugh at what I do.
T: Silly. Random.
K: Cute and spunky.

this interview was taken from sanrio.com



i5 Bring Pop Multiculture To The United States
International girl group has big plans beyond opening for Britney Spears.
Contributing Editor Rhonda Baraka reports:
Los Angeles girl group i5 didn't name themselves after an interstate highway — the "i" stands for international, which reflects the cultural makeup of the band and its music.
Composed of five young women — Andi, 23, from England, Christina, 23, from the United States, Gaby, 22, from Mexico, Kate, 20, from the Philippines and Tal, 21, from Israel — i5 are opening for Britney Spears on her current U.S. tour. The group's debut single, "Distracted," will be released on Tuesday (July 11). Their self-titled album drops in September.
i5 grew out of an earlier version of the group, one that didn't work out, Andi said. "The people that were running it wanted to create a more stereotypical carbon-copy pop group, and it's very difficult when you just pick girls because of their race. Sometimes their voices don't blend and the personalities don't match, and that's evidently what happened." Although the group faltered, the concept didn't; auditions were held in Los Angeles, and the band's lineup was solidified.
While the group wanted the songs to represent their cultures, they were careful not to make the project too sweeping. They sought out producers and songwriters who could help them strike a balance, Andi said. "We've got five different personalities with five cultures and different styles of music that we all like," she said. "We have to sometimes compromise. [But] a song has to speak to all of us. It has to touch a couple of us on a level. Lyrically, we don't ever want to be a victim in a song; it's got to be danceable or have an interesting twist."
The band certainly chose its songwriters well. i5's debut album features songs by David Frank and Steve Kipner, who penned Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" and 98°'s "The Hardest Thing"; Shelley Peiken and Guy Roche, who wrote Aguilera's "What a Girl Wants" and Brandy's "Almost Doesn't Count"; and Diane Warren, who penned i5's standout love song, "If I Ever See Heaven Again."
Songs Reflect Worldly Attitudes
The songs all reflect the group members' positive, assertive personalities, Andi said.
"Most of us have led meaningful lives," she said. "You have to be pretty courageous to leave your country and come to another one — especially the three girls who didn't speak English. We believe that we've got a story to tell. We don't want to be perceived in a cookie-cutter fashion, so it's important that we're not singing about things that we don't care about and particularly lyrics that sort of create a pattern for women or young girls where they feel it's acceptable to be a victim."
The songs on the debut are marked by well-oiled harmonies and youthful, though not bubblegummy, lyrics and music. It's a collection of pop-flavored tunes that flirt with an array of global styles — among them Euro-dance and Latin pop — and a slate of themes likely to strike a chord with young listeners, particularly songs such as "Best Friend," "First Kiss," and "Sweet and Sassy Girl."
While Andi said the group does not set out to "make a huge statement," they do want to inspire girls to have a positive self-image. "You can be in love, but you don't need a partner in your life to make you complete," she said. "It's really gotta be about building your own self-esteem."
It's also about having a good time. "A lot of our message is really about fun," Andi said. "Like 'Scream, Shout' and 'Best Friend' [which have] sort of comical lyrics typical of i5. We really do have a good sense of humor. We have love songs, we have a song talking about our first kiss and the anticipation. We have a whole mixture of emotions without delving into an area that we don't believe in."
Andi said that i5's image, style and philosophy might spark comparisons to the Spice Girls. "That's fine by us," she said. "Our music is a little bit different. It's a little bit grittier, and it's more international. It's a bit more personal. To be honest with you, that comparison's great. Spice Girls led the way for us. Let's get rid of some of these boy bands. Let the girls get out there."
Clashes Are Inevitable But Reparable
Being in a girl group, however, is not all sugar and spice, Andi said. "It's been two years since most of us have been together. We do butt heads. If I didn't say that, I'd be a complete phony. You've got five girls who are used to being leaders, and we do occasionally butt heads, but we're the kind of thinkers and communicators that really won't leave the room until [a problem is] sorted out.
"You can be saying 'I don't agree with you on this point,' or 'Don't say that, it makes me feel bad.' And then literally two minutes later you're on stage bonding with each other, locking into a cool harmony. It's real life. We're not anything different from normal everyday girls, like a real group of friends."
