Can you start by telling us a bit about your upbringing and life?
I am a southern girl, born in a little town called Kingstree in South Carolina. I lived with my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, aunt, and uncles. I was the oldest grand and great grand. They say I was spoiled, but if you met my mother, you would know better. I was loved by my great grandmother until she died when I was 8. She was my world, I remember her cooking on a wood stove, best cakes, and biscuits ever, and the water pump on the back porch. My mother believed in education, and I was reading simple books by age 3, she would ask me questions to make sure I read them, that fueled my love for reading.
How did you discover your passion for singing and songwriting?
My great grandmother was the pastor of a church, Holiness, which is interesting when the religion is very patriarchal, but she was the leader and one of the founders. We were in church 5 days a week and I remember the music there; it was upbeat and loud. I can remember as a little girl I always wanted to sing, and my great grandmother would let me. That was probably the only talking I did, I was very shy as a child and my cousins remember me always singing, but I don’t. It was so much a part of who I was, I did it without thinking and even sometimes now I will break into song without realizing. It can be interesting. Singing was an escape and my way of being me. I used to make up songs when I was little, sing them with their own music in my head, most of the time I was too shy to share them. I still have books of poems and songs I wrote when I was young.
What was the turning point in your life that led you to create the song “Walking With The Lights Out”?
I had been working on this project for over a year, I had stayed up writing the lyrics to the music, and I was playing the music and trying to figure out how to begin to approach it. I had scheduled time in the studio, and I was preparing to work with my producer. I direct a children’s choir at my church, and I always let the tots sing a song by themselves, I had chosen “This little light of mine” so the song was in my head. I was listening to the music about 30 minutes before leaving for the studio and I heard in the music “walking with the lights” and I wrote the song. It was as if the words just came to me, and every song I wrote after that was different than the one before.
Can you walk us through your creative process when working on this particular song?
I call this song the adult version of “This Little Light of Mine”, for 2 reasons: 1st it was the inspiration for the song. I remember singing “This Little Light of Mine” as a child, probably one of the first songs I remember singing. It’s a hymn and we sang a lot of those in our church. 2nd: The music sort of said it to me. The light in people is what draws us to them, no one wants to be around someone who is gloomy and dark, and when things are not going well, again we seek “light”; happiness, relief, joy, things associated with “light”. When I was telling my story in the song, I remembered those times when life was dark and how music was my light, in dark times I would always sing one of those Hymns from church, from my childhood and things would look better. Think about it, we look for the light at the end of the tunnel, and in the song, I wanted to say, no matter what was going on, how I felt, I would always allow my light to shine, no matter how little it was.
Could you describe the atmosphere in the recording studio while producing “Walking With The Lights Out”?
My producer, Tweezy, allowed me to be myself, as we were working on this, I wanted this to be something inspirational but with the style of music I grew up with. My producer said I had a smoky voice when I was singing, so he pushed that. Sometimes praise can be quiet and thoughtful, and this song had that kind of vibe, it flowed from me, and my producer helped me maintain the feel. He said it reminded him of a Macy Gray song, I loved that because I love Macy Gray, her style is distinct and her vibe cool mellow. This is the only song that I did not have to go back and make a lot of changes, we all agreed it was very representative of me and different from most of what I had done for years. This song felt right!!
How do you feel this song fits within your overall discography and musical journey?
Of the 8 songs on my EP this one is one of my favorites, it has that soul R&B vibe that I like, that I grew up listening to. I set out to tell my story my way, different from the traditional gospel I usually sing. Sometimes you must step outside the box and take a chance, this was a chance. I had someone tell me to not release the song, they commented, it had no choir, no change in the music, it was not like other gospel. I agreed, most of this project is my “closet” praise. That quiet still place in your soul that has deep expression and meaning, but you don’t necessarily want to draw attention to it. This song helps elaborate on everyday life, my journey has been full of ups and downs, but somehow, through my faith, I was able to find the light and hopefully let it shine on those around me. All my music talks about examining everyday life and the joy in just being alive.
How do you stay motivated and inspired in a competitive music industry?
I have a village that helps with that. This industry is very competitive, and people are looking for specific types of music, especially mainstream. I think I have always felt different, being an only child brings a unique perspective to life and I am in a crowd of people I can be by myself and feel comfortable. So, this is my story, my way. There were times I wondered if I should do all the things other artists do, but I realized I would not be true to myself if I did. I wanted to tell my story, a happy story, with the peppered trial and tribulations we go through, but still happy. So, I stay motivated realizing I have fulfilled a dream I have had for years, the stars aligned, and I was able to do something I always wanted to do. When you have a dream and it is fulfilled, that is motivation enough. My friends, family, and church family keep me humble and inspired to keep going. I am doing what I love to do, I have fulfilled a lifelong dream, I am excited to see what happens next.
Can you share any experiences of fan interactions that left a lasting impact on you?
I had a young lady reach out to me and tell me my song gave her hope. She said it made her feel that someone else understood how it felt to feel as if things were too much and “you just can’t take no mo.” The feeling of loneliness when things are not going right can be the hardest part to overcome, especially when people look like life is wonderful, and they are hiding behind smiles and well wishes. Sometimes it helps to know you are not the only one and if they can do you so can you!!
How do you hope your music will continue to resonate with listeners in the future?
I hope that as I continue to make music, listeners will see the growth and diversity in my music. This project and song had a deliberate mellow feel and tone to it. I had a feel in mind for it and I think I was able to communicate it. For years my mantra has been “be still”, I wanted that to resonate in this song. Sometimes we are moving so fast, we can’t see all the things going on around us and we get lost in the chaos, sometimes we just have to be still and not react to all that is moving around us. Sometimes the answer is closer than you think!
Finally, what can fans expect from you in the coming months or years in terms of new music and projects?
I just released my full project earlier this month, Evolution: 1 on 1 with God. There are 8 songs total, and I wrote lyrics to all but 1. I wanted to express the joy and perseverance of the human spirit and how our beliefs help us to get through.
I am currently planning for my next project and working with other artists I have met with this song. It is an exciting time and I feel I have opened up a whole new world for myself, and I am about to explore as much as I can.
