FLAP TIME (Interview; June 1998)
With the help of industry heavy hitters, she has spread her wings. Now will Angel Grant soar?
Chances are you'll be hearing Angel Grant on a radio near you soon. The folk-funk singer not only has a powerhouse voice, she also has the R&B muscle of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis behind her. Jam and Lewis, who are Janet Jackson's producers, first heard her voice on a tape Grant had made while working as a session vocalist in Georgia. Within a week, she was signing a contract with the duo's Flyte Tyme Records.
Jam and Lewis, who co-wrote and produced Album, Grant's debut for Flyte Tyme, deliver the funk-but it's Grant who brings folky, introspective elements to the music. In general a searching, philosophical tone pervades the album. The song title that literalizes Grant's spiritual drive is "OM", a breathy affirmation set to cumulus synth sounds. " I call it gumbo religion," Grant says of her eclectic embrace of the world's religions and philosophies.
DIMITRI EHRLICH: As a person with serious spiritual interests, how do you justify working in the commercial world?
ANGEL GRANT:I look at singing as teaching, but not preaching. It's all in your intentions.
DE: How would you describe your intentions?
AG: That people get something from this album-which is mainly about letting the music be-even if it's just one person [who gets it]. We're so used to "doing" and the point is, it's okay to just be and let the music happen.
DE: How does your songwriting relate to your outlook?
AG: When I write, I feel like I'm the catalyst, but I don't claim credit for the result because it's so much bigger than me or Jimmy or Terry. When I write, the inspiration's not always there, but when it is there it's flowing. Each of my songs is a piece of the puzzle. It's like each one is a color in a crayon box. They're all part of the same box, even though they're each a different color.
DE: Many people understandably think of the music industry as innately self-serving, because of the emphasis on hits and on becoming famous. Can a musician also be considered a part of the service industry-as serving other people, as opposed to just serving one's self?
AG: I think that you are serving other when you share pieces of yourself with other people. There have been plenty of times when I wanted to walk away and couldn't-because the music is so much a part of me. I can never deny it because, you know? I breath it.
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