INTERVIEW: Singer Such Talks New Album, Self-Love, Being a Creative, More

Recently, independent R&B/Soul singer Such celebrated the release of her new album, ‘Wide Nose, Full Lips,’ with a special live performance at Brooklyn Manor in Brooklyn, NY. As promised, I attended the show, fashionably late, but was able to witness the magnetic and soul-stirring sounds of this eclectic artist. Following the performance, I spoke with the beautiful and boisterous songstress about the new project, her career, and more.

Based on the album’s title, Wide Nose Full Lips, is this a vulnerable project for you?

This is probably my most personal album yet. I would say all of the songs are from personal experiences. I think this project just catalogs the kind of space and vibe that I’ve been in for the last few years. Self-acceptance, self-love, just being comfortable in my skin and being proud of my heritage, my ancestors, this melanin that I’m in; I just love it.

It sounds easy, but that’s not a feat everyone can achieve. How did you get to this point of self-love?

I think there’s a whole bunch of things. There have been deposits over time, and maybe it’s just coming to a culmination. Being a mom fast tracks certain things because you want your kids to be proud of who they are, and I know that the best way is to lead by example. You can’t say something and act a different way because kids can see through that. I feel like we undo a lot of things in ourselves when we have kids because of all the lessons we have to teach them. I feel like my son has been my teacher in so many ways.

Kids do change you! I have two, and they keep me busy!

[Laughs] That’s so dope!

So, tell me about these songs on Wide ‘Nose Full Lips?’ How emotional were you recording this body of work?

Going into this album, I really wanted it to feel good. I didn’t record if I wasn’t in a good space because I felt like the energy I would be putting into recording would be felt by my listeners. I just wanted everything to feel good, feel right. There were some songs that didn’t make the album because I felt like they didn’t fit the energy of this body of work. It was really important for it to feel effortless, feel authentic, and not forced. I’m really proud of it. It took me a long time to record this project. Sometimes as an artist, you’re like, ‘Oh man, it’s time for me to come out with another album.’ You know, you may have that thought that people may lose interest if you’re gone too long. With this album, I knew that it would come out at the right time, and it really has.

Timing is everything! What was the feeling like when you performed these songs for the first time?

Very emotional [laughs]. It’s like having a baby, and you want everyone to think your baby is cute. Yes, you know your baby is amazing, but you don’t know what other people will think. With all that said, it was a beautiful sigh of relief.

You’ve been doing this independent thing for some time now, and the music business has changed a lot since you came out. How do you continue to adapt to this changing culture, especially in this digital-driven world?

It’s been seven years! It’s very important for me to be myself and not get caught up in the whole relevant thing. Yes, I have to stay relevant, but I can’t lose who I am. It’s like an interesting line you have to walk. A lot of times, I go with my gut and trust it.

From a marketing standpoint, what are you doing different today that you weren’t doing five years ago?

I am definitely more active on social media. Today, social media can open up doors for you that you never could have imagined. I’m pretty sure you heard my social media song at the end of my performance [laughs]. You have to be out there and use every conversation as a marketing tool.

So, how do you stay creative without being frustrated in this industry?

I think it’s really important as an artist because you give so much that you’re also fed. It’s really important that I do things that feed me, feed my soul, and give me content to make me full so that I can be creative. If you’re running on empty, nothing good will come out. The last album I released before this one was five years ago. The reason why it took so long is I started to run on empty. I needed that time to live and to create new content. I took some time to really just breathe, take a pulse, listen to conversations, sleep, spend time with loved ones, travel, and experience. Naturally, as a creative person, you begin to catalog things and become full. I think it’s really important that creatives remember that we’re human, we’re not machines, we can’t just go go go forever. You have to have something to feed you.

As an artist, outside of growing your fan base and touching more people, why do you continue to push forward?

Oh my Gosh, I feel like we’ve all been given gifts and ways for us to connect to each other, and for us to give back to humanity, and that’s why I make music. Whenever I perform, whenever I sing, I feel the most connected to all living things. I know this is my way of being connected to the greater.

What other artists do you love in your musical space?

I love Sade so much. For the last five years, people have been saying she’s dropping an album, but only she knows when the time is right, and I love that about her. When it comes out, it will be amazing, and we will al rush to hear it, and go to her sold-out world tour. I love Jill Scott; I love Neo-Soul and 90s R&B. I love Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, Maxwell, Musiq, so many people.

Your music is similar to a lot of these artists: What keeps you motivated in this soul genre?

I used to be a nurse, and I quit nursing to pursue my dreams, and I’m not about to stop. I wanna do things that feel right. I feel like I’m starting to really discover my sound, and that’s the cool thing about being on this journey. I didn’t come out the gate knowing exactly what I wanted to sound like. It’s like trial and error. I feel like I’m now starting to get into a groove, and I like this sound. I just do what feels right. Who knows, I may come out with a country album one day. Shoot, my voice coach thinks I could do classical. I like country music because of the stories, and I’m a storyteller.

So, what’s next for Such?

There will be more music videos, touring, there might be some more acting coming up, and lots more creativity.

Stream Wide Nose Full Lips below!