Sugababes: U.K. Cuties with Attitude!

The three girls making up the danceable gurl group, Sugababes, Keisha, Mutya and Heidi, caught on in their native U.K. through the underground garage rock scene. Mutya and Keisha have been singing together since their very early teens. When one of the early group members left, the remaining girls voted for Heidi to join the "babes". Their album III contains tons of hoppin' tunes like Hole in the Head, In the Middle and Freak Like Me. Hole in the Head has caught on in the U.S. dance clubs and the girls were briefly in L.A. chatting on various radio stations. We caught up with them briefly and got the scoop from these very hot-looking and sounding "babes".

TeenMusic: Welcome to the U.S.! How would you describe your sound? Digi-soul, garage, hip hop, or?

Mutya: Thank you! That's very sweet. We are actually leaving on a plane back to the UK in a few hours. Our music is all of that. It's a big mixture. In the UK , garage is a big influence.

Keisha: I think the words to describe our music are original and very diverse.

TeenMusic: How did Keisha and Mutya know that Heidi was the right person to add to the group?

Keisha: You never can tell to be honest. You meet the person once and you have to make a decision.

Mutya: We liked her voice. We wanted someone who was as committed as we are. It's one thing to be good looking but another thing, to also want to work hard and have a great voice. We liked that she was as ambitious and willing to put in that effort.

TeenMusic: You all seem to share lead vocals. Is that something you decided on from the beginning.. no "frontwoman" or lead singer?

Mutya: It was never a decision. At the end of the day it feels comfortable. There are three of us. It's nice to see a group that does that. There are so many groups out there where there is one MC or vocalist who is the main person and the other people are there are back up. It's great that we can switch it up. We all had the talent.

Keisha: And this way we got to have more verses. It just works for us.

Heidi: On some songs it might be one of us. But if our voice doesn't fit, it might be another one of us as the lead. All three of us are on every song vocally.

TeenMusic: You all started singing as very young teens. Do you feel you missed out on a "regular" teen life?

Keisha: Yes, we left school when we were 13. Not going to school is not a normal thing but we wouldn't change it because we wouldn't be the people that we are now. While our friends were in school, we were on the road. I wouldn't be the vocalist I am now if I hadn't had that experience. When I was younger I had a harder time using my voice and now I can control it better because I've had time to develop it and practice.

TeenMusic: Mutya... wow! How hard is it to keep those looooong fingernails in shape? Have you always had them?

Mutya: Obviously they were a lot longer then I normally wear but I'm known for my nails. I love them. It annoys me to have short nails. We have our own individual things that make us who we are. I have to have my nails long!

TeenMusic: What do you think is most different about American fans vs. U.K. fans?

Heidi: To be honest, we haven't met any of our American fans. We've seen American fans for other people though and they remind me of up North (in London) very wild. Americans come ready to have a really good time.

TeenMusic: Who in the group is the jokester and who is the peacemaker or disciplinarian?

Keisha: It depends. I think that out of all of us, I might be slightly more disciplined. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist on stage. Heidi might be more so for interviews. So it really depends on the situation.

TeenMusic: How do you decide which songs are best for you to record? Do you vote?

Heidi: When you record the songs, the best ones just stand out. We've never disagreed on what the best songs were.

TeenMusic: Each of you, ... favorite band, actor, junk food?

Keisha: My favorite band is either Boyz II Men or Jodeci, actor Eddie Murray, and KFC for junk food.

Mutya: Band? I have too many to say. I don't have a favorite at the moment. Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler are my favorite actors. For junk food, I used to really enjoy different (potato) chips but I'm slowly working my way off it. I don't really eat that much junk food these days.

Heidi: Actor Robert DeNiro, junk food: Chinese takeaway and I can't pick one band. We hear so many different ones. Being in the music industry we are exposed to so many great songs and hear things from producers and writers all the time. It's hard to pick just one.

TeenMusic: What do you like to do to kick back when you have a little time off?

Heidi: It depends what mood you're in. Sometimes you want to sleep or watch TV. Other times you want to go out clubbing and shopping.

TeenMusic: What is your weirdest fan encounter so far?

Keisha: I was in Germany and this girl wanted us all to sign her body. The other two had already signed her, for me she pulled down her top! It was really uncomfortable. I didn't want to hold onto it for support but I didn't want to disappoint her either. It was definitely not fun for me!

TeenMusic: What is the best advice you've ever been given and who gave it to you?

Mutya: It was from my mom. She said 'put God first, give thanks and praise, live right and live to the fullest and always forgive and forget'.

Heidi: Mine is from my mum as well. Moms are really wise! It's 'never depend on anyone but yourself'. It's not very nice but it's true.

TeenMusic: Can we expect you back in the States soon...on a tour perhaps?

All: Hopefully! We would love to come back.

Check out the Sugababes online at www.Sugababes.com

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.