Soul singer and producer Aloe Blacc talks to Gregory Porter, Kadhja Bonet and Chelsea Jade about the purpose behind some of their work, writing songs in planes under blankets, and what happens to the creative process after losing those closest to you.
Aloe Blacc is a soul singer and producer raised in Orange County, USA. He absorbed the sounds of cumbia and salsa from his Panamanian parents, before moving on to hip-hop, forming the duo Emanon. Then came his worldwide hit I Need a Dollar, and his life would never be the same again. He’s talking to artists both new and legendary, all now based in California. First up is soul, jazz, and gospel singer Gregory Porter, a Grammy winner who’s been compared to the likes of Nat King Cole and Stevie Wonder. He released his latest album All Rise is August last year. Next is Kadhja Bonet, a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter with a background in classical violin. She blends cosmic jazz, R&B, folk, and classical, and her father is an opera singer, so music runs in the family. Finally, Chelsea Jade is a South African-born pop singer and producer, who grew up in New Zealand and is now based in LA. She was previously known as Watercolors, and dropped out of art school before finding her feet in the music industry.