Once upon a time… about five years ago, before the pungent arrogance of Kanye West, the sloppy publicity stunts of 50 Cent, the contrived oversexed pop tarts like "solo" Beyonce Knowles there was a category of music labeled as "neo-soul."
While we all hemmed and hawed at soul music being categorized as "neo" there was something refreshing about these artists who seemed to be doing the exact opposite of what was happening at the time. However, audiences are fickle and when the flushing of neo-soul began very few of these artists survived. India.Arie is one of the few who have stayed relevant. She co-starred with Ashley Judd in a gripping MTV special called Tracking the Monster about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, and you even hear her music as the theme song for the Tyra Banks Show — we just can’t seem to forget the "not your average girl from your video." In an in-depth, deep and political interview with India she discusses her new album, the infamous Grammy incident and the social irresponsibility in music. Pull out the ginseng tea, Murray’s hair grease and some oatmeal cookies – Clay Cane’s going to India!
R.C.: Tell me what people can expect from the new album Testimony Volume 1: Life and Relationship?
India.Aire: You can expect a very emotional, honest, unguarded lyrical approach and musical variety – there’s some stuff that people keep calling pop music. I don’t call it that but when they say that I see what they mean because it’s not neo-soul, or whatever. There’s some bluegrass stuff, there’s some country stuff, folk stuff, R&B stuff — but more than anything you can expect a woman being very honest and vulnerable about heartache and the healing process.
R.C.: What about this album stands alone from the first two?
I.A.: The subject matter to begin with is about heartache and the healing process like I just said. It’s not about romance, it’s not about the idealistic nature of love, it’s not about happy, it’s not about new love and that’s all the stuff I sing about, especially on my second album. On my first album it was very much about wanting to be loved, exploring the world and waiting for that time where I can actually walk down that road with someone. This album is about the wisdom I’ve gained about relationships and about love. It’s a lot about forgiveness … when you think of relationships you think of the ups and downs, the emotional stuff that goes on – that’s on this album, it’s not all happy. Melancholy in certain places, sad in certain places and happy in certain places - more than anything it’s a grounded approach to singing about love. Also, like I said, musically there is a bluegrass song on there and that’s different. For a black person period — that’s different.
R.C.: You’re going to be doing some touring — how would you describe yourself as a live performer?
I.A.: I think the word authentic comes to mind. I have a set list, but that’s just something to go off. I change the songs depending on what’s going on if somebody yells something out, I might play that. For me it’s important that I’m true to the creative process and for me that means being where I am in that moment. I get to do all the things I really like. I feel like on an album I’ve chosen to make very pointed statements musically. I like to have themes on my album because for me it’s a work of art, like a painting you want it to be balanced. So, I try to be free of the line of demarcation.
R.C.: R&B music has changed a lot since your first album in 2001 — what is your take on current R&B music now?
I.A.: There are things that I like – things that I don’t like. There are things I love, but I don’t feel like it should be marketed to the age group that it’s marketed to. Some subject matters, some videos, should be for grown people and other things should be for young people. Outside of that there are a lot of things that I really like. I think that thing that has been deemed as integrity over the past five years is where the whole term neo-soul came from. This is R&B music with integrity so we’re going to call this neo-soul … this is R&B music without integrity so we’re just going to call this R&B. I think now that line has become blurred and it’s not with lyrically responsibility necessarily, but I feel like people are just better artists. There was a time when people just couldn’t sing, or anything, they would just make albums, it would come out and it would be number one. It was all about the look how they can dance in the video and how hot the video was. Now I feel like there are a lot more people who are actually good. Still within that realm I don’t think that it’s always socially responsible … but that’s a whole other conversation (laughs)
R.C.: Do you find it challenging to fit in a musical world that consists of women taking their clothes off, being sexual and extremely provocative?
I.A.: Yeah – I find it challenging on a business level. We’re in a world where the more irreverent you are the more money you make. The thought comes around periodically, but not as an option. On a personal level it’s easy to understand, especially the more erratic the world gets — that we all should use everything we have to make a positive contribution to the world because the world is too crazy to be doing crazy stuff.
R.C.: Do you think those artists who are really provocative and are really sexual that they’re being social irresponsible?
I.A.: In one way – yeah. In another way it’s not just about the artist, if that’s what a consumer wants and they’re supporting it then that’s their choice. We all know that almost everyone is raised on TV and radio, when you grow up with the unrealistic attitude about sex, that’s dangerous. In an era of AIDS it can get real crazy and AIDS is not the only thing you can get. You can get a broken heart, or feel really used up because you think it’s going to be like it is in the movies and it’s not. You think it’s going to be like it is in the music video and it’s not. You think somebody’s not going to love you if you don’t look like that girl in the video and that’s not true – if you think that to be true it becomes your reality and that shapes your life, that’s dangerous. Like we all know society is just erratic — I don’t think it’s all about the artist being socially irresponsible, but I think that’s an aspect of it. Especially if a person knows better, but I also think there’s a certain irresponsibility in not knowing. You’re on a platform, people are watching you. Is everything you’re doing okay for the audience you market yourself to? If they copied you, would you be comfortable with that … but I’m not saying anything that nobody hasn’t said a million times.