Once their 20-date tour with Spears is over, i5 will join the Nickelodeon "All That" tour. (Sonicnet's parent company, Viacom, also owns Nickelodeon).
"Then we go home for a month," Andi said. "We shoot the video for 'Distracted,' the single drops and we turn around and get back on the Nickelodeon tour until Sept. 3. I'm on such a high right now. Thank you, America."
Interview from sonicnet.com


i5 Yahoo! Chat 7.13.00
The following is a transcription of an online chat that occurred with i5 July 13th, 2000.
amuznet_live: And now... Gabby and Christina of i5!!
i5: Gaby and Christina here!! Hi from i5.
aria2005: What is your musical background?
i5: I'm latin.. All I listen to is Spanish music. Salsa, Cumbia. I just learned Engligh 3 years ago all of the songs you know before 3 years ago, I don't. Gabby: Latin Christina; American. Gabby does all the speaking parts in our music. Christina: My mom loves to sing, she taugh me about a lot of music. I love singers. I love to sing Gabby introduced mee to Marc ANthony. she was in his video and she looked HOT!
honey_crash: who are your favorite singing groups?
i5: NSYNC is my favorite and the Backstreet Boys and Boys to Men and MY town and presonally, as people we love No Authority and My Town. They are very cool people you never know when you go on tour how people are going to react to you but we have been very lucky we were taught to expect the worst and we end up getting the best
zooey_franny: how long have you been performing together?
i5: about 2 years some of us were in a group before, but as a unit.. about 6 months ago that is when we started recording
akkm_2000: Did any of you know each other before you formed the group?
i5: no. we lived in different countries we are from all over the world
g00bd0g: are you gals single?
i5: lol. Most of us are. Some of us have "boyfriends". When you are on tour, it is very hard. Your cell phone goes out constantly. Christina has one.. but you never know how long it will last. Our Career is very important. But Gaby does not have a boyfriend But we really don't talk about hat very much... we are very preoccupied with our career. We are going to be in the six flags in Texas it will be fun
akkm_2000: What have you done in your life that you're most proud of?
i5: Gabby: I got admitted into UCLA for grad school. I was the only mexican to get admitted that year. I will go back one day, but not now. Christina: I am most proud of.. I graduated college in 3 years. I love pressure I majored in Broadcast journalism with a minor in theatre I was one of the youngest people
aria2005: Which one of you could survive on "Survivor"?
i5: Um.. I know Gabby could not.. she would need someone to carry the sticks for her to make the fire. She can fix anything and give us a map. But she wouldn't want to walk there and she would need a hat. CHristina would survive. I have a kit of medicine for migranes, but I can handle physical strength Christina only eats hamburgers and hot dogs everyone else eats a lot of Indian food. I think it I can't pronounce it.. I'm not eating it
akkm_2000: What is the best kind of food for touring?
i5: there is the wish list and then reality the wish list would be Boston Market Chicken with Spinich Sauce with Corn but reality is Balance bars and beggin for water we have signs that say: I will beg for food when we were on tour with LFO.. it was 1am, and we all had our make-up on. We didn't get to shower. We are like dogs. :) When we get to the truckstop, it seemed like everyone looked like they had killed someone before. It was scary We ended up getting a cheeseburget that had a black curly hair in it but we were so hungry.. we just took it off. One time, we ate at Taco Bell and we ALL got sick. And we had to perform. And when we walk into these places, since we still have all of this makeup on, we look like drag queens.
g00bd0g: what is the most outrageous thing a fan has done to get your attention?
i5: They have followed us to the hotel. once, this guy said that he was going to be our biggest fan. I ended up losing a button on stage nad he said he wanted it. All he wanted was the button. People have hugged our bus, begging us to get out. Some Girls, once followed us to our hotel room. We opened the door, with towels on.. it was funny we wondered how they found us
honey_crash: hi gaby & christina - do you like to do online chats? do you have a website?
i5: we will find a way to get internet service on our tour bus. www.i5onvoxxy.com www.i5girls.com we are sanrio.com HELLO KITTY! this is our first chat! I love this. It's exciting
yeager13: Do yall plan to stop in nc on a tour?
i5: we are going to be in Charlotte on the 22nd of July were are you in NC.. post a question!
