Musical pairings of rock and pop, R&B and funk, reggae and soul have always brought a blend of uniqueness and edge to a rather dry musical landscape. Fusing genres and various musical distinctions brings about a new form, taking on new steps within the evolution of sound. Enter in a band with such distinction and musical fervor that this very fusion is needed to give the listener a general ‘idea’ of its difference. J.Benjamin Kesler, Russ Mohr, and brothers Luke and Mark DeJaynes, who make up the acoustic-pop/neo-soul sound of Fundamentals, have discovered the inimitable formula that makes them and their performance breathe new life into music itself. Currently based in St. Louis, their musical alliance begins at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois where Kesler and Mohr were students. Each were involved in separate bands at the time, but they soon decided to collaborate for a ‘side project’ to see what would come of it. As the two began testing the waters with different styles and sounds, they developed a musical partnership that would soon prove to be more than just an experiment. In 2004, Kesler's college roommate Luke DeJaynes and his brother Mark were added to the band to fill out a high-energy, loaded-with-talent rhythm section. Upon the formation of Fundamentals, Kesler and Mohr recorded and self-produced two impressive EP’s (Vinylistics in 2002, and Demonstrations in early 2003) and released their first full album Birth Of A Brand New Me in the winter of 2004. "We didn’t set out for the album or our sound to change the course of music," states Mohr. "We just recorded the styles of music that we love and made an album that we would want to listen to." Taking direction and influence from a wide range of artists like D’Angelo, Jack Johnson, The Roots, Justin Timberlake and G. Love & Special Sauce, their unique blend of R&B, rock, funk, and pop, just to name a few, brings about a sound that has made audiences stand up and take notice. The easy, laidback vibe of "She" has the guitar funk of James Brown trickled throughout and then cuts loose in the chorus, challenging any R&B or hip-hop track on the radio today. The lyrical content of Fundamentals songs is just as strong as the musical beds they rest on. "‘She’ is kind of a quirky love song about how our culture has completely misrepresented what it means to be an attractive girl," Mohr states. "So often today, young women are convinced by the by the media that they have to look like a magazine cover girl to be beautiful. Sometimes a girl looks her best when she’s wearing no make-up and just in jeans, a ponytail & a baseball cap. I think it’s important for them to know that lots of guys feel that way." Showing off their strong acoustic sound with the smooth jazz trumpet glazing overhead with "Criminal Behavior" is very biographical for Kesler and Mohr. "This song describes the struggle of a musician, specifically me, that sometimes feels even isolated by the lack of connection between the average person, or listener, and myself," shares Kesler. "Few people know what it’s like to be so driven by music. Music is what I live and breathe. I constantly am distracted by musical ideas popping in my head that I can't wait to try to get out on paper or on the guitar. Most people do not understand this love for music and I sometimes wish I was never born with the ‘gift’ of music. It sounds so cliché but I often feel as if I haven't chosen to play music but rather it's chosen me." Fundamentals musical brilliance is quite evident within their recordings, but it is during their live performance that the real genius emerges. With Mohr’s sweet and soulful vocal delivery alongside Kesler’s innovative and fresh guitar licks and the DeJaynes brothers' tightly knit jazz/funk rhythms, their raw musical agility takes root displaying their versatility, showing that their talent doesn’t merely lie within the console in a studio. Mohr, also a seasoned trumpet player, adds texture and diversity with various horn arrangements scattered throughout the album. "We’ve found that a really great song has to translate on all levels," Kesler says. "We write all of our songs before we go into a studio. We produce them so they sound good in the studio or on stage. After we write the song, we then have the freedom to be creative in production with innovative sounds, loops or whatever else we want to add." With a world seeking fame and notoriety, what it really boils down to for Fundamentals is their unabashed love for music. "I love the sound and melodies found in old soul music," shares Kesler. "Their music seems to have so much more passion than the common pop song. I want our songs to drive the drive of hip-hop like old school Outkast or Jurassic 5. When you combine all of these eclectic tastes, you come up with the Fundamentals."