Feature

Corrine Bailey Rae: Back To Winning Ways

The last time this artist blessed B&S’ pages it was our Assistant Editor, the legendary institution that is Pete Lewis, who interviewed the multi-talented and all round lovely, Corrine Bailey Rae. The year was 2010 and Corinne was pushing her sophomore album “The Sea”…it was an album which cemented her credentials, as music publications the world over hailed her sophomore a glowing success. The album produced releases like; “Closer” and of course the deeply personal, “I’ll Do It Again”, which flew up the charts that same year.

‘Personal’ and emotionally charged numbers are her raison d’être, together with her own brand of soulful sounds, but her fans have been made to wait a while for that third album. While Bailey Rae has been ‘away’ she correctly attests to the fact that because we did not see her, it did not mean for a second that music had disappeared from her life. “When you are in the studio people do not really see that you are working, so it might seem ‘oh Corinne has left music’. But it has not been a quiet time, as such, for a few years now”. An album profoundly called “When The Heart Whispers” now proves, of course, that she has been a busy bee.

Speaking to the lady herself post three hours of interviews, plus glitzy photo shoot, she’s in a surprisingly buoyant mood - dare I say - actually enjoying her triumphant return to the media frenzy associated with her new album… “I have been flying a lot through this period, but it’s great to be forging ahead and it’s exciting to be coming with a new album”. She adds, “I think it was an important time when I was in this ‘quieter’ period because it allowed me to reflect on so many aspects of my life, not just music. I, of course, did other things - I was attending lots of different fashion shows. I have a really good relationship with Miu Miu and I also re-connected with my art and photography…and of course, getting married and getting to know my family was massive.”

It is Bailey Rae’s ability to slide with, it seems, consummate ease into a life of relative obscurity which gives her that ‘girl next door’ appeal. ‘Yes’ she is a global superstar, but ‘no’ she is not likely to be seen in the tabloid papers on a weekly basis showing her latest body artwork because she is err, ‘normal’. Bailey Rae’s soft Leeds brogue has the power to lull you into an ease…but as we talk, I was quickly aware of an artist who bristles with that energy one achieves when you know you have invested your talent in something you truly believe in.

“With the album, I recorded most of it at my studio in Leeds but there was quite a lot that I also recorded in Los Angeles, California and then New York.” I couldn’t help but mention that there seemed to be a real sense of experimentation on this album. To which Bailey Rae replies with pride, “I have experimented, you are right - with different genres - there is soul throughout, but there are also electronic textures in the album…it was a good challenge.” She continues, “I always want to push myself and do new things. Most of the time I am writing on the acoustic guitar, so I don’t just want to go ‘here you go, here’s me and my acoustic guitar’. The thing is, once you have a melody you can then go anywhere that you want, which is what I did on this album”. A brave move when you factor in her prolonged absence.

The album "The Heart Speaks In Whispers" is out now.

Website corinnebaileyrae.com

Tweet us @CorrineBRae @BluesandSoul

You can read more from our interview with soul star Corrine Bailey Rae, including her further thoughts on the making of her album, the pursuit of the man who helped Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye make their mark and the prospect of playing shows this summer with Stevie Wonder, Pharell Williams and Lionel Richie - all this and more in the current issue of Blues & Soul Magazine - click the link below to order straight from our shop or read on for high street retailer details.

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LIVE INFO

Corinne Bailey Rae will perform at the Cornbury Festival, Oxfordshire on June 9 and will join Lionel Richie's ‘All The Hits’ UK tour this summer as support - dates:

JUNE
14th – Eden Sessions, St Austell
15th – Eden Sessions, St Austell
18th – Liberty Stadium, Swansea
19th – Eirias Stadium, Colwyn Bay
22nd – Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
25th – Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester
26th – Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
28th – Manchester Arena, Manchester
29th – Manchester Arena, Manchester

JULY
2nd – The O2, London
3rd – The O2, London
6th – The O2, London
7th – Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
Words Semper Azeez-Harris