Post by Adam B on Jan 12, 2006 10:33:39 GMT -5
Dwele Interview
by Adam Bernard
Dwele has had a lot of big moments in his young career. There was the Stevie Wonder tribute show he was asked to perform at and the Jazz Festival overseas where Roy Ayers called him back on stage to perform with him. Dwele describes the show with Ayers as "the best time of my life and the scariest moment of my life at the same time."
Another moment in his life that could be described as both great and scary was when his first album, 2003's "Subject," dropped. The album garnered massive critical acclaim, but as with many albums that earn kudos from the critics, the masses didn't go out in droves to pick it up. "I think the sales could have been better," Dwele momentarily laments "but at the same time I'm not mad at what it did. It was my first album and I'm just glad that people actually did go out and support the album. I think we sold around 250,000 and that was all off of one single and one video and that's pretty good nowadays, most people need two. This time around I think we have major pieces in place and we can do a lot better."
This time around the album is "Some Kinda" and according to Dwele "I had a lot of fun making this album. I thought the album up as a continuation from the last album. It's talking about relationships, it kinda has a story in there as well." He continued, adding "It's kind of a wild story, it starts off with 'Holla' shouting out a few cities, symbolic of me being on the road touring. After that I'm at home and a friend calls me to go to the club but I fall asleep and have a dream. Afterwards I wake up, we connect, go to the club, I meet a young lady, we go to my house and develop a relationship, the rest of the album is about the relationship."
The story aspect of "Some Kinda" is one that, although he's willing to describe it in an interview, he hopes takes the listener a few tries to get. "I'd rather not everybody get it at first listen," he explains "then a year two years down the line pull it out and be like 'whoa that's a story.'"
Dwele's work isn't all about telling stories, however, he notes he's also about creating positive music in a world occasionally overflowing with negative energy. "I think there's always going to be bad" he points out "but you've got to find the good in the bad. If you stay in the negative all the time you attract negativity. Music helps me to get through that, that's kind of my escape, what I use to relieve my frustrations."
Another stress release for the Detroit crooner is travel. In fact, he's set his goals for his latest album not in sales, but in different places he'll get to go. "My goal this time around, of course getting the music out there, but I would also like to see more of the world. Asia, Africa, those are two places I really want to see and hopefully this album will take me there. That's the part of the job I love. The business is crazy but being able to travel and see the world that's one of my loves."
Aside from Asia and Africa Dwele is also looking forward to a return trip to London, a place that, at times, feels like a second home to the singer. "I do a week at the Jazz Cafe so it's almost like I get to set up shop there, it's like it's home for a week. I get to know the people I get to know the area it's a lot of fun. Every experience in London is a good experience. We always sell out shows there. I can go to a show and see an 18 year old Asian kid with baggy pants sitting next to a 60 year old Scottish guy and they're both singing the same words, you don't see that in the States very much."
Dwele's live shows are almost always accompanied by a live band. In his estimation once an artist performs with a live band they can never go back.. "From the jump I think my first performance ever was with a live band and I think that kind of spoiled me," he explains "With a live band you have people on stage you can play off of. When it's just you and a track it feels like you're missing something once you've played with a live band."
Traveling and performing with a live band also nets a singer some interesting experiences. Though Dwele doesn't want to reveal too much about those crazy times he is still quick to say "I definitely have stories I can tell my grandkids when they grow up. It could have gone down a lot more than it has, (but) you have to judge, make correct decisions." He adds that although he meets a lot of women on the road, and his music may be about relationships, "I think right now, single is the best for me, but ultimately I do want to settle down."
Whether or not his music, and his latest album's tale of a man becoming involved in a relationship, will become a self fulfilling prophecy isn't something Dwele's thinking about. He explains "really what I'm speaking on I talk about things I'm going through at the time or what I've been through and the only thing that's stopping me from being in a relationship is I'm so busy. As soon as I figure out how to have a relationship and how to do my music at the same time I will."