add_hyperactive: What has been your favorite spot that you've traveled to on tour?
i5: New York was the best. WE stayed for 3 days and we went out clubbing.. actually- we were there for 10 days. We saw Ms. Saigon Although, were we stayed had roaches and fleas this place.. there was nowhere to go. We had to take a cab ride to get a bagel which was $6.00 and then the bagel was $2, so we ended us paying way too much.
add_hyperactive: so you guys have any pets?is it hard to part with them while you're on tour?
i5: Gabby: I live with a dog.. when we started touring, I gave it to my MOM in Mexico so the dogs names went from Shiela to Chila :) Our manager was a dog, we trade taking care of him Christina: I don't like him.. he ate my food. He owes me $6.00 lol Christina: I have 2 cats, one is adopted. His name is Boots. WHen I'm not there, he gets mad and throws up everywhere and then there is Laroo and she is a brat, she wants dinner served on a platter
g00bd0g: what were you doing 24 hours ago?
i5: getting ready for soundcheck though, we got rained out yesterday. We ended up playing Cinderella... because were bored,
g00bd0g: what is you opinion of mp3's/napster?
i5: we were just talking about this. I would say that If you can't beat them, join them. We will strike a deal with Napster. :) It's hard to say. If I was Metallica.. losing thousands, it would matter. But we don't feel that. SOme of my friends try to send us burned CDs and I refuse to take them. It's wrong. But as a new artist, what can you do? We were excited to even be on there. It's very cut throat out there to get your music out. But for multi-platinum artists, it's a different story.
add_hyperactive: How many albums do you have out?
i5: Our single came out 2 years ago. Gabby: My mom lives in Mexico and she said she heard it on San Diego 93.3 and Orlando XO 106.7 we are excited to watch it grow~ it's called Distracted
tenafterten: are you flattered or offended by comparisons to the spice girls?
i5: FLATTERED. WE look up to them. They are great, very smart We know we are not like them, we are all from different countries and was not given personalities. Everyone is themselves. It encompasses everything. Because we have different cultures, you can hear it on the album. But, if people compare us to the Spice Girls because of the way we look, we love it. We hope we have their success.
rrgoldstein: Who are they're biggest inspiration as a group?
i5: En Vogue Boys 2 Men and quartet, we are into vocals and harmoy. WE look up to NSYNC a lot. We hope to be a female version of them OUtside of music is GOD.. we are very spiritual Gabby usually leads a prayer before we go on stage. It helps.
bo00om: hey i5,what do you do on your free time???
i5: Gabby: I go salsa dancing and when I have time, I go skateboarding. But we have no room to bring it this time. Gabby: I need someone to teach my tricks Christina: I live to shop and I love makeup. I haven't had time off in a long time Gabby: when we are on the bus I study alot and read Kate listens to the radio ALL THE TIME ANDY talks on the phone alot. The cell phone bills are outrageous
akkm_2000: If you had a dream show, who else would be on the bill (dead or alive)?
i5: Christina: Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey Gabby: Selma Hayek, Luis Miguel Andy would pick Frank Sinatra and Mary Poppins GAbby's show would be a dance show Christina: mine would be a romantic comedy and I will play the daughter that they adopted
zooey_franny: what's your favorite song to perform?
i5: We all love Distracted. The vocals are cool. We are going to get more bass in the song on this tour. The guys that wrote this song, wrote Guinnie in a bottle
superstring84: Do you have an official website? If so, what is the URL?
i5: www.i5onvoxxy.com www.i5girls.com or you can email us you can find that on our site... we promise!! we will write you back. Gabby likes pink and Christina likes teddybears thank you to all the wonderful fans that we are. Thanks for staying true to us. Look for our record coming out and we promise we will email you back if you write us!!! Catch us on the Nickelodeon tour you can find tour information on www.amuZnet.com and you can win some merch on the amuZnet contest. call your radio station and please request Distracted !!!! if they get calls, they will play our song! and if they play it alot in your area,.. we will make it there! OK thanks!! we hope to hear from you soon.
amuznet_live: Thank you for joining us. Thank you Gabby and Christina of i5 for chatting with us. Be sure to check www.amuznet.com to see who we will be chatting with in the in the future. Thanks and good evening.

This chat is from amuZnet