Written By: Jayme Face
Royce Lovett has a pop/soul sound that had judges grooving on this season of The Voice and we caught up with him on what is next!
upfrontNY: First of all, how would you describe your sound?
Royce Lovett: I would describe my sound as pop/soul. The reason why I would say pop is because pop music has turned into just a feel good genre of hip hop and pop and rock mixed together. I would say soul because I just love old soul music.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your LP Love and other Dreams?
Royce Lovett: Yes, Love and Other Dreams is my favorite body of work I’ve ever made. I remember working with the producer Max Stark on that record and I was just able to for the first time not only be transparent with lyrics and writing really cool songs, but I was able to have control over what happened during the instrumentation side of it, the production side of it. Some pretty cool stuff happened during one of the songs, called Ballad, I got a phone call that I had to wrap it up pretty quick because Grey’s Anatomy wanted to use it. They did pick it, but the day before the show another artist, that shall remain nameless, another much bigger artist than I, came out with a song and they swapped it out. That happens all the time in film and TV. I was happy to just be in the running and being picked to be on Grey’s Anatomy and that whole album has just opened so many doors. My song, Sunday Morning, just did a million streams and I’m really excited about it!
upfrontNY: What’s your favorite song on the album?
Royce Lovett: Wow, I think I have to say my favorite song on the album is probably Up For Love because it means a lot to me. Just the way the song came about and the smiles that I see the song give people. The song that is the closest to me is Sunday Morning,like I don’t even play that out places because it brings me to tears a little bit, but it’s the most intimate song I’ve written.
upfrontNY: How did you first get into music?
Royce Lovett: It kind of just always been part of my house. My mother sang at church all the time and there was always some type of music playing. I just found myself singing and dancing all the time. My mom had me at community centers at an early age dancing to Michael Jackson and in church, but that wasn’t my first goal. I remember the very first thing I wanted to be was an oceanographer; yeah very different. Most 1st graders want to be a firefighter or a police officer, but in 1st grade I wanted to be an oceanographer. After that I completely changed and wanted to be a boxer. After boxing, music was just calling my name. So, I continued to have no plan b, no plan c; music was the only option.
upfrontNY: What musicians inspire you?
Royce Lovett: So many, but if I have to name just a few Lauryn Hill most definitely. I used to rap, no singing, just rapping completely. The minute I heard Lauryn Hill rap, sing and play the guitar that changed my life. It was on her MTV unplugged album and I found my voice. I really found what I wanted to do. Before that I was just writing songs, just learning the craft. After that I would say Musiq Soulchild. If I’m a fan of anyone I would have to say I’ve been a fan of Musiq Soulchild. I have owned every record he has ever put out even if no one knows it was out. Just his soulful touch and the way that he can talk about love over and over again and you never get tired of it. That’s his only topic, “I love you baby” and you’re never tired of him telling his baby that he loves her. And then Jay-Z . I would have to say those are my top three influencers Lauryn Hill, Musiq Soulchild and Jay-Z. The word play that Jay-Z brings to hip hop definitely has saved who I am as an artist and the way I want to write about stories.
upfrontNY: What is your writing process like?
Royce Lovett: Oh, it is sparked by almost anything. It can be an amazing story I’m hearing over food. It can be a movie I’m watching or a song I’m listening to or the action of someone inside a convenience store. It can be watching my kids play or the argument I’m having with a friend or a loved one. It can be sparked over anything, but I think once that spark happens you’ll see me grab a pen, voice memos or google doc. Maybe I have a melody, maybe I don’t have a melody. I’ll put down the feeling. I’ll put down the story, the emotion and then I’ll come to a guitar. I could be driving by and hear some music far off somewhere and I might not be able to hear exactly what they’re playing, but the melody that’s bouncing off the walls that got to my ear can inspire me. I’ll sing to that. So, that process sometimes is a little different, but I think the part that doesn’t change once I get in the studio with a producer, playing the different sounds and playing the different emotions. And trying to figure out do we want this to be a happy song, do we want people to dance to this? I love taking a hard topic and putting it to really fun music so you can dance to something that is a story or a struggle that you never heard before or vice versa. I try to paint different pictures, but I don’t have to be in the quiet to write. I can be in a crowded room and write and be inspired. I can be in a subway or an airplane. I think everything inspires me as an artist.
upfrontNY: How is performing on The Voice different from your typical performance?
