09 May 2011
For Paul ‘Paulie’ Merciadez, Justice Crew saved his life. Before teaming up with the eight other singing, dancing juggernauts, Merciadez wasn’t exactly a poster boy for temperance.
“As a kid I would say I was lost, I had no direction. I didn’t really know what I was doing with my life,” he recalls while on a Sydney train on his way to a Dolly Magazine photo shoot. “I was a bit of a naughty boy and it was hard to keep me in line, I had a lot of struggles and issues that I couldn’t deal with.”
Fortunately, at the age of 14, Merciadez was invited to attend a youth group where he started to learn the acrobatics that have now become his trademark. The youth group ignited a passion inside the now 20-year-old, and diverted his fast track to destruction to a rise to fame and brotherhood.
Fortunately, at the age of 14, Merciadez was invited to attend a youth group where he started to learn the acrobatics that have now become his trademark. The youth group ignited a passion inside the now 20-year-old, and diverted his fast track to destruction to a rise to fame and brotherhood.
“If that youth group didn’t take me in, who knows where I’d be now,” he states bluntly.
Today, even before the release of a debut album, the troupe have garnered Australia- wide recognition; most notably by taking out the #1 spot on last year’s Australia’s Got Talent and signing with major label, Sony Music Entertainment. The band’s second single, Friday To Sunday peaked in the top 20 on the ARIA charts, with an Australian support tour with R ‘n’ B star, Chris Brown just wrapping up. “I had no idea that we were going to win, let alone release three singles and have our own tour coming up on the way,” Merciadez says, the shock still evident in his voice. “It’s unreal.”
Talented, celebrated and philanthropic, Australian audiences seem to want Justice Crew to succeed. Part of their $250,000 winnings went toward starting Justice Academy, a dance class the boys teach themselves three times a week in Sydney areas Miranda, Bankstown and Parramatta. Every three months all eight members hold fundraising events or take the kids on an outing; this project hits home for Merciadez in particular, as he sees himself in many of the kids he mentors.
“There’s one little boy, his names Isaiah, I’m close with him because I see a lot of myself in him. We’re just good friends, he texts me and says things like ‘I miss you and I’m sorry I couldn’t come to rehearsal,’ stuff like that.” Merciadez seems to gain just as much from the friendship. “I hope I can be a mentor to him and show him I’m living proof that he can do anything he sets his mind to, and that goes for all the kids.”
Although he’s open about his passion for the Academy, he’s tight-lipped about a Justice Crew headlining tour and what it will entail. Merciadez says he “can’t really reveal much” but did say he would like to use his acoustic guitar skills to record a few slower tracks; although he jokes when asked how exactly that will fit into their high-energy, dancing performance. “We can make some remixes and stuff like that, or maybe we can just take up contemporary dancing,” he laughs.
One rubbing point with some naysayers is that although they are clearly accomplished acrobats and dancers, Justice Crew seem to have little input in the music they release. In fact, Merciadez says he only pursued singing as a career after the opportunity was thrust upon him on Australia’s Got Talent.
“I never really strived for it, I never really thought I wanted [singing] to be something I wanted to be known for,” he says. “It was just a hobby and then out of nowhere I had the opportunity so I thought ‘why not’?”
Regardless of how suddenly pop stardom was thrust upon them, Justice Crew have more than stepped up to the musical plate, with a string of infectious singles and impressive live performances showcasing them as a genuinely talented young musical act. It’s early days for the group; as Merciadez says, for now he just hopes the Australian youth will take away the lessons he has learnt and prospered from.
“The main thing we want to teach is that things aren’t impossible, if you have a dream just go for it. It’s mainly the youth we want to inspire, the next generation,” he says. “If they believe in something then just go for it. Nothing comes without hard work but just if you work hard for what you believe in, things will happen.”
Today, even before the release of a debut album, the troupe have garnered Australia- wide recognition; most notably by taking out the #1 spot on last year’s Australia’s Got Talent and signing with major label, Sony Music Entertainment. The band’s second single, Friday To Sunday peaked in the top 20 on the ARIA charts, with an Australian support tour with R ‘n’ B star, Chris Brown just wrapping up. “I had no idea that we were going to win, let alone release three singles and have our own tour coming up on the way,” Merciadez says, the shock still evident in his voice. “It’s unreal.”
Talented, celebrated and philanthropic, Australian audiences seem to want Justice Crew to succeed. Part of their $250,000 winnings went toward starting Justice Academy, a dance class the boys teach themselves three times a week in Sydney areas Miranda, Bankstown and Parramatta. Every three months all eight members hold fundraising events or take the kids on an outing; this project hits home for Merciadez in particular, as he sees himself in many of the kids he mentors.
“There’s one little boy, his names Isaiah, I’m close with him because I see a lot of myself in him. We’re just good friends, he texts me and says things like ‘I miss you and I’m sorry I couldn’t come to rehearsal,’ stuff like that.” Merciadez seems to gain just as much from the friendship. “I hope I can be a mentor to him and show him I’m living proof that he can do anything he sets his mind to, and that goes for all the kids.”
Although he’s open about his passion for the Academy, he’s tight-lipped about a Justice Crew headlining tour and what it will entail. Merciadez says he “can’t really reveal much” but did say he would like to use his acoustic guitar skills to record a few slower tracks; although he jokes when asked how exactly that will fit into their high-energy, dancing performance. “We can make some remixes and stuff like that, or maybe we can just take up contemporary dancing,” he laughs.
One rubbing point with some naysayers is that although they are clearly accomplished acrobats and dancers, Justice Crew seem to have little input in the music they release. In fact, Merciadez says he only pursued singing as a career after the opportunity was thrust upon him on Australia’s Got Talent.
“I never really strived for it, I never really thought I wanted [singing] to be something I wanted to be known for,” he says. “It was just a hobby and then out of nowhere I had the opportunity so I thought ‘why not’?”
Regardless of how suddenly pop stardom was thrust upon them, Justice Crew have more than stepped up to the musical plate, with a string of infectious singles and impressive live performances showcasing them as a genuinely talented young musical act. It’s early days for the group; as Merciadez says, for now he just hopes the Australian youth will take away the lessons he has learnt and prospered from.
“The main thing we want to teach is that things aren’t impossible, if you have a dream just go for it. It’s mainly the youth we want to inspire, the next generation,” he says. “If they believe in something then just go for it. Nothing comes without hard work but just if you work hard for what you believe in, things will happen.”
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