O.N.E The Duo: “A Reflection Of Our Connection”

First things first, please introduce for me the members of O.N.E The Duo…

Peace, I’m Prana Supreme and I’m Tekitha. Together we’re O.N.E The Duo.

Let’s hop right into this lead single / video, “Feels Good” — Tell me about this particular track; how did it even come to fruition?

It was the 2nd song we wrote with Shane Stevens and Nash Overstreet. The first being “Stuck In The Middle.” We love writing with those two because it is just a fun time, and “Feels Good” really reflects the energy we all have together. Our main goal with this song was making a Country song that really reflected our identity.

How then does “ Feels Good” either differ and / or compare to previous O.N.E The Duo entries?

“Feels Good” is definitely more of a Pop Country track compared to “Guilty” and “River of Sins.” This will be people’s first introduction into what we consider the Effervescent side of O.N.E The Duo.

What particular string of events actually led to your signing to / with Visionary Media Group?

It’s a really interesting story actually. Our International partner, Eva Ries, led the charge on this by introducing Prana and I to two former colleagues of hers from her years in NYC. This intro brought us to Renee Bell, who would become our manager shortly thereafter. From that point when we narrowed down exactly what type of partnership / label home we desired, one of our first meetings was with Anastasia Brown from Visionary Media Group. After meeting with a host of other people, we ended up right back with Visionary because not only did our goals align but our intentions and greater purposes did as well.

Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you all first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for O.N.E The Duo?

This may sound funny, but OTD began when Prana was born. The music is a reflection of our connection. We have been singing together before she could even form words. Professionally, we’ve been on this journey for the better part of 6 years; fine tuning the sound and our live show more and more as we go along. O.N.E THE DUO was all a dream Prana had in her heart back in California.

Now where exactly do you all hail from? And growing up there, who all did / do you all consider to be your strongest musical influences?

Tekitha: I hail from Sacramento, CA. I am a true music lover so I am influenced by all genres and artists, but off the top of my head Slick Rick, Fleetwood Mack, EWF, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder.

Prana: I was born in Atlanta, but was really raised all over. Collectively most of my life has been spent in California, but New York is also a persistent place in my life for obvious reasons. Because of that, my music taste is all over the place. Earth, Wind & Fire, Queens of the Stone Age, Fela Kuti, Kendrick Lamar, Fiona Apple! The list goes on.

In having said that, how do you all classify your overall sound and / or style?

That really is a tough one. It’s Country meets Jazz, Hip Hop, Soul. Overall, I really think it’s Country because Country has always had those musical influences in it.

Where does your moniker originally derive from?

People would always call Prana and I “PraKitha” because we’re like one person. Hence the name O.N.E. The acronym came to be because intention is really important to us, and I knew we wanted a name that would truly represent who we are and how we come to life. Observant, Noetic, Effervescent truly encompasses all of that.

What do you all feel has and will continue to be the key to your longstanding success?

Authenticity; both within our music and in the public eye. Audiences can tell when your heart’s not in it OR in it for the wrong reasons. We’re doing this because we truly love making music together, and want to make a change in the world.

What do you all want people to get from your music?

We want people to feel the connection we have to one another, and the love we have for all to come through our music. We want them to be inspired to lead with love and compassion, all while having a good time!!

On a more serious note, are you all happy with the current state of music?

Personally, yes! I always get a little frustrated when people say music isn’t as good as it used to be. I find that means that they aren’t going out of their way to find good music ‘cause it is out there and it’s not good, it’s great! There are so many new artists on the scene across many genres putting out music that is pushing the envelope. What I think they’re actually frustrated with is the system and what’s getting mainstream shine and what isn’t.

Do you all have any other outside / additional aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?

Prana: Oh, man, the aspirations are endless. I’ve had an idea for a fashion line for a few years now and I would love to delve back into acting in a serious way. Also a restaurant, which will probably be the hardest endeavor but I’ve wanted to open a restaurant since I was 17.

Tekitha: So many aspirations!! But I imagine the greatest on my list would be the philanthropic work I am doing with my partners; Ron Zamber with Visionary Private Equity Group and Bimmy Antney and his What If Foundation. Creating access and resources for those marginalized by outdated and unfair systems is something I am committed to leaning into. Specifically around food education, health and wellness, trade and higher education, financial literacy, prison reform and finally feeding starving children on a global scale.

To date, what has been your greatest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?

Prana: For me, just recently seeing “Feels Good” play in Times Square. Literally up until the second we saw it up there I didn’t believe it was actually gonna happen. 2nd is playing at the Ryman. We opened up for Allison Russell and the Fisk Jubilee singers, and it was all just a really magical night.

What’s an average day like for you all?

There really is no average day, haha! The most consistent thing is mom and I do our check in with each other after 12pm of what that particular day entails. We’re both grumpy morning people, so we steer clear. Before noon, mom and I do our own thing. She takes her morning meetings, I go workout.

Please discuss how you all interact with and respond to fans…

We interact with fans as extended family!! As we see our fanbase growing, we want them to feel equally a part of this journey with us!!

What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?

Favorite part is performing. Performing is like putting the final piece in the puzzle. We recorded some amazing songs, rehearsed our butts off, picked out some fabulous outfits and now we get to show everyone. I love being on stage and feeling the energy from the audience and getting to hear people’s stories / reactions after the show. Least favorite, how people will try to change your identity. Early on, we had people tell us we needed to change this or that about ourselves and it felt like why take interest in us if you didn’t want us to BE us.

What advice would you all have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Know that your intellectual property is valuable. Extremely valuable. Your words, melodies, artistic vision, no one else can replicate that.

Lastly, what’s next for O.N.E The Duo?

The biggest thing is our debut album! We worked hard on this and can’t wait for everyone to get their ears on it.

Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention?

Not at all, these were all some amazing questions!

Any “closing” thought(s) for our readers?

Our mission is to lead with love, compassion and empathy every single day and to each being we encounter. We hope the music delivers that energy when it hits your system!! We Love You.