John Legend is a soul music machine. The release of his new album, Evolver, marks the third set he’s released in four years. GIANTmag.com recently caught up with the incomparable Mr. Legend at its “Soul Power” shoot to talk “green lights,” his big screen debut and more.
GIANT: So, tell me about Evolver?
John Legend: The new album is almost done. I am finishing it now. I am really excited. I think it’s the best one yet. I think it has a really nice variety of all the things that I am feeling right now musically and stylistically. I am really proud of it. I think the distinguishing thing about it is that I think that people will be able to tell that I was having fun making it and that I was fun experimenting musically doing some things.
GIANT: When did you start recording this album?
JL: I started last November and I have been doing it off and on since then but I probably started doing concentrated work 2 or 3 months ago.
GIANT: You released Get Lifted two years ago. So, why did you decide to go back into the studio so quickly?
JL: As soon as I get off tour, I want to go back into the studio. So, that’s what I did. [laughs] I will probably do the same thing after this one. That’s what I like to do. I like to write, I like to work. And whenever I am away from it for a while I miss it because I don’t write while I am on tour. So, its always fun to get back in the studio and see what I can work with and see what new stuff the producers I work with can come up with. And just how we can flip it.
GIANT: OK, so what’s the message behind Evolver?
JL: I always got the sense that people wanted me to stay in a certain box or a certain style and I just want to send a message that it’s not going to be the same album every time. The sound is going to progress. I am going to experiment and I am going to have fun with it. I just want people to know that from the title.
GIANT: How did your first single, “Green Light” featuring Andre 3000, come about?
JL: Well, it’s funny because Rick Knowles and I wrote the song. Rick isn’t known for this kind of music. He’s written for Dido, so he’s more known as an adult contemporary pop/adult pop writer but we wrote a couple of midtempo songs and then he started playing this guitar groove and then made a drum beat to it and it made me write. The beat wasn’t great but it was good to write to. I gave the song to my A&R KP [Kiwan Prather]. He works with Malay, who ended up being the producer on the record. Malay took the song and did a remix of it-gave the song a new beat, which is the song people hear now. And then when we got done with it, there were was a space obviously for a rap as well as these spaces after the choruses and we let them be. Then we sent them over to Andre to see what he wanted to do with it. KP is from Atlanta and came up through LaFace, so he has known Andre since they were kids or teenagers. So he hit Andre up and asked if he wanted to get on this record because it would be perfect for you. Andre heard it, he loved it and he wanted to do it. And he blessed it, obviously.
GIANT: Do you have a lot of collabos on the album?
JL: Kanye is on it. Buju Banton is on it. Estelle is on it. And um, production from will.i.am, Pharrell wrote a song. Production by Trevor Horn, Devo Springsteen…
GIANT: Given you previous success, did you find that there were a lot of producers that you haven’t worked with before who wanted to work with you?
JL: Yeah, we get beats from everybody. I never turn a beat down. I listen to everything because you never know where inspiration will come from. Even if the beat doesn’t make the album, it may inspire you to write a song and then you change the beat later. So, I listen to anything from anybody but I tend to end up work with a lot of the same people because we have chemistry. Me and will have a lot of chemistry, and have worked really well together on the last three albums. He always ends up having some of my favorite songs on my album, so we worked together again. We recorded three really good songs together.
GIANT: You mentioned Estelle. She is the first artist you have released under your label. How has it been watching her success from an executive standpoint?
JL: I am really proud because I feel like I had a lot to do with it and I feel like she deserves it as well. So, on both levels from just my personal involvement I am proud and then because she as an artist deserved to be heard, I am really that she is being heard and that she is doing so well. It took a while over here for the single to blow up the way it finally has but it was worth the wait.
GIANT: What’s next from Home School?
JL: My brother, Vaughn Anthony. He’s coming out next year. We have been a little stagnant lately because I have been working on my album. But we’ll get back to work and make sure we put some product out soon.
GIANT: OK. So, as you know the piece we’re doing is on soul singers. So tell me what your definition of a soul singer.
JL: I think part of it is the feeling-what you convey with you voice. It’s the truth, the honesty and the heritage of where we come from. We all recognize our heritage musically, pay homage to it while also doing new things as well. It’s kind of undefinable but you know it when you hear it.
GIANT: Who are your favorite soul singers?
JL: My favorite soul singers are Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, for different reasons. When I think of soul, I think of gospel too. Aretha’s gospel recordings are some of the best I have ever heard and are truly, truly soulful. The Amazing Grace Recordings. And Marvin Gaye, I always think of “Distant Lover” on that live recording where he’s going crazy and the crowd is going crazy… “Please, please, please” I’m yeah, that’s soul music.
GIANT: We can’t talk about soul without talking about Isaac Hayes. I know you just finished Soul Men, a movie with he and Bernie Mac.
JL: I wasn’t on the shoot with Isaac Hayes. I was only on the set a couple of days and I shot with Bernie and Sam. First of all, I was really sad about Bernie because I never met Isaac Hayes but I had met Bernie a few times. He was always so full of life and energy. He always lit up a room so it really struck me when he died. I couldn’t imagine someone with so much energy and life dying at such a young age. Isaac Hayes obviously had such an impact on music. His sound was so distinct; what he did with the Shaft soundtrack was incredible.
GIANT: Do you see yourselves following his footsteps and doing movie scores?
JL: Yeah, it could happen. I can’t imagine when I’ll do it. I feel like I go from album to tour to album to tour but at some point I will try to do something.
And for even more “Soul Power,” click here to see the exclusive behind-the-scenes video!