Perhaps Dwele's "Some Kinda" shouldn't be viewed as a potential self fulfilling prophecy, but rather an artist living vicariously through his music.
by Adam Bernard
Dwele has had a lot of big moments in his young career. There was the Stevie Wonder tribute show he was asked to perform at and the Jazz Festival overseas where Roy Ayers called him back on stage to perform with him. Dwele describes the show with Ayers as "the best time of my life and the scariest moment of my life at the same time."
Another moment in his life that could be described as both great and scary was when his first album, 2003's "Subject," dropped. The album garnered massive critical acclaim, but as with many albums that earn kudos from the critics, the masses didn't go out in droves to pick it up. "I think the sales could have been better," Dwele momentarily laments "but at the same time I'm not mad at what it did. It was my first album and I'm just glad that people actually did go out and support the album. I think we sold around 250,000 and that was all off of one single and one video and that's pretty good nowadays, most people need two. This time around I think we have major pieces in place and we can do a lot better."
This time around the album is "Some Kinda" and according to Dwele "I had a lot of fun making this album. I thought the album up as a continuation from the last album. It's talking about relationships, it kinda has a story in there as well." He continued, adding "It's kind of a wild story, it starts off with 'Holla' shouting out a few cities, symbolic of me being on the road touring. After that I'm at home and a friend calls me to go to the club but I fall asleep and have a dream. Afterwards I wake up, we connect, go to the club, I meet a young lady, we go to my house and develop a relationship, the rest of the album is about the relationship."
The story aspect of "Some Kinda" is one that, although he's willing to describe it in an interview, he hopes takes the listener a few tries to get. "I'd rather not everybody get it at first listen," he explains "then a year two years down the line pull it out and be like 'whoa that's a story.'"
Dwele's work isn't all about telling stories, however, he notes he's also about creating positive music in a world occasionally overflowing with negative energy. "I think there's always going to be bad" he points out "but you've got to find the good in the bad. If you stay in the negative all the time you attract negativity. Music helps me to get through that, that's kind of my escape, what I use to relieve my frustrations."
Another stress release for the Detroit crooner is travel. In fact, he's set his goals for his latest album not in sales, but in different places he'll get to go. "My goal this time around, of course getting the music out there, but I would also like to see more of the world. Asia, Africa, those are two places I really want to see and hopefully this album will take me there. That's the part of the job I love. The business is crazy but being able to travel and see the world that's one of my loves."
Aside from Asia and Africa Dwele is also looking forward to a return trip to London, a place that, at times, feels like a second home to the singer. "I do a week at the Jazz Cafe so it's almost like I get to set up shop there, it's like it's home for a week. I get to know the people I get to know the area it's a lot of fun. Every experience in London is a good experience. We always sell out shows there. I can go to a show and see an 18 year old Asian kid with baggy pants sitting next to a 60 year old Scottish guy and they're both singing the same words, you don't see that in the States very much."
Dwele's live shows are almost always accompanied by a live band. In his estimation once an artist performs with a live band they can never go back.. "From the jump I think my first performance ever was with a live band and I think that kind of spoiled me," he explains "With a live band you have people on stage you can play off of. When it's just you and a track it feels like you're missing something once you've played with a live band."
Traveling and performing with a live band also nets a singer some interesting experiences. Though Dwele doesn't want to reveal too much about those crazy times he is still quick to say "I definitely have stories I can tell my grandkids when they grow up. It could have gone down a lot more than it has, (but) you have to judge, make correct decisions." He adds that although he meets a lot of women on the road, and his music may be about relationships, "I think right now, single is the best for me, but ultimately I do want to settle down."
Whether or not his music, and his latest album's tale of a man becoming involved in a relationship, will become a self fulfilling prophecy isn't something Dwele's thinking about. He explains "really what I'm speaking on I talk about things I'm going through at the time or what I've been through and the only thing that's stopping me from being in a relationship is I'm so busy. As soon as I figure out how to have a relationship and how to do my music at the same time I will."
Perhaps Dwele's "Some Kinda" shouldn't be viewed as a potential self fulfilling prophecy, but rather an artist living vicariously through his music.