Leela James Interview
Interview by ND McCray
Photos by Devin Dehaven

The little lady with the big voice returns once again with her Stax-debut, entitled My Soul. For those who remember, Leela James first appeared on the R&B radar with her 2005 release, A Change Is Gonna Come, a title that is taken from the Sam Cooke classic. And in that time she’s recorded a covers album [Let’s Do It Again] and toured the globe performing in such places as the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa.

On May 25, 2010, the day that My Soul hit stores, I had the chance to talk with Ms. James about the album, recording with her good friend, singer-songwriter Raheem DeVaughn, and how she stays grounded in the ever-changing music business.

Nu-Soul: Congrats on the new album! How does it feel to actually have your project out into the world today?
Leela: Thank you so much! I’m very, very excited naturally. I’ve definitely worked very hard on it and to have it finally out is like being pregnant or something. You know it’s like dang I got that out, thank you!

Nu-Soul: When did you know music was the thing you wanted to pursue?
Leela: Definitely by the time I was in high school and started performing in talent shows I knew then that I wanted to pursue it professionally, and be serious about it. But I still continued to go to school. I went to college and got my degree and everything. I used my student loans to pay for my band that I put together. So I financed that and performed wherever I could. So I was going to school, working part time during the day, and then at night hitting the club scene and performing wherever I could.

Nu-Soul: My Soul is kind of a throwback, is it not?
Leela: Yeah, I mean it’s old and it’s new. But it’s all from my soul, that’s why I titled it that. I pretty much wrote all but two or three records on the album. I was involved from head to toe. Stax Records was so great in allowing me the freedom to go in and do my thing and not really stand over me…unlike in the past I had a lot hands in the pot. So this time I was just literally able to do my thing and express my soul.

Nu-Soul: I first became familiar with you from your single “Soul Food” … the kiss the back of my neck bone line still makes me smile. But you seem very introspective in your songwriting; where does that come from?
Leela: Life. Living. My life, others around me; their lives, you know. Just life experience is where I get it from. I’m the kind of person where everything I sing about I’m directly and indirectly related to the subject matter, and plus it’s hard for me to sing any old thing. That’s why I can’t just sing the record without stuff being real to me and I have to know that’s it’s real for somebody else.

Nu-Soul:Why was “Tell Me You Love Me” as the first single…because I’m thinking “I Ain’t New To This” [the opening track] could have easily been it…
Leela: It’s so funny. You know it’s hard; I love my whole album but you know record companies and radio people pick a single, they’ll pick what they think…and everybody has different opinions and so you go with the majority…which usually takes precedence over everything else. But radio has their format and knows what’s good for them…so that’s how it usually goes [laughter].

But I also think it’s cool when somebody says well, I like that but I like this too. Then I’m like cool; that means they’ve heard other records that could possibly be on the radio. So that’s definitely cool. At least they’re not saying, “Naw, I don’t hear anything I like!” [laughter]

Nu-Soul: That’s definitely not the case here! But one of my other favorites is “Mr. Incredible, Ms. Unforgettable.” What was that recording process like…because you and Raheem [DeVaughn] seem to have such good chemistry?
Leela: Well we’re good friends and had always talked about doing a joint together and we finally happened to be at the same place at the same time. Whereas in the past we had always missed each other; but I was in the DC/Baltimore-area at the same time he was in town, and I was like look, come to studio. He came through and he had been working out, so he was in his gym clothes and everything. I was like I gotta get you now, we gotta get it now or it’s never going to happen. He came in late at night and we left early that morning with the song.

Nu-Soul: That’s awesome! But how do you stay so grounded in such a fickle music industry? Do have family around, a lot of close friends. How do you stay sane?
Leela: You know there is family definitely, but God keeps me humble because I don’t take myself too seriously. At the end of the day, this is business and this is work and I have to come home to my life, my family and serving God and doing the right thing. And the ultimate reward is going to be with Him and not with the world. At the end of the day, too, I know people are fickle and fake, so I don’t take it serious or myself too serious. I love music, I enjoy music and I just try to deliver that.

Nu-Soul: Just curious, being that you’re from L.A., have you ever seen the music documentary Wattstax?
Leela: Yeah yeah, the concert, the outdoor concert?! Yeah, I did. [It’s a music festival that took place in L.A. on August 20, 1972 and stars Richard Pryor, The Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, and Isaac Hayes]

Nu-Soul: I saw it like a month ago and I thought it was pretty amazing that I ended up getting to speak with you, as you’re on the Stax label as well.
Leela: Yeah, that is amazing! [laughter]

Nu-Soul: That said, how does it feel to be apart of such a legendary soul label?
Leela: Aw man, it’s like a high for me for real. I feel like it’s the perfect marriage, it makes sense to be apart of something that represents soul to the utmost. And I consider myself a young soul continuing that legacy and the new generation of it. Again it’s like the perfect marriage; so it makes sense like when you have certain rappers who are signed to certain labels like LL on Def Jam. It’s like you get it! It’s like that’s def, you know that you can’t see him anywhere else!

Nu-Soul: That’s so true. Do you ever get star struck? I mean have you met any of the legends on Stax?
Leela: I’ve met a couple of the artists but you know it’s not star struck, you’re just honored. Usually I’m like wow, I’m still pinching myself because I can’t believe I’m here. I’m humbled and honored to be in the presence of such history and such legacy.

Nu-Soul: So I know you’ve toured all over the world, how have you found people’s reaction to your brand of soul in other parts of the country?
Leela: They’re always kind of in awe…their response is like look at this little lady, this little girl, with this little body with all this voice with so much grit and grime and soul, where is it coming from. And I’m like…it’s Los Angeles and the food, and God gave it to me. [laughter]

Nu-Soul: That’s all I have…is there anything else you’d like to add.
Leela: Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time out to interview me. Ya’ll go get that new album My Soul. Buy one for yourself and somebody else you really like and give it away. And keep watching my new show, My Black Is Beautiful on BET every Sunday [1pm EST] with Kim Coles, Tasha Smith and Alesha Renee.

Nu-Soul: One more thing: Any chance you’re coming back to New York soon.
Leela: Definitely, I’ll be back out there in a month-and-a-half I believe. [At Gramercy Theatre on August 4]

http://www.leelajames.com/

Purchase:

Amazon:
CD / MP3