In the conversations we’ve had over the years, starting in 1990 when I was hired as a media coach and bio writer for Lalah’s first project for Virgin Records, we’ve talked about her approach to music. Seeing her perform has always been a treat because I’ve observed how Lalah brings something special to her shows: unlike so many other singers – both new and old – she knows the gentle art of subtlety, of using space between words, of breathing life into lyrics. About the only other performer I’ve ever seen do that is Roberta Flack, perhaps no accident given the great work Roberta did with Donny. Bottom line, I consider Lalah a consummate artist and her latest album – the appropriately-entitled "Self Portrait" – reflects that…Yes, this is my most personal album and most real. I’m more vulnerable on it and absolutely, I had some trepidation about that but I surround myself with great people who helped me raise my level as an artist. I worked with Sandra on the ‘Daughters Of Soul’ tours (with Nina Simone’s daughter Simone, Chaka Khan’s daughter Indira, Nona Hendryx and Joyce Kennedy of Mother’s Finest among others). We became good friends and she’s someone I trust. I remember I was having a hard time saying what I wanted with one song – that was on a Monday and Sandra was there in L.A. on Friday! I’ve written with Rahsaan before. He’s a real craftsman. With the song "Let Go," (the producer) Rex Rideout had a part of the track and I had the hook. Rahsaan came over and in two hours, we were done!
What Goes Around
The idea for it came from a particular incident but it caused me to look at the overall idea that what goes around does come around. I worked on it with (co-producer) Paula Galitano and as soon as she started working on the track, the whole concept came into my head.
Learning to Swim
That was first written in 1993 when I was in Bermuda and a friend was really trying to teach me to swim! I’m constantly re-learning – and swimming is one of those things I have to re-learn but of course, the song is metaphorical to my life.
Tragic Inevitability
A specific situation! It was written with a couple of the guys who are in the ‘Daughters Of Soul’ band: they said they wanted to write with me. I told them to come up with something that was in the Bjork, Ambient, Radiohead vein. I came up with the lyric when I was standing in front of the microphone! I think the song is like a conversation between two people.
UDO
That’s such a cool song and kinda different from what people expect from me...
On Your Own
When I first started working with Rex (Rideout) on this album, he played me a track which had the same kind of 6/8 feel as "Forever, For Always, For Love," the Luther Vandross song I sang on the Verve tribute CD I did a few years ago. I didn’t want to do anything with it to start with and it ended up being the last song we recorded: it was inspired by a dream I had about my father in which he gave me all this music…"
It’s a funny thing. I haven’t sold millions of records, I haven’t had any gold records or No. 1 hits but I feel really successful. I’ve been able to do what I love for the last twenty years. My dogs are fed, I have a great group of people around me so it’s very fulfilling and I do feel like I’ve been really blessed. In some ways, I feel like a late bloomer and this new record feels like my first one. When I look back, I remember my first album for Virgin: I was so young. I came out to L.A. on the train from going to school in Boston and it was like ‘boom, it’s done’. The second record, music was changing and so were all the A&R people at Virgin. Then, my third record was the collaboration with Joe Sample (1999’s "The Song Lives On") was precious, a classic. With my fourth CD, "Outrun The Sky" (released in 2004), it took so long to get to a place where we could find a company to put it out…
Being on Stax Label
I’m very excited about that because so many of my father’s contemporaries were there. Right now, I’m cautiously optimistic! I’m very wary about the state of the music business but I have to say that this is the first time I’ve made a record where I got signed, I went into the studio and now it’s out – all within a short time. I keep hearing amazing things from people about the new record, about how they love the songs. They’ll say, ‘Girl, I can listen to your record all the way through!’ and that’s really beautiful. Yes, I’m so proud of my record – everything was done the way I wanted it to be. It’s definitely my best album so far and my new hope is that each one will be better than the last
