An Intimate Tête-à-tête With Goapele
You semi-recently announced and have now embarked on a string of tour dates in preparation of your forthcoming highly anticipated new album — For someone who has yet to experience you LIVE, what would you tell that person can actually be expected from it?
I always want to leave people feeling better than when they came in. I love how music has the power to shift the energy in a room. I like for people to feel a part of something, so I include songs that people know and can sing along with me. I love crowd participation. I also always strive to share something new, especially for folks that have been supporting me through the years. Sometimes I even sing new unreleased songs. These next shows I’m excited to share a lot of new music.
Over the course of your formidable career, how have you either changed and / or evolved since your whole inception into music?
What I love about being a songwriter is that I get to keep evolving. I have gotten more and more comfortable expressing myself lyrically. I have been lucky to work with phenomenal musicians, and I feel more at home with them and in the studio and on stage. I’m also experimenting with adding to the overall sensory experience past sound.
Longevity, what do you attribute yours to?
And, it’s been nearly twelve long years since your last solo collection, Break of Dawn — Why such a lengthy delay between records?
Sometimes the challenge of being an independent artist is the lack of exposure. I actually put out two albums since then, Strong as Glass and Dreamseeker. Soon I’ll be releasing my 6th album COLOURS. That being said, I do take my time in between releases so that I can experience life and be inspired and have something to say.
That said, what all exactly can you reveal and / or divulge about upcoming said new material(s)?
And, how then does this new project either differ and / or compare to previous Goapele efforts?
With this new project, COLOURS, I am trying something new. I want to set a tone and mood with these songs I’m engaging the other senses. The songs have been paired with specific fragrances starting with aroma therapy candles.
As a songwriter, when you sit down to pen your lyrics where do you draw your inspiration from?
I often draw my inspiration from feelings and thoughts I’m trying to process, because sometimes lyrics can cut through clearer than if I was speaking. Also sometimes I’m moved by a sound or vibe and just let my imagination run wild.
In having said that, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?
Soul / R&B.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
One of the artists I always wanted to collaborate with was Prince. Even though we never got around to recording a song together, he supported me at live shows and he joined me on stage once to do a guitar solo on “Crushed Out” from my Change it All album. Definite highlight! There are so many artists that I still want to collaborate with and just waiting for the timing to line up. What I am so thankful for is that on this COLOURS album I got to work with some of my favorite musicians that I’ve been wanting to work with; “Time Heals” features Keyon Harold , Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge, Mike Aaberg, Errol Cooney, and Bedrock. I also recently did a song with Raheem DeVaughn.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
I don’t even know where to start…I’ve loved performing at festivals like Smokin’ Grooves where there is a huge audience with lots of energy and I get to be among other artist friends and enjoy as a fan. I also really enjoy clubs where it feels like a party. Then there’s something special about intimate venues where you can hear everything and see everyone and really connect with the audience. This next run with be a series of intimate venues.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of R&B?
There’s a lot of great artists out there right now and it seems like people are free sharing more of themselves and broadening the genre.
What’s an average day like for you?
I actually don’t have an average day. It’s one of the things that I love about my career, and it’s one of my challenges. I don’t stick to a daily routine or work out schedule, especially with travelling. I am a mother, so often my day starts early, commuting my daughter to school and from school and other activities. In the middle of the day I have some freedom to write and create, when I am not grocery shopping and running errands. As a Cancer, sometimes I enjoy being a homebody and cooking with family and friends. As an entrepreneur there are things to stay on top of at any hour. I often have late nights; doing shows, or recording at the studio or attending events. I’ve learned over the years to infuse self-care and know that I can’t be everywhere and sometimes I have to miss out on things.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is that I get to be creative. I get to travel the world and connect with so many people through music. I love that I get to be a part of people’s lives and special moments, through my music, sometimes without even knowing them. Then sometimes I’m lucky enough to hear their stories and get to hear about their transformation. Sometimes it’s even from people who have no idea in how much they inspired me.
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