Corinne Bailey Rae is back with her brilliant new album, The Sea. The singer told us all about making the record, living in Leeds and success in the US.
Watch the interview here or read below.
Tell us about your new single 'I'd Do It All Again'.
Corinne Bailey Rae: It's a kind of defiant love song and I wanted that to be the first single because I wanted to establish that with this record its quite a different album. You know, a good re-introduction to me because it starts with the vocal and guitar, that's how I start so much of my music, and then the song kind of swirls - it all comes up to this one chorus, where it's kind of this intense moment in the song. I felt that it summed up the feel and sound of the album - a heavier record, more intense, it has more layers, it's more direct.
What's the difference between The Sea and your previous album?
Corinne Bailey Rae: I feel that there is a lot of continuity in the two records because obviously I've written the music and this time around I've co-produced the album. But I think the main differences are that I wanted to make a more heavy, more aggressive record. I wanted to write all the songs myself. I wanted to write all the music. I wanted to work with people I knew are great musicians. I wanted it to be a live-feeling record. I went a long way to capture those exciting moments that happen on stage. I wanted to make sure that they were in the album as well, so the tracks that you hear on the album are the first take where we actually got the songs right. When I was performing the record I didn't feel like we were recording and it was a really stressed environment. I felt like we were just letting the music flow out and we just happened to be taping it.
You prefer to stay in Leeds rather than get sucked into the industry. Can you tell us why you have such an affinity with your hometown?
Corinne Bailey Rae: I stayed in Leeds when I was in university because I was in a band and I really wanted to carry on doing gigs. But also, I started working in this jazz and soul club called The Underground, and that had a big influence on me and I met a lot of my friends there and started singing outside of my band with them, singing jazz and soul and sitting in on other people's gigs. I feel like Leeds is really good because it's got a great musical community that I feel part of.
You've described your childhood as straight and nerdy, has music changed you?
Corinne Bailey Rae: I think when I was a kid I was kind of straight and nerdy, but at the same time every time I say that, even my friends say: "Oh you mean, you were straight and nerdy" and I think I am skill kind of straight and pretty together and kind of outsider-y. But that's how I like to be. I feel like I would only be contrived if I tried to be another way. So, yeah, that's just kind of how I am.
What do you make of you Stateside success?
Corinne Bailey Rae: I feel like when I went over with my first album to America I wasn't really expecting it to connect in the way it did and I was really pleased with the success of that album and getting to play at the Grammys with John Mayor and John Legend, and Prince came to our first gig in LA and we just met loads of amazing musicians and all of this stuff just happened and I don't really know why it happened but I just felt pleased to be embraced by that musical community.
