The two girls attended the local conservatoire from an early age, spending over 15 years studying the piano and training their voices. Laura and Chris soon proved themselves capable of performing an extremely diverse repertoire, equally at home singing gospel and biguine as they were performing jazz and soul. At home Laura and Chris would frequently rehearse with their brother's rock group and they both gained useful experience as backing singers, working at recording sessions and live gigs. At this point in their careers the Mayne sisters were far from imagining that they would one day become stars in their own right. Chris even began a course of management studies (which she would successfully complete in 1992).

Yet Chris would have no need of her management studies, for in 1991 the two sisters got their big break. The artistic director Philippe Puybaudy introduced Laura and Chris to Fred Versailles, the talented co-producer of rap group NTM's début album. Versailles, an excellent musician himself always demanded the highest standards in the artists he worked with. When this musical perfectionist heard Laura and Chris Mayne sing for the first time however, he was instantly won over by the sisters' impressive vocal talent.

By the following year Laura and Chris's days as backing singers were well and truly over. The sisters signed a recording deal with BMG in October 1992, creating the sisterly double act Native. Working in close collaboration with the singer Christine Lidon, the pair immediately set to work writing material for their début album.

The sisters' 12-track album "Native", released in June 1993, proved an instant hit with the French public. Indeed the first single release, "Si la vie demande ça", soon rocketed to the top of the charts, establishing Native as one of the hottest new talents on the French music scene. Selling over 400,000 copies of their début album, the sisters achieved the rare feat of creating a successful "French soul" sound. (Before Native emerged on the music scene it has to be said that "French soul" was not exactly a thriving genre).

Following the success of their début album, Native embarked upon an extensive tour, performing numerous dates in France and exporting their "French soul" sound abroad. By this point Native were beginning to establish an excellent reputation on the French music scene and it came as no surprise to anyone when on 7 February 1994 the two sisters were hailed as "Best New Group of the Year" at the "Victoires de la Musique" awards. (At the next two editions of the prestigious award ceremony Native were nominated in the "Best Group" category). The following year the sisters, who were by now firmly established at the forefront of the French music scene, performed a triumphant concert at La Cigale in Paris (in January 95).

At the start of 97 Native returned to the studio to begin recording their second album, "Aux couleurs de l'amour" (a huge hit which would go on to earn the Mayne sisters a coveted gold disc the following year). This new work found the Mayne sisters continuing to tap the rich soul vein which had influenced their début album, but orienting themselves towards a more American sound. In fact, all the musicians and songwriters involved in the making of "Aux couleurs de l'amour" were American, and although Laura was responsible for most of the production work, three of the tracks on the new album were written and produced by Jon Lind (the talented American singer/songwriter renowned for his work with Madonna, Cher and the legendary 70's group Earth, Wind and Fire).

Following the release of their second album, Native set off on a major national tour which ended with a triumphant concert at the Olympia on 17 May 1998.

May 98