On the “A” w/Souleo
Leela James hasn’t decided on the title of her forthcoming album but if her current state is anything to go by, then perhaps the word “good,” should be somewhere in the title.
She recently joined the cast of TV One’s hit reality series, “R&B Divas: LA,” has a new single featuring Anthony Hamilton titled “Say That,” and is excited about how her new album is coming together. All of this good news comes a few years after she had to change her team following revelations that funds were being stolen from her account.
“I just had to shut down, regroup, get rid of old stuff and get fresh basically. I bounced back fine. I am in a good place,” she shared. “I have a great team behind me now and the music came out really good for this project. We did some of the best since my debut.”
On the album, James promises to deliver the kind of gutbucket wrenching soul that her loyal fans have come to expect. “I took it back to the core of soul music. I have a song called ‘Fall For You.’ It’s talking about the vulnerability you feel when you find yourself falling and the insecurity of that feeling. It’s a good thing but it can also be scary. Sometimes you don’t want to fall in love ’cause you don’t want to be open and make yourself feel vulnerable,” she said.
James isn’t afraid to let go when it comes to embracing being a first-time mom. She gave birth two years ago to her daughter and is happily reaping the rewards of motherhood. “When you become a parent your life changes forever. I realize I have even more peace. I have more inner joy. Balancing work and motherhood can be tough but I got a great support system now.”
Some of the most important members on a recording artist’s team are backup singers. Paulette McWilliams has backed up some of the biggest names in music, including Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Plus, you may have heard her voice in numerous commercials as a jingle specialist for companies such as Cover Girl and Folgers. While promoting her latest jazz album Telling Stories and upcoming gig at Joe’s Pub in New York City she shared her appreciation for the public’s growing interest in backup singers thanks to the documentary “20 Feet From Stardom.”
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