AVERY* Sunshine Interview
by Matt Bauer
Multi-talented Chester, PA born and Atlanta-based AVERY* Sunshine (aka Denise White) has delivered a highly personal, optimistic and soulful journey through the peaks and valleys of everyday life on her self-titled debut. Nearly eight years in the making, the album is a literal labor of love for the gospel and stage veteran whose soothing vocals and positive vibe are guaranteed to brighten up a cloudy day.
AVERY* graciously took some time to chat with Nu-Soul about her new album, her sound and her musical message of healing.
Nu-Soul: Since this is your first album, I was wondering what recording it was like?
AVERY*: Wow, it’s taken seven years. Seven years of recording: half a song here, half a song there. Putting it together and never knowing when it was going to be finished. One thing that comes to mind is recording in my bedroom closet before we could get a studio. So many things come to my mind: having Roy Ayers on the album. It wasn’t a hard process, I think the hardest part was not knowing when it was going to get done. It’s been an amazing journey. I don’t know if we can top this one.
Nu-Soul: How did Roy Ayers end up on the album?
AVERY*: We were almost finished with the album and one of my partners thought it would be great to get Roy Ayers on the track “The Most.” And we were like: O.K., that’s like saying let’s get Michael Jackson. To me it was! But O.K. great, fine. You call him if you know his number. I’m a graduate of Spelman College and my partner Dana Johnson is a graduate of Morehouse College and both of those schools are in the AU center in Atlanta. Every year they invite alum to come back to perform for homecoming. Well, we got a call asking me to perform and open for Roy Ayers and when Roy called me about the show I let him know that my album was almost done and it would be absolutely nothing if we didn’t get him on it. He played on it, sang on it. One of the most gracious humans I have ever met.
Nu-Soul: How would you describe the Avery* Sunshine sound?
AVERY*: It’s a combination of all the music I’ve ever been exposed to and Dana as well because we did this project together. I love gospel, I love r&b and it’s an interesting kind of fusion of those things and anything else that I’ve ever listened to. A good friend of mine from Spelman calls it “jazzgosoul” (jazz, gospel, soul which I thought was really cute.) I’m not just neo-soul, I’m not just jazz, I’m not just gospel; it really is a combination of all those things. I think that’s the easiest way to describe it.
Nu-Soul: Being that much of your early musical inclinations were through the church, how much of that experience has impacted your current work?
AVERY*: Most of it. The consistency, the rehearsing. What’s so interesting about my experience is that in the church I’ve always been a leader: as a director or telling the band what to do. I never wanted to be an artist. I thought I was supposed to be in the background. Who knew that my work in the Church would set me up to be out front? I never thought about it. I absolutely believe that my work in the Church prepared me for this time and what I’m doing.
Nu-Soul: Besides the church, who are your other musical influences?
AVERY*: I can go way back. When I was eight years old it was classical. Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, that’s what I did. My parents always listened to music so I was exposed to The Whispers, The Isley Brothers, Jimmy Smith. My parents used to have house parties and one of the songs that they’d play is Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up.” Between the classical music and my parents, some of the artists that I absolutely adore are: The Doobie Brothers with Michael McDonald, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin and those artists that were real musicians. Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Patrice Rushen, Marvin Winans, Stevie Wonder, Prince.
Nu-Soul: You’ve been involved in quite a few theatrical productions as well. Most recently with the play I Dream. Which do your prefer: performing in plays or performing your own music?
AVERY*: They’re both equally fulfilling. Doing the plays allows me to be somebody else and be consistent and there’s security in being consistent. Every night I was singing the same thing and I could appreciate knowing exactly what it was going to be. What I like about my own material is I can go off the cuff, feel the vibe of the room and work off of people. I love that.
Nu-Soul: Personally, my favorite song on the album is “Today.” I think everybody can relate to that. How much of your personal experiences do you bring to your work?
AVERY*: All of it is personal. It’s my form of therapy. I get it out and I hope that someone else is able to get out what they’re dealing with or to heal. To me it’s like trying to pick up a car by yourself; it’s hard. But if you have seven other people picking that car up with you it’s not as bad. It’s like sharing the weight of your experiences. All of my songs have absolutely everything to do with what I’m dealing with.
Nu-Soul: The whole album reminds me of a line from a Sly and the Family Stone song called “Somebody’s Watching You” that says “Ups and downs are caused by life in general.” I thought that summed up your album nicely.
AVERY*: I love that. That is a summation of my album! That’s what it is. And the thing is to keep shining no matter what. Whether you’re up or whether you’re down, keep shining. Thank you for that line. I’m going to have to use that line.
Nu-Soul: As an independent artist do you feel that gaining exposure is easier now thanks to the internet or is it still a long haul?
AVERY*: Well, we’ve been working for eight years moving around and getting my name out. We’re just starting to catch on and that’s with the help of the internet. Just imagine if we didn’t have the internet? I was reluctant to use things like Twitter and Facebook but then I got it! Once you realize you are your own commercial and marketing expert and you have control over all of that it makes sense and becomes a lot easier. I do believe that we still have a long way to go, but we’ve come a long way and we’ve made the strides that we’ve made largely due to the internet.
Nu-Soul: What’s the message or inspiration that you’d like listeners to take from your album?
AVERY*: I’d like for them to feel better. Hopefully it’s the whole album but if there’s one song that resonates with them and wants them to feel better or do better. I would hope that they take that away. The same thing with my shows and I hope that they’re able to share that feeling.
www.averysunshine.com
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