R&B duo Floetry have begun writing and recording the follow-up to last year's Floetic. Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart have blocked out time to write with 3LW this summer, and already in the can is a session with Patti LaBelle. LaBelle sings on "Hear My Cry" and "I Could Be Enough," songs penned by Ambrosius and Stewart, Philly-based Brits who first came to international attention after writing "Butterflies" for Michael Jackson's Invincible album.

"It's beautiful," says Ambrosius of "I Could Be Enough." "It sounds like a beautiful summer's day driving down Kelly Drive in Philadelphia, looking at the beautiful houses just chilling, very laid back, very sincere. It's the beauty of everything that's summer time."

Having successfully completed one cycle in the music industry -- selling nearly half a million albums of their debut -- has given the twosome plenty of fodder for the new album, which they plan to complete this summer.

"When we cut the first album," says Stewart, "we weren't worried about the outside problems and issues that are created in the business area of the industry. We just went in and did the record. Now we're twenty-four and twenty-five. I'm engaged to be married, Marsha's grandma passed away last year, my grandma had a stroke -- there's a lot of things we've been through, and grown through. We've been in positions where we could have decided to either sink or swim, and we just communicate that struggle in our music."

Philadelphia has become a home away from home for Floetry -- they recorded their debut album there, and their manager's father is Sixers great Dr. J. It's only appropriate that the duo kick off their U.S. summer tour there on June 7th, when they join Angie Stone and Angelique Kidjo in a tribute to director Spike Lee, performing excerpts of music from the soundtracks of his films.

Floetry tour dates:

6/7: Philadelphia, The Mann Center
6/12: Brooklyn, NY, BAM R&B Festival
6/14: New Orleans, Marconi Center
6/18: New York, World Financial Center Concert Series
7/4: New Orleans, House of Blues
7/25: Los Angeles, Wadsworth Theater

COLIN DEVENISH
(May 16, 2003)