About Me
Imagine the pure and complex harmonies of Boyz II Men or Silk, the southern edge of H-Town, the rawness of Jodeci, all combined with the passionate soul of Marvin Gaye, and you are just scratching the surface of the depth that is Confidential.In 2002, a union began that would prove to be the genesis of a radiant talent. After meeting through a mutual friend group member's Phelan, Suede, and Tre' found that they shared the same immense appreciation for music and set out to elevate their generation's musical standard.Since childhood Phelan Johnson knew that he was destined for greatness. "No one in my family did anything musical. It made it difficult to relate with them," Phelan explains. "I was the odd ball, so I've always had a strong sense of self and independence". At the age of 13 Phelan began honing his skills at a performing Arts school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "I was provided with a sense of music from the classical perspective. It gave me a better comprehensive understanding of how music works. Everything from its creation, to sheet music, even the operatic." That educational depth along with inspirations such as Prince and Bjork who Phelan describe as "true artists, so different, with beautifully written material, and distinct looks and sounds," are the backbone behind the creativity in his vocal arrangements, and musical production. His distinct falsetto, and vocal prowess can be heard in "Spotlight," and his production skills are showcased in "Made to Last."Brothers, Darius "Suede" Casey, and John "Tre'" Casey III found different passions in the same music. At 14 Suede, performed with Devine Praise, a regionally accoladed gospel choir. In Devine Praise, Suede was a standout tenor and was frequently sought to lead the choir because of his powerful and heartfelt tenor vocals. " Working with Devine Praise allowed me to gain a greater love for the performance part of the music. Collaborating with other vocalists and being on stage while working as a total unit made me love performing. Singing was a lot of fun then." As a vocalist and songwriter, Suede is constantly looking for opportunities to be innovative, which can be heard on the sure hit single "Fitted". "I'm a hat connoisseur," Suede says jokingly, "So I like all different kinds of hats. "Fitted" expresses how I love women. It's just a different way to approach the subject."Tre` found his passion as a producer and produced tracks for many local acts in Dallas. " When I grew up I looked up to group members like Devante and Dalvin from Jodeci, Nokio and Sisqo from Dru Hill, Teddy Riley from Blackstreet, and GI from H-Town on the Ladies Edition Album," Tre says. "I looked up to them because although they vocally contributed to the group, they played a predominate role in production." When Confidential first began, Tre's main role was group producer. " I can write, but my passion is in the production," Tre explains. "Once I figured out how, I was like wow I really think I'm pretty good at this. As a vocalist, I don't have a problem with Phelan and Suede dominating vocals because they are so great at it. My ultimate goal is to get to where Confidential doesn't have to have outside producers. Not because we don't want them, but because Phelan and I can handle it."With southern sophistication, personality, and charm, these three young men are positioned for unprecedented success. Suede sums it up by saying, "We want to be apart of bringing back the true art of R&B through harmonies, powerful vocal performances, and a sincere love and respect for the music. To have the emotion of artists in the 90's like Jodeci and Silk, and the passion that comes from gospel. Songs that you can feel embodied in a style and swagger like none other."
