Escape is exactly what Timothy and Theron Thomas dreamed of doing when they started performing at the age of 6 and 7. Although they loved their homeland enough to pay homage with the name of their group, the brothers were taught from the time they could speak that they were destined for stardom. “I knew I was going to do this from the time I was 9 years old,” Theron says. From the poverty-stricken streets of St. Thomas, USVI, aka “Rock City,” the boys were groomed by their father, who saw a vision of international stardom in his talented sons.
Eventually Timothy and Theron made it out of Rock City, but never left their love for the homeland behind. The brothers, born 10 months apart, moved to America and after over 10 years of struggling for their rightful place, 2015 proved to be their year of transition as their long anticipated project finally made its way to the charts. R. City’s first single, “Locked Away” featured Adam Levine and went platinum less than three months after its release. Their follow-up single, “Make Up” was released just before the end of the year and is currently in the top 40. Still, 2016 promises to be even bigger, starting with Sundance and a tour kicking off in Atlanta on Feb. 5, and then the guys will join Maroon 5 on the road in September..
#WhatDreamsAreMadeof is a gritty biographical account of R.City’s trek from island artists to becoming one of the most in-demand songwriting duos in the world for artists like Beyonce’, Miley Cyrus, Usher and many more, to their own platinum single and album release.
The documentary tells the story of two brothers who fought for their deferred dream, in the face of adversity and numerous failures. R. City’s dream has allowed them to impact others in a way that inspires the human spirit and celebrates hope. Atlanta-based filmmaker Tory Edwards jumped at the chance to document his longtime friends’ story as he’d been a part of their support system long before the platinum single featuring Adam Levine or even the numerous hits Timothy and Theron wrote for other A-list stars.
“I’ve known the guys for about 10 years, before any of the fame or any of the commercial success. I think people will relate to this piece regardless of their background, race, etc. because it’s a story of perseverance. Stories like this resonate with everyone, because we can all relate to that in some way,” says director Tory Edwards.
He believes what makes R. City special is their unique ability to withstand numerous failures and disappointments, never stopping to allow bitterness or discouragement to set in.
“Everyone who we interviewed about the group spoke about their persistence and hard work and their character. Never once did they show any resentment or anger towards anything that was thrown into their path. It speaks to their character and who they are as people,” Edwards says.
Edwards is excited to be taking this project to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival as he feels it will offer a fresh perspective from many of the other films slated for the festival. “Last year I told myself I wasn’t going to miss another Sundance, but I had no idea I would be presenting a film this year, ” he explains.
#Whatdreamsaremadeof: A Rockumentary will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 24 at the Toyota Mirai `Music Lodge at the Sundance Film Festival from 4 to 7 p.m. The premiere will include a live performance by R. City. The event is being sponsored by Unreel.Co.