R.C.: You did an amazing special with Ashley Judd called Tracking The Monster about HIV/AIDS in South Africa — what made you get involved and how did that effect you artistically?
I.A.: One of my constant prayers is that God will show me how I can be affective in the world — that’s always my intention with my music. When the opportunity to do the thing in Africa came up they called me and I know that was born out of prayer. I didn’t solicit that, I didn’t ask – they called. I asked them, “Why did you ask me? I’m not at the top of the charts; I’m not necessarily someone who will make everybody watch your show.” There are a lot of people who will make more people tune in … they said I was a person who they felt like would go there and bring the experience back. So, my album is called Testimony Volume 1: Life and Relationship – well, I have Testimony Volume 2: Love and Politics – it’s not about American politics, that’s just a small aspect of what is making the world what it is right now. There’s a lot of stuff on there about what I saw in Africa, not just what I saw, but how I was moved.
R.C.: Fame can be very addictive and you always seem so grounded. Have there ever been moments when you felt like you were caught up in the hype of fame so to speak?
I.A.: Yes! (laughs) Well, it wasn’t fame that I was caught up at this point because I wasn’t famous yet, but I was just feeling myself. It was before my first album came out and I had a grassroots fan base — more than anything I just felt like I was better musically than a lot of people who were around me. I realized that in hindsight that’s what I thought and I was just so high on myself that I had to get knocked down. I lost my voice for like eight months during the recording process of Acoustic Soul. I’m always looking for the symbolism in things and for me that meant if my voice or my songwriting ability is what I think what makes me good – then God can take it away at any moment. I have to just be a good person, that’s what makes me good. I’ve always been thankful that happened before my album came out and I didn’t have to go through that publicly. It was a really harsh lesson – like the hardest lesson I ever had to go through. As emotional as this album sounds, how much pain you hear in this album – that’s nothing compared to the lesson I learned. Also, the Grammys I wasn’t really caught up the way I had been, but I just wanted to win … but you never know what winning actually looks like. If you say, “May God’s will be done” you have to actually trust that it will.
R.C.: And you won two Grammys a year later so it comes back to you.
I.A.: Yeah – which is cool.
R.C.: I’ve always wanted to ask you this — do you think it’s easier for a white artist to play guitar and be a singer/songwriter than it is for a black female artist?
I.A.: Forgive me for being so blunt right now — but I think a lot of things are easier for white people in general. When it comes down to the music industry somebody who sits down and plays the guitar … yeah, it’s easier for somebody white. I’ll always felt like if Jewel –-and I love Jewel, I love Alanis Morisette – I like good music, I don’t care who makes it. But if Jewel had the same songs that I had it would’ve had different chart positions – definitely. I like who I am, I’m not trying to say anything like that – I love me, I love the position I’m in with my career and life. I know how blessed I am to be able to do what I do and still have commercial success – I’m clear on that. I have a lot of friends who make music and they don’t get the opportunity that I have. Who can sing better than me and everything — they still don’t have the opportunities that I have, but yeah … things are easier for white people in general … but you know that … we all know that.
R.C.: I hear people say in R&B you have to have a certain look, you have to be sexual, however, you’ve managed to not be that and what it seems is that you’re just being yourself. How do you just be yourself and not conform?
I.A.: Well, I know I could take the position I’m in right now in the music industry and I could look at it as a huge blessing, or a huge disappointment. I sell a lot less albums than a lot of people – there have been a lot of ways where I have felt underappreciated and all that. On the other hand, I’m a very unique artist and some people get it and some people don’t. It is, what it is, but I make a living and I live a good life. I think I have that attitude because I’m not attached to a certain outcome. I’m ecstatic – I got to work with Stevie Wonder! So, I didn’t win five Grammys, or whatever. I’ve had a certain level of success, and I still feel like this is just the beginning. After the first year at the Grammys it inspired me to create a mission statement to remind myself why I do this. I don’t do this for Grammys, I don’t do this because I need to be number one, I don’t do it because I want everyone to like me – I do it because I love music and I want to make a positive contribution to society through my music. That’s it, that’s my ideal of success where people say this song helped me, it changed me, or I used it in my class, the little girls love it, or whatever, that’s success to me. There are people who win Grammys all the time and like I said, I think a lot of it is socially irresponsible. I think the way I dress is aligned with my mission.
Tags: Clay Cane, Interviews
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