Interview: Lalah Hathaway – Singer and Songwriter

Date of Interview: 05/19/2008

© 2008 Clayton Perry

When your last name is Hathaway, there is a certain degree of attention that inevitably follows you, especially in the world of music.

As the daughter of Donny Hathaway, one of soul music’s eternal legends, the expectations placed upon Lalah’s career have been extraordinarily high.  In spite of such pressure, she has blazed her own trails and become a staple on jazz and R&B radio—spending half of her life in the musical spotlight.

Self Portrait, her Stax Records debut, is an introspective account of a twenty-year career.  Upon review of the album, Lalah Hathaway managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on the intersection of jazz and R&B, “Tragic Inevitability,” and her father, Donny Hathaway.

Interview: Kerli – Singer and Songwriter

Date of Interview: 05/08/2008

© 2008 Clayton Perry

How Kerli Kõiv—a blonde-haired singer from Estonia—landed an audition with L. A. Reid is beyond comprehension.  Her debut album, Love is Dead, however, will make the world readily welcome similar cases of happenstance.

Few artists leave a lasting impression, especially on their major label debut, but Kerli’s coming is seven years in the making.  Like its artist, Love is Dead is daring, edgy and beautifully creepy, and with an uncanny sense of confidence, Kerli boldly shares the struggles and triumphs of a complicated life.  Even when embracing the dark, Kerli shines bright—giving hope that love, in due course, can resurrect from an unfortunate death.

Upon review of Love is Dead, Kerli managed to squeeze some time out of her busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on her love of tattoos, “Butterfly Cry,” and her native country of Estonia.