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Interview with
LADY BLACKBIRD

(19th September 2021)

Interview by – Eliza Carretero

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“the Grace Jones of jazz” – Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

“Blackbird has crafted a tremendous debut album” – Mojo

“difficult to believe it [Black Acid Soul] is not the culmination of a six-decade career, such is the depth of wisdom, expression and control in her voice” – Loud and Quiet

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Well, thank you for letting me chat. First things first, how long have you been a musician for?
Oh, first of all, thanks for having me first. I have always been saying, I think I was born singing. So, I’ve been doing this for a while working up to this point. And finally, releasing my debut album has definitely been some time in the making.

Amazing. And talking about that debut album, what an amazing album it is. I love it, it’s so beautiful. So just, talk me through it, everything about it. What influenced it? What was the evolution of it? The recording process all? All of it.
Yeah sure. ‘Black Acid Soul’ started by just going back to basics, I like to say. Stripping everything back and starting with my voice and building it from there. So, that’s how the entire project started. And even the recording process was different for me, recording you know, live top to bottom like that. That was another new but beautiful piece of the story.

Amazing. You talk a lot about your influences, is there anyone who influenced you in particular?
I grew up listening to you know, Chaka Khan and Donny Hathaway and Gladys Knight. I used to have a little music room in the house, that my mother turned, a den, you know, a little den, into a little studio which had a karaoke machine, my speakers and microphone, and I would just be in there for hours singing Gladys Knight. So those are the people that really helped me form who I am today.

Wow, that’s beautiful. And just going back to the album, is there a favourite song of yours that’s on there?
I keep changing it. There’s a different one every week. I would have to say, ‘FIVE FEET TALL’. It’s one of the originals. And it just came out so simple. And yeah, I would say, I’m gonna go with ‘FIVE FEET TALL’.

Yeah for sure, it is a beautiful song. So, you said something about recording live? Are you normally used to not recording live? Or do you prefer recording live now?
I’ve always done it with, you know, you record to the track. But us all in there playing, at one time, live like that was, it was a new experience for me. And it’s so real. And it’s, you’re in it, you’re in it, in it. So, I absolutely prefer it that way.

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Yeah, for sure. It sounds absolutely amazing.
Thank you.

And a lot of your songs they’re very, almost like, intimate. And so, what was the writing process for a lot of them?
Well, you know, there’s some covers, there’s some originals on there, just with the selection I think, of the entire album we had gone through so many different playlists of songs. Just you know, weeding out, seeing which ones you feel, you know, make you feel a certain way, which ones I feel I could, you know, reinterpret in my version. And that was a long process within itself. So, the ones that did get hand-picked, I’m proud because a lot of time went into those.

Yeah, wow. And is there is there a tour anytime coming soon?
Well, we just, I actually just got back from London, I played a couple of shows out there play the 100 Club and a couple of festivals. I’ve got a show, upcoming show here in Los Angeles, at the Ford on the 16th. And then I take off to New York and play the Celebrate Brooklyn festival there and a couple of other dates. Tour dates, I’m still kind of up in the air you know, with everything being this is crazy, it’s time to get you know, caught up in what’s cancelled what’s not so stay posted! Yeah, definitely.

That’s sounds very busy. Speaking of that, has there been a highlight of your career so far?
I would say, I played the Troubadour back last year, at the very beginning, right before the pandemic. And that was first, performing as Lady Blackbird performing the album, moment. And then, for it to be there with, you know, the history there. It was, I was proud. I was proud, you look out and you go ‘oh my gosh’, it finally feels like, you know, you’re getting somewhere. So that was a great moment. And then now playing my first show, since everything, the 100 Club in London, and finally being back on that stage. That was, that was another moment. Because it’s been so long, you know? And it’s, it’s been hard. So, there was nothing better than being back behind that microphone.

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Yeah. Wow, that sounds amazing. And what’s your favourite part about performing on the stage?
I mean I just, sharing me, sharing what makes me: me and what I love, and giving people really the deepest part of me that I can give them and share that. Music is everything to me. You know, I absolutely love what I do. So, it always feels nice to be able to perform that live.

And, if you could perform with someone alive or dead next to you, who would you perform with and why?
That’s so hard. I want to pick so many! Oh my gosh, I don’t even know how to narrow that one down. You know, I grew up wanting to be Whitney Houston, so I want to say Whitney. But then you know, then there’s Michael Jackson. I would love to perform with Elton John. Elton John a big one for me. I love Coldplay, gosh look at me. I’m not even telling you anything, I’m just listing whole bunch of them people.

Yeah, of course! And Lady Blackbird. How did that happen?
Lady Blackbird just kind of came out you know. We were in there recording ‘Blackbird’. The first song, recorded for the album and it really just happened, and we were just like, ‘oh that’s it’.

Yeah, wow. Because Lady Blackbird is such a beautiful name.
It was just like “Lady Blackbird. Hey that’s really cool!” So many of these things, when it’s right, you know, they just kind of just happened so naturally and randomly.

Yeah, definitely. And it does, the name is just so fitting for your voice and your style. Did you have a different style, or has it always been this kind of style of music that you’ve sang?
No! I’ve sang, I’ve sang every genre under the sun. Well, yeah, this this is my first time really, really in this lane. But you know, I don’t even know if it’s in this lane, because what we’ve tried to create with this is, is really a fusion. You know, it’s not like purely one thing or you know, purely another. We tried to create this fusion of sounds, of Jazz and a hit of soul or you know, I want you to hear the rock. Yeah. So, it’s a, it’s a fusion project for me, that encompasses everything I’ve done, you know, because they’re all a part of you.

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Yeah, definitely, definitely! And do you think you connect more to this, this Fusion of sound, because of its history and everything? Do you think you connect to it more?
Yeah, I do. I think when we really just decided to basically, go back home, you know, and build it around my voice. It really just, it takes you to such a… this vulnerable place. Okay, let’s get raw. Let’s go home. Let’s get vulnerable.

Wow, I love that! I love the: “Let’s go home”. Yeah, that’s so amazing! And you can hear that, you can hear that a lot in the album that you have.
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Yeah, it’s beautiful. So, in the future. Do you have any plans for future albums? Or do you want to stick to this kind of path, or do you want to try and branch out a little bit more?
We started during, during the pandemic, we actually, we were in the studio writing a lot for album two. So, album two is ready in the making!

Yay! That’s so exciting! Is it going to sound kind of similar to this, or not?
It’ll have a similar vibe. I think it’s taken on a similar vibe. It’s just notched up a level or two. Yeah, it’s just got a little bit more to it, but it’s still on the same bar.

That’s so exciting. Thank you. Wow, I’m excited for it already.
Oh, thank you so much. Thank you.

Okay. Well, I can let you guys go. But thank you so much for chatting with me, it’s been an incredible experience and you’re a beautiful singer!
Oh, thank you for your time. Thank you so much!

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Follow LADY BLACKBIRD
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

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LISTEN TO ‘IT’S NOT THAT EASY’ HERE

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AMNPLIFY – DB

Press Release 17th August 2021 (below) HERE

LADY BLACKBIRD
shares new single
‘IT’LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN’
+
‘BLACK ACID SOUL’
debut album

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AMNPLIFY – DB