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The British electric band The Brand New Heavies started out in 1985 in London. It was formed by drummer/keyboardist Jan Kincaid, guitarist Simon Bartholomew, and bassist/keyboardist Andrew Levy.  The group’s signature sound mixed jazz, funk, and classic soul.

The band spent the first few years playing in local bars in London.  After cutting a few demos, the Heavies signed with a record label and had singer Jay Ella Ruth join the band.  The single Got to Give got radio airplay and in 1990, the group released an eponymous album.  They received glowing reviews from critics and their musical careers had been propelled to new heights. 

In 1992, Jay Ella Ruth left the band and the record label picked N'dea Davenport to be her successor. The same year, the band attempted to penetrate the American market and released their eponymous album under record label Delicious Vinyl Records. The singles Never Stop, Dream Come True and Stay This Way were chart toppers.  The band had commercial and critical success and was becoming well known internationally.

In 1992, the Heavies released a follow-up album entitled Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1, which they produced with the collaboration of many rappers.  This funk, hip-hop and jazz album was embraced by the fans and critics, and the band went on tour after its release. 

The Brand New Heavies’ good fortune continued when their third album, Brother Sister was released in 1994 and was certified platinum in Great Britain. It had hits such as Dream on Dreamer and Some Time. The following year the band released Original Flava, which was another commercial triumph.  The same year the group released The Brand New Heavies: Original Flava. Despite this growing popularity for the group, N'dea Davenport decided to leave the group to go solo.

In 1997, the band recruited singer Siedah Garrett and recorded the album Shelter with the Heavies.  Although the single Sometimes had some success, the disc did not quite captivate audiences the same way the previous albums had.  Two years later, the band released Trunk Funk: The Best of the Brand New Heavies, which was a compilation of the band’s biggest hits.  In 2004, the Heavies felt a decline in their popularity and created the album All About The Funk, which did not meet their expectations.

After a ten year hiatus, N'dea Davenport reunited with the group and recorded the album  Get Used To It, which came out in 2006. It had rave reviews and the single I Don’t Know Why (I Love You) made it on the Billboard Top 30.  In December 2006, The Brand New Heavies launched a North American and European tour.