Soul For Real

19 September 2014 | 5:02 pm | Sally Anne Hurley

Angie Stone reveals her secret to surviving in an ever-changing music industry.

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"I was in from, like the moment I heard it – count me in.” Talking with multi-award-winning US singer Angie Stone, you can tell she’s just as excited to play the upcoming Soulfest series as the fans probably are to head along to the inaugural event.

“Everybody is in anticipation of everyone in the show. I mean, these guys can’t wait to work with these guys and these girls can’t wait to work with these girls and then let’s see who does their thing, but it’s one no one is gonna wanna miss,” Stone admits.
 

“There was a promise from D’Angelo that, and I mean it was a swift promise of ‘when I’m done with my record I really wanna do something with you.’”


The singer believes the neo-soul/hip hop-focused event, featuring the likes of Common, D’Angelo, Mos Def and more, has the potential to grow into something very special. “Australia is the first one to do this so it’s gonna be amazing and I think it will transcend and people will catch on. This line-up is the perfect fit; there’s no ifs, ands or maybes. You can’t substitute any of the artists on this platform because everyone that’s there has earned it. And I think that it’s the first time that any promoter or country has said, ‘Ok, this is what it should be so this is what it’s gonna be.’”

The South Carolina native believes her Aussie fans will appreciate her forthcoming performances because “they know that I’m genuine, they know that my music comes from a real space.”

And Stone is also confident she and her other Soulfest counterparts will get the chance to perform together, including the possibility of joining her one-time partner D’Angelo, with whom she has a son, on stage. “I would love to see D’Angelo’s face if we got on… Anthony Hamilton sang background with him years ago and so did I and ah… It would really shock him if we jumped on the mic and sang background with him.”

Stone admits she may also be collaborating with her ex once he’s done working on his very long-awaited follow-up to 2000’s brilliant Voodoo. “There was a promise from D’Angelo that, and I mean it was a swift promise of ‘when I’m done with my record I really wanna do something with you.’” She chuckles.

Stone is currently working on a new album, her seventh, but it’s still in its early stages. “I have yet to title it but I will say this, it’s coming straight from the heart and I really am excited about it,” she teases, saying that one or two of the songs might be ready for Aussie audiences when she’s here.

Like her previous releases, the album will be filled with what Stone calls “real music”, which she believes has enabled her to last so long in an ever-changing music industry. “Music can heal, music is the thing that speaks to our soul. You can’t kill the one thing that can survive growing. I’m a winner, I’m never a loser and I’ve thrived off the fact that real music breaks through the mould every time. If it’s undeniable, guess what? You’re in.”