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A clever mix of sonorities that experienced a vibrant acclaim of music lovers. Her second opus “Indigo” released in 2018 under Blue note Records is the epitome of her music, since it translates the imprint of an artist that has reached maturity showcasing the deep scope of her potential.
Kandace Springs is the Guest of Flashmag! this month. In an open interview, she tells us more about her person and career.
Hello Kandace it’s a pleasure for us to have you as the guest of the music page in this issue of the magazine.
Some will say that from your parents, notably your father who was a session vocalist, that you could not escape being a musician. But the journey being always a personal experience, I would like to know why did you feel that it was relevant for you to become a musician?
Very young I was introduced to music. At teen, I was taking piano lesson. I got involved with the Wooten brothers, and one day Regi made me listen to some music, and I asked what is that? This how I discovered Jazz and my father being vocalist I really bathed in a musical environment.
Your breakthrough is a bit like a fairy tale with the discovery of your talent online by the late Prince, who listened your cover of Stay with me of Sam Smith. He was moved to the point that he invited you to perform for the 30 years of his hit Purple Rain. What was your feelings about being noticed by a music legend like Prince?
It still blows my mind. And I wake up every day and ask myself is that really happened ? it was unexpected I posted a video online and maybe 2 or 3 days later, after a session, I checked my account and I had a message, it was Prince writing, saying, who are you? Do you want to come perform? I didn’t believe it. And then my records label called and I said OK, this is getting serious. A couple days later I went to see him with my manager. He was a big fan of movies. He rented a whole theater for himself, keeping only some few employees. He took us with the whole band to see a movie that day. The next night we did the music show, it was crazy.
How did you live that experience?
I didn’t realize it was happening amazing and very inspiring.
Was he different from what you were expecting?
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. He was pretty accurate like everybody thought. He was funny, he liked to play games. He will disappear only to appear in a remote part of the building and you’ll ask how did it get up there without us noticing? And then he will make us watch another movie. Set the projector to show us Purple rain and then when the light is off, he will disappear again. An instant later he will pop-out between us. (Laughs) he was very picky about what he wanted, but very sweet at the same time.
Under his mentorship what is the main thing that you have learned?
Staying true to who I am. You know, he used to say this you, it doesn’t matter what people say you should do. When my first record came out, he loved its artistic side. He told me don’t cover your voice let it flow the way you feel it. Definitely not covering my voice and making organic music, was what I’ve learned from him.
2014 was a landmark in your career, with your first EP self-titled, that saw you perform in many famed venues while entering that world of “sounds and lights” like I call music, what was your feeling and what was your expectations?
When I started it was like a hobby… I said to myself this is fun, I like it. And when it got a bit more serious, I started saying well may be one day I can be a musician. Later on, I got signed with Blue Note records by then I knew it was my way. But you know it was a long process to get there. I had a lot of influences that paved the way to the artist I’m today.
Last year we had the violinist Regina Carter as guest, and we asked her why the younger generation seems not to be interested in Jazz yet it’s the root of modern American music? And about you Why?
Probably because they are not exposed enough to this type of music.
Yeah, I believe us the media we are one of the main reason it’s about what we put out all the time, Jazz music is not airing enough. But in the meantime, our outfit has always given a good share to Jazz music because we believe it’s time to get back to the fundamentals of music. Things are getting off the tracks.
Thank you for that.
Flashmag November 2019 www.flashmag.net