These girls are no wannabes

Sammi-Jack Martincak was about 3 years old when the Spice Girls started selling millions of records in America with their girl-power anthems, so it’s surprising the 12-year-old even remembers them.

But what might be even more surprising to those who considered Ginger, Posh, Sporty, Scary and Baby a flash-in-the-pan, the Spice Girls appear to have left a legacy for girls like Sammi-Jack who sings for the Gemz, a tween pop group that is scheduled to play the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center this weekend as part of Kidsfaire, America’s Family Expo.

“A lot of our new CD, ‘Blue is for Girls’ is about girls and how they can be whatever they want to be — you don’t have to be all girlie,” the 12-year-old said, echoing the sentiments of not only the Spice Girls, but another surprise influence on the Gemz — ‘80s power pop stars the Go-Go’s. They put their own spin on the girl-power message, though. Unlike the Spice Girls, there’s no risque element to the Gemz.

“We see other groups out there and see what they promote for younger girls and it’s really not always appropriate and not necessary,” said Samantha Aberman, 16. “You can be clean and not show a lot of skin and not talk about sex and drugs and still be popular.”

Of course, they do still sing about boys, but it’s all G-rated.

The empowerment messages can come as a sigh of relief for parents, said the group’s manager Lauren Green.

“I think that parents look at the Gemz and say, ‘Wow, thank you,’ and when I hear that I think, ‘OK we’ve done a really good thing,’ ” she said.

The girls, who are from Florida, have spent the last three summers touring the country, playing fairs, conventions and charity functions, and have been loving it. They take pride in their age-appropriate messages — the youngest member is 12 and the oldest 16 — and hope girls gain confidence from their music.

The girls said they enjoy normal lives and go to school just like everyone else. They each attend art schools, however, so the teachers are very supportive of their careers and understand they may miss a day or two. But they do have to make up their homework, Green said. She makes them do all their homework on the way to shows.

“We’re just like every other kid out there — we go to school and do lots and lots of homework and all hang out with friends on the weekend,” Samantha said. “We’re just like everybody else, and sometimes stars kind of forget that.”

Samantha said the girls haven’t forgotten and she later proved her point, talking about driving as the “best thing since The Gemz.”

Their mission to perform as a group began when the four girls performed together in “The Sound of Music” in a regional theater. They became friends and decided they wanted to pursue something outside musical theater. With the help of their parents, they solicited the help of Green, who started booking them at events and getting dates for the girls to record.

Their songs have been written mostly by songwriters, but the girls are burgeoning writers and musicians, each taking up an instrument to morph from a group into a band. Sammi-Jack plays the bass, Samantha has her guitar, Sarah Crane, 14, drums, Margaux Galix handles the tambourine and percussion and Carlie Craig controls the keyboards.

“We are really secure with what we do and we feel like we really have something that everybody else hasn’t had in the past,” Samantha said. “We’re very determined and confident.”

The girls are headed for stardom and make it known during their shows, Green said. They’ve put out two CDs, and their most recent has sold roughly 20,000 copies since it was released two months ago, Green said. During performances, the four girls dance and sing and often interact with their fans. They’ve become good enough at what they do after three years that they’re able to break choreography for fun, spontaneous moves, Green said.

“These girls go on stage like it’s nothing with an unbelievable amount of confidence,” she said. “It’s beautiful to watch them grow and enjoy them as performers.”

IF YOU GOThe Gemz, a tween pop group, as part of the Kidsfaire

What:

Where: Orange County Fair & Exposition Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Noon and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

Cost: $8 for adults, $5 for kids 2 through 12

Info: https://www.ocfair.com or www.thegemz.com