Tenderoni..

After putting in hours of studio time backing other vocalists, and getting exposure on a pair of local anthology albums, they're celebrating the release of their debut album. They return to the mainland next month to finish work on a second album for a mainland label - that disc will make them national recording artists.

"Everybody's been telling us that we're working so hard, but it doesn't feel like hard work when you enjoy what you're doing, and we love it," Dee said over lunch recently with the three other

" 'Ronis" and their mentors, HiTown Record principals Matt Young and Tai Okamura. The group had just come home from Los Angeles for the release of their local album, "West Side Harmony."

"Our family is a basic Hawaiian family so we were brought up singing at family gatherings (but we) starting singing (as a group) about four years ago. Our family encouraged us a lot," she added.

Dee is the oldest. Jay, Max and Tee are all students at Waianae High School.

"Our teachers have been very understanding. They'll give us our assignments in advance when we have to travel," Jay explained, adding that she and her sisters also appreciate the support they've received from the Leeward Coast community.

The sisters were singing as West Side Harmony when they made the finals in the Oceanic Road to Fame, eclipsed a highly touted rival quartet to win the group category, and caught Young's eye.

"We were so nervous (about the contest)," Dee confided.

Young, a longtime presence in the local record industry, had masterminded the campaign that took The New Generation from local stardom to a national recording contract. He saw the same potential in West Side Harmony.

Thus far he's done everything right. The quartet was showcased last spring at I-94's annual "Brown Bags to Stardom" contest and was included on both "Brownbags to Stardom" anthologies.

"They've been great to work with, (they) didn't get big-headed when people started to recognize them. They take direction well and they work hard," Young said.

Since signing with Young a year ago, the quartet has rigorously made themselves over as contemporary local divas and worked hard at polishing their performance skills. They not only wrote songs for their own album but contributed to stablemate Laurie Salvatera's album as well. (They write songs together; Jay does the vocal arrangements.)

Exercise and healthy eating have become priorities; they carefully perused the luncheon menu before ordering salads and resolutely declined desserts.

At Young's suggestion the sisters also changed the name of the group from West Side Harmony.

Although proud of their Waianae roots they wanted to avoid being caught up in the East Coast/West Coast rivalries that exist in the national urban music scene.

That East vs. West coastal rivalry is only one aspect of mainland culture that the sisters have adapted to. Jay and Max had lived with their father in Texas, but Tee had never been out of Hawaii until the group flew to Los Angeles for a recording session in January. "She was freezing," Jay recalls.

The mainland odyssey also provided the inspiration for the closing track on the album - a celebration of their favorite local foods. Diets or not they still enjoy "local grinds."

"It's been a great year, but traveling really makes us appreciate home," Dee said. "When we're home we try to spend as much time with our family and friends as possible because we never know when we'll be leaving again."