Their name is: The Veronicas

Their bag is: Rock/Pop

They sound like: Tatu, Kelly Clarkson, and, um, Veruca Salt.

Download these songs: Untouched, Hook Me Up, When It All Falls Apart, Everything I’m Not, 4ever, This Love, Take Me On The Floor, In Another Life.

This time you get two Divas for the price of one! Specifically, The Veronicas, an ARIA Award-winning Australian group led by identical 22-year-old twin sisters Lisa Marie and Jessica Louise Origliasso.

With plenty of red carpet appearances: engagements and girl pashing (not with each other – that would be wrong), these girls from Albany Creek sure have what it takes to be a “pop sensation”.

In 2004, they met produced a demo that led to a production deal and a reported US$2 million recording contract with Warner Bros. Records/Sire America. Their debut album, The Secret Life of…, was released in Australia in 2005. It has peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA album charts and gone 4x platinum with five singles released in Australia. The album was released in the US in 2006 with two singles released there. Blender magazine included them in their list of the hottest women in rock in 2006.

The duo’s lead single Hook Me Up from their second album was added to Australian radio last August. The song was produced by Timbaland. The album, Untouched, was released in Australia in November and is being released this month in the US.

The girls currently live in Los Angeles. They are presently supporting Natasha Beddingfield on her 20 date US tour that starts May 21 in Myrtle Beach, S.C., then they will be on the Verizon VIP Tour through at least July 10.

Savvy: I understand there’s an interesting story behind your name. And not just that it rolls off the tongue more easily than The Origliassos.

Jessica: The name The Veronicas was inspired by our favourite comic book character, Veronica Lodge from Archie comics. It’s also from the movie Heathers.

Savvy: I read where Archie Comics didn’t like you taking the name at first but now that you are cross-promoting them, they love you.

(Laughs)

Savvy: You two performed in small parts on various television shows including a recurring role on the Australian children’s series Cybergirl. You played twin sisters – imagine that!

(Laughs)

Savvy: Have you done enough acting to consider yourselves singer slash actors?

Jessica: We grew up doing it all, but our main focus has been song writing and recording slash touring.

Lisa: We also have our own fashion line out exclusively through Target in Australia!

Savvy: What was your big break? And if you could do anything differently, would you?

Jessica: Our big break was meeting our publisher Hayden Bell and then it was all uphill from there!

Lisa: No regrets or disappointments. You can only learn from every experience and become wiser!

Savvy: You two are still so young. How long do you plan to rock on?

Lisa: We want to make music for as long as we live and continue to tour and love what we do.

Savvy: Who is your role model?

Jessica: I would say our parents because they have believed and supported us from the very beginning of this. We couldn't have done it without them.

Savvy: Who did you grow up listening to?

Lisa: We grew up idolizing Michael Jackson. We also loved our Aussie rock like AC/DC and INXS.

Savvy: Yeah, two great Aussie bands. Do you get confused with or compared to any other acts?

Jessica: I think we have our own unique sound as The Veronicas, but we do often get compared to Tatu, Kelly Clarkson, and Veruca Salt.

Savvy: Where do ideas for your songs come from?

Jessica: We got signed as songwriters before recording artists, so we draw inspiration for songs just from our own life experiences.

Lisa: Jess and I both share in the song writing and creation of the songs.

Savvy: Savvy Divas is largely about being stylish. You’re definitely unique in your look. Any thoughts?

Lisa: It is an image-obsessed world that we live in these days.

Savvy: Are we ever TOO obsessed with image? You have your own line at Target, but as musicians, you’re about the sound.

Lisa: We try not to let it get to us. We just do our thing. It's another way of expressing yourself. So we wear things we feel the most comfortable and confident in.

Jessica: We just try and stay true to ourselves. That's the message we like to send out to our fans. Because it has become overwhelming with how much focus is put on image these days.

Lisa: We don't really like to be told what to wear.

Jessica: We put together all our own outfits, but we will use a stylist to pull a whole bunch of stuff for us to choose from. It's a mix between rock, classic and vintage with a girly, sometimes boho, edge.

Savvy: What can you tell us about the video for Untouched?

Lisa: It was shot in the Marble Bar in Sydney’s Hilton Building. It’s a haven of Victorian excess, built in 1893. It took nearly 20 hours and about 50 extras. Channel V have made it their “Ripe Clip of the Week” and MTV have added it as their “Spankin New Video”.

Savvy: Sounds spankin good. Thanks, ladies.

_______

On the Web:

http://www.theveronicas.com/ (US Official Site)

http://www.theveronicas.com.au/ (Australian Official Site)

http://www.myspace.com/theveronicas