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We’re very excited to have some time today with acclaimed award-winning Blues artist Albert Cummings; greetings and salutations, Albert! Before we dive down the proverbial Q&A musical rabbit hole, how is the freshly-minted New Year treating you and yours?
Thanks for asking! I’m so excited to do this interview with you. This year has been wonderful so far, and we’re just getting going. Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness, and I’m finally prepared to take my music to the world. I look forward to this year and the exciting opportunities ahead of us!
Major kudos and accolades on your #1 Billboard Blues Album chart-topping LP Strong! Starting at the tip-top, can you give our ever-inquisitive readers the VH1-Behind the Music origin story on how this beautiful new album came into being?
The process by which this album came into being wasn’t that different from my previous releases. The big difference is I’ve become more aware of my ability to share my life experiences and stories through my songs. A friend recently suggested that I keep a journal of my experiences, and it dawned on me that my journal entries are my songs. For this record, I knew I had a great batch of songs to go into the studio with. When I got to Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, the setting and the chemistry were perfect. The group of musicians assembled by the producer Tom Hambridge seemed to fit the songs perfectly from the very first track we recorded, and I knew we were making something very special. We had all the ingredients, so it was easy to start making the cake!
As an artist, how does it feel to have hit that coveted number one spot with the new album on the nigh legendary Billboard charts? Does it put a little spring in your creative step, so to speak?
You bet it does! I’ve hit number two before and number five, but this time, number one makes me a little giddy. I don’t take that lightly and feel as though it is a milestone completed. It is certainly a goal I’ve wanted for quite some time. It tells me that people understand me and enjoy the product I provide. That’s a perfect fit!
Grammy-winning maestro Tom Hambridge did the producing honors on the Strong LP! What was your collaboration process like with Tom in working on the new album?
Tom was great. He made it very easy to do the record. He told me we would do this record in four days, and I thought he was crazy. He put us in the studio and let us play live. He didn’t know it, but I love pressure, so when I felt the time pressure, I knew I couldn’t fool around. Song after song, we knocked out, and we finished the record in three and a half days. Music is better when it comes from the heart and is played live. I loved his no-nonsense approach. He knew what he had assembled, and he knew what I was trying to make for a record. He really delivered, and I’m so proud of him and this record.
In your humble opinion, what differentiates Strong from the Distinguished Competition on the 2024 music scene?
It’s funny you ask this. But I think there is a huge difference from what I’m doing on Strong vs other records. I just had a major DJ send me a note saying that every track is authentic and that this album is such a breath of fresh air. He explained that he’s so bored of the “plodding, predictable blah blah blues.” I feel the same way. It seems most people are putting out songs that just aren’t coming from the heart. Most of the records seem like guitar solos interrupted by vocals with no relatability to the songs at all. I strive to give my listeners something they can feel. I want to touch them emotionally, and I want to entertain them. I try to listen to almost everything that comes out, and I can see that I am vastly different from anyone, and that’s exactly what I want!
We’re big admirers of the tune Bad Reputation which stands out prominently among a whole slew of other beautiful gems on the new Strong LP! What’s the story behind this gem of a ditty and how you came to write it?
Of course, I will never reveal my thoughts behind a song because I hope that each person who hears it will relate to my song with someone or something in their life. This song was inspired by a person who made this song very easy to write. All I had to do was think about the person and I just wrote down the words!
The Strong LP is released via Ivy Music Company. What makes this band of creative gremlins the perfect home for you and your music?
Hahaha! This band of gremlins is my wife and I. We started our own label to maintain creative control of what happens to the record. I’ve not had the best experiences with record labels, so we started our own. We get to oversee the entire release and choose who is working on the record. We’ve assembled a wonderful and highly skilled team that grows every day as I grow as an artist. Just the fact that I’m talking to you tells me we have an amazing team!
Who inspires you musically?
When I can feel passion and emotion in an artist, I am inspired. When I get the chills when I hear someone sing or when I know someone is expressing their feelings through their instrument, I am inspired. I believe there are two types of musicians: creators and performers. The performers perform what the creators create. Only a small percentage of musicians are creators. Those are the fine few who inspire me.
On the heels of the recent release of your Strong LP, can fans look forward to catching you on the touring/performing circuit in the coming days and weeks?
As I speak to you, I am on an eight-hour ride to Boise, Idaho, coming out of Seattle. We have been out for about three weeks and have two more shows to do on the West Coast. Yes, I will be touring as much as I can. Opportunities are coming from all over the world, and I plan to play every show that comes my way. It’s a very exciting time for me, and this album is already opening doors for me.
When you’re not playing the ear of music aficionados with your sweet Blues sounds, you can be found working at a different sort of craft altogether as a custom homebuilder. How do these two mutual loves feed into and inform one another?
To put it simply, they both require hard work and are both very challenging. Building a house is very similar to building a song or a record. If every piece of the house is installed correctly, it will be a successful house. The same goes for a song, album, or a music career!
As a singer and songwriter, which generally comes first for you – The lyrics or the music?
The chicken or the egg! I usually start with an idea. Once I know the idea, I then determine the emotion