Royce Lovett: Oh, man it is different in every single way. Yes, there’s a mic. Yes, there’s the speakers and a band, but the band that you’re playing with has played with almost every legend you can think of. I was talking to the band and they were like “Who would be your dream featured artist to be on a record with?” and I said Sade and the drummer was said “Sade is awesome. I played with her”. The keyboard player is like “Oh, she makes fantastic lasagna.” I was just like “What?!”. All the way to the production team, you’re just watching these people move together in such a creative way. Working that routine inspires you to want to give your 100 percent. All the way down to the lights and the temperature in the room, all the way to you’re standing in front of four pillars of the industry. Yeah there’s people in there that are fans and want to see you do well, but you also have four pillars of the industry standing in front of you and they’re listening to you and watching you and giving you their time. I think that’s just incredible and then you have to add-on the fact that you are going through a camera through a TV to families sitting on a couch in America. That’s just incredible. I went into the whole audition system with a goal, to gain supporters and to find new fans. It’s been work and it’s been amazing work. I was pushed by my wife to make that decision to get on that show.
upfrontNY: Do you have any crazy behind the scenes stories?
Royce Lovett: Oh, man so many awesome things happened. You’re on a team with someone you’re a fan of so all of a sudden you can say this person is mentoring me. That is crazy. Then you’re meeting people from all walks of life that you didn’t know you would ever meet, you’re becoming really good friends and you’re hearing everyone’s stories. So many cool things happened, but the first thing that came to my head is walking around the corner and seeing Taylor Swift standing in front of me. That was crazy. No doubt listening to Gwen Stefani, haha Gwen Stefani No Doubt lol, but like no doubt I met Gwen Stefani and then I met will.i.am. That was amazing, but something strange happened that came to my head when I met Taylor Swift I got a nervous shake. My leg just started shaking and I don’t think she could see it. I don’t think anybody knew but me. You ever feel that nervous shake? I remember taking my right hand and placing it on my right leg and saying to myself calm down. That was the first time that’s ever happened. Pretty at a loss of words. I was just soaking up what they were saying not saying anything and just listening to everything that they are saying and remember everything they were saying.
upfrontNY: What do you like to do when you’re not performing?
Royce Lovett: I love, people call them little things, I don’t call them little things. I like being in the kitchen cooking with my wife. We like cooking, it is a big deal at our house. We want colors on the plate and we are plating and bringing everything to the table. Watching my kids running around and smiling. Just being with my family. I love riding down the road and making strange and cool noises and beat boxing and making up dumb songs with my wife and my two boys. I wouldn’t trade that for the world. There’s times where I’ll be on tour and I’ll be like you know what I need to go home. So right after the show I’m trying to book a red-eye flight just so I can get home so I can maybe see them for a few hours before they go to school. It is always a struggle for me as an artist, that’s how you make your money when you’re on the road, but when I’m not on the road, when I’m not on a stage, when I’m not in a studio writing, I am spending time with them because my favorite part of life is spending time with those guys.
upfrontNY: Are your children interested in music?
Royce Lovett: They love music so much I don’t think there’s a time when music isn’t on in the house, when they’re not singing when they’re not making songs up, but I don’t know. Although my son, Levi, loves to sing. He said he wants to be a singer a few times. He also is so interested in animals and creatures and bugs. He can have a full on adult conversation and he can pronounce words a lot of adults can’t pronounce. He’ll say “No, that’s actually a such and such and they eat this and they live in this type of habitat.” So, who knows what those guys are going to be when they grow up, but my hope is that they see me working hard and never giving up on my dream and they’ll be anything they want to be and nothing will be an obstacle for them.
upfrontNY: Is there anything you would like to let our readers know?
Royce Lovett: Yes, definitely, thank you so much! I really want to let them know that I didn’t go into The Voice without a plan and while I was going into The Voice and while I was there I was writing songs and recording music. So, I have some really awesome music coming out at the top of the year. Jan. 10 releasing a song called Good Morning, inspired by my time on The Voice.It’s inspired by some of those elements people are really liking like those reggae guitars and things like that. I’m super excited to be releasing a song at the top of the year for my new-found fans that’s come from The Voice. It’s really incredible and I’m hoping to see that song grow.
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