For nearly eight years, Ledisi has been a familiar voice on urban adult contemporary radio. With her vocal style battered evenly in jazz, R&B and gospel, the New Orleans native can make the most simple words sound musically delicious.
Ledisi displayed those flavorful vocals on her most recent project, The Truth, which dropped in the spring of 2014. The album, her most upbeat to date, featured two top 10 singles, “I Blame You” and “Like This.” The latter song earned Ledisi her ninth GRAMMY nomination. Although Ledisi’s full-length set doesn’t join her peers’ nominated albums in the Best R&B Album category, she’s still humble. “Any acknowledgment is better than none,” says Ledisi.
Ledisi proves she is a good sport by sharing her supportive spirit for Toni Braxton and Babyface’s nominated album Love, Marriage and Divorce. “I love that album,” says Ledisi. “It’s a great album. [It’s] one of my favorites.”
While the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards winners are still pending, the Pieces of Me singer isn’t worried about whether she wins or loses. Ledisi is putting her energy into her forthcoming tour with Leela James and Raheem DeVaughn and her special project for her fans.
Released on January 20, The Intimate Truth, is Ledisi’s first acoustic project. The EP includes seven songs from her The Truth album, including the title track, “Rock With You” and “I Swear,” from the deluxe version.
She decided to record the project solely for her fans. “It’s a big thank you to my fans,” says Ledisi. “It’s saying, ‘Thank you for being there with me and thank you for growing with me and being there through The Truth.’ I’m still here and I’m here because of you.”
Although her fans have voiced their opinion on wanting a live album, Ledisi says, “It’s the closest they’ll get to a live [album] right now.”
With the EP, the gifted songbird wants fans to hear her “organically.” She also believes the project is an incredible way to merge her old and new audiences together. “I want to give back to my listeners who started with me from the beginning,” says Ledisi. “Also, introduce it [organic sound] to those who have never heard me like that before.”
While recording the EP, Ledisi recalls the sessions being as intimate as the project’s title. “When we recorded this [EP], it was just us looking at each other, and then you press record and count off,” laughs Ledisi. “It was no overdubs, no bunch of instruments. It was simple and beautiful …. like the old way.”
Ledisi recorded the entire project with her vocals as lead, two background singers and a guitarist. “Only two songs had bass on it,” says Ledisi. “All the rest had a guitar, two vocals and a guy playing a cajon, which is like a box drum. We didn’t do a lot of instruments on this [project]. We did it all by looking at each other and recording.”
When it came to selecting which songs from The Truth she wanted to re-record acoustically, it was a no-brainer. “It was easy because I wanted to make sure it was upbeat and not too slow for me,” says Ledisi. “That’s not where I’m at right now. It still had to represent where I am. I’m in a feel-good mood.”
After hearing herself back on the EP, Ledisi is proud of the entire body of work. However, she can’t wait until listeners hear the lead single from The Truth. “The vamp on ‘I Blame You’ is ridiculous because it’s all fun and spontaneous,” says Ledisi. She describes the groove on the ending of the Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony produced song as a “wow” moment.
She continues praising the acoustic recording of her top 5 R&B single. “I swear it was a one take … the whole song. They weren’t even ready to record yet. They were still fixing stuff,” says Ledisi. “[The first take] wasn’t supposed to go on the album. It was just a warm-up song. So it was fun to hear it make it on the EP.”
Collectively, Ledisi labels The Intimate Truth EP as pure, unadulterated singing, which she describes as “raw, uninhibited, free, whatever comes out, just unedited, no overdubs, just whatever,” laughs Ledisi.
While some music admirers prefer to hear artists perform their songs as it was recorded, Ledisi doesn’t follow the rules. “I’m not trying to please the listener. I just want to sing out,” says Ledisi. “Some people will say, ‘This a lot of singing’ and then some will say, ‘Can’t she do less’ and then some will say, ‘Yesssss’. I’m not trying to please anyone. I’m just fully singing and freely.”
In addition to her new project and forthcoming tour, Ledisi can be seen in Selma as Mahalia Jackson. The “Anything” singer says she had her doubts about taking on the role of the gospel legend. “I was thinking, ‘I can not do this,'” admits Ledisi. “I was scared because I cared about [the role]. I want to please my ancestors. I did all that homework about where she was from, learning about her family, how she never sang secular music and how she walked and how she held herself. I really studied.”
However, all Ledisi’s uncertainty left once she put on her costume and looked in the mirror. “All I could see was Mahalia [Jackson] and I started crying and said, ‘This is real. This isn’t about me anymore. It’s bigger. I’m carrying the past, telling the story so that we can inspire the people now.”
Although acting is a passion for Ledisi, she wants any future acting roles to continue coming organically. “Everything that’s happened so far has come natural. I’m going to keep it that way. If it comes and it feels right and real for me, I’ll do it.”
Get your copy of The Intimate Truth in stores or online where digital music is sold. Also, check Ledisi out on tour starting February 27 in Los Angeles at Club Nokia.