Arin and Alexis Jones are anything but ordinary University students.
While others only dream of fame and success, the Jones sisters are making their dreams a reality — modeling, singing, hanging out with Nelly, getting compared to Destiny’s Child — and most recently, filming a music video.
The sisters formed Elysian Fieldz, a local R&B group that filmed part of its first music video, “Soldierettes” on the University campus.
More than 200 University students volunteered to be extras in the Elysian Fieldz shoot at the Kappa Sigma house Friday, said Madeline Jones, the sisters’ mother and manager.
“They have a wonderful support group here at LSU,” Madeline said. “It has just broadened their base tremendously, and I’m so proud of the kids who came out.”
The video is for their song “Soldierettes,” which they cowrote with their cousin Mone from the local band Black Iyce, said Arin, a sociology senior.
“It’s a very fun video, kind of like a girl-power video, about being strong and independent, with nice cars and nice guys,” Arin said. “Girls deserve to have a video just for us.”
The video will be shown on BET and Phat Phat and All That, a local New Orleans television program, Arin said.
The sisters began pursuing their music career ten years ago after singing in their church choir, said Arin.
“We grew up in the church choir, so we’ve always been singing, but we wanted to pursue the business aspect,” Arin said.
The sisters started singing early, said Alexis, a mass communication sophomore.
“I was no older than three or four when I did this solo and everyone in the church flipped out when I hit this high note. And after that, I was like, ‘I love singing on the microphone,’” Alexis said. “Then it was something I always wanted to do.”
Elysian Fieldz originally included the Jones sisters and two of their cousins, although their cousins chose to leave the group, Arin said.
The New Orleans-bred family group named their band after the city’s Elysian Fields Avenue — the “heart of the city,” Arin said.
After ten years of struggling in the business, the sisters are finally seeing success, with shows with Master P., T.I., Lil Romeo and B2K under their belts, Arin said.
Arin and Alexis also were both finalists on America’s Next Top Model, a model search television program, Madeline said.
Elysian Fieldz has also worked with Nelly, Arin said.
“He flew us up [to New York] to see if we were a group that he wanted, that he was interested in,” Arin said. “We were, but things didn’t work out in the end.”
The sisters also model for Baby Phat, are extras in movies, study and have jobs — Arin works at the Hampton Inn and Alexis works at Hooters, Madeline said.
The sisters do not want their careers to stop with singing and videos, Alexis said.
“I want my name on everything,” Alexis said. “I want to have cars, shoes, purses, bracelets — everything. I want to model my own car.”
The sisters’ style, sound and history tend to remind people of Destiny’s Child, Arin said.
“But we are not Destiny’s Child; we are very different,” Arin said.
Madeline said she had a hard time finding a manager that met her daughters’ standards, so she decided to be their manager.
“I wasn’t comfortable with what kind of image some people were trying to portray with them,” Madeline said. “They wanted them to shake their butts and, you know, show their cleavage … we figure they can be a success, be sexy and pretty and still have their clothes on.”
Everything the group does is tasteful, classy and fun, Alexis said.
“Faith is number one in our career,” Alexis said.
Elysian Fieldz began their music career in the church choir, and they still pray before every show, Madeline said.
“If you don’t have the spiritual relationship with God, you are either going to quit or go crazy,” Arin said. “This business is crazy, and faith is important.”