As I write this, the PEV team is already figuring out a way to grab passes to one of the tours we’re most looking forward to – the “Get U Home” tour – featuring not only one of our favorite alums, Schwayze, but our latest feature, the Paradiso Girls. And sweet lord… who wouldn’t want to see the Paradiso Girls?

Again, the girls are another one of those groups we have the pleasure of catching up with just before they’re giant household names – 5 unreal gorgeous girls from 5 different countries – Chelsea Korka from United States, Aria Crescendo from France, Lauren Bennett from the United Kingdom, Kelly Beckett from Barbados and Shar Mae Amor from the Philippines. They’ve been catching more attention than Johnny Depp at a comic convention, currently signed with Will.i.am music group/Interscope Records, working with the man himself for projects such as their debut single “Patron Tequila”, and their video featuring both Eve and Lil’ Jon as well as their upcoming record. They’re busy, needless to say.

Like I said, the girls will be on tour with Schwayze starting in September, where Lauren says to expect “a lot of energy… We like to interact with the crowd, which makes every place and every show a bit different.” For now, they’ll continue their club tour in the states and in Europe so check out the schedule and anticipate their new album. There’s a lot more to learn below, so dive into the XXQ’s.

XXQs: The Paradiso Girls – Lauren

PEV (Richie F.): Hi, Lauren, how are you?

Paradiso Girls (Lauren): I’m doing great! Making a bagel!

PEV: Are you taking some time out from touring?

Lauren: Well, we just have a couple of days off. We are headed to San Diego soon so we don’t have much time.

PEV: Do you like life on the road?

Lauren: Yeah, I love it. It’s amazing. We have so much fun. It’s nice to travel around and see different places.

PEV: are the best and worst parts?

Lauren: The worst part is getting on the plane and getting up and 5 o’clock in the morning! And the best part is performing and doing stupid things with the girls.

PEV: Did you all know each other before forming the band?

Lauren: We all kind of went to the same auditions and saw each other a lot, but we didn’t really know each other then.

PEV: Now you all are very close?

Lauren: Oh yeah, it’s the best. We went through a lot of girls before we got to the five that we have now. We are the ones that last and we definitely get along well. We all live together in pairs.

PEV: Do you all get together and hang out when you aren’t performing?

Lauren: Oh yeah! We go to the movies or dinner.  Definitely go out and party together. All the time. It’s nice that we can do that. I know a lot of people expect girls in a girl band not to get along. But we are like a family now, like siblings.  Of course sometimes one of us is a bit down or having a bad day, but we always sort it out with no problems.

PEV: What can fans expect from a live Paradiso Girls show?

Lauren: Definitely a lot of energy, I know it doesn’t sound like that right now since I just woke up… But we definitely have a lot of energy. We like to interact with the crowd, which makes every place and every show a bit different.

PEV: I watched the video for ‘Patron Tequila’ on your website and have heard the positive reactions from fans all over. Were you surprised at the response the song has gotten?

Lauren: Well, we weren’t sure how long it would take for anyone to recognize our work. But we have found a lot of people following us and it is surprising at how many people are showing up to our shows. It is good; we are on a good road.

PEV: What was it like to work with Will.I.Am?

Lauren: He is amazing. We had a good connection with him in our music and our personalities as well. He has a lot of energy and is a little crazy. I think he is great for us. His music fits our personality as a group.

PEV: Is there any artist or group that you would like to collaborate with that you haven’t had the chance to yet?

Lauren: I think we have been lucky enough to work with the artists that we have. We got to work with Cee-Lo from Gnarles Barkley and he I think he is incredible; one of the most talented there is out there.

PEV: Was there a certain point in your life when you knew music was going to be your career?

Lauren: I’ve been singing since I was twelve years old in bars around London. Then I went for an audition for a show in London called X-Factor, and then I met someone who told me about the audition for this group. I was only 17 at the time and I just didn’t expect it to go this far. I was just at the right place at the right time. I’m lucky definitely.

PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your career?

Lauren: My dad has told me that everyone is happy for me and nobody expected it.  We have a really normal family and this is just something special for all of us.

PEV: What is one thing we would be surprised to hear about the girls in the band?

Lauren: We are very down-to-earth, girls.  We are crazy and like to do stupid things. We aren’t afraid to make an idiot of ourselves sometimes.

PEV: What is next for the Paradiso Girls?

Lauren: We have a lot more shows for the club tour we are doing and we are going to continue with it. Really just focusing on the tour and getting to Europe since we are all from there.

PEV: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us. Best of luck.

Lauren: Oh, thank you. Bye.

For more information on The Paradiso Girls, check out: www.ParadisoGirls.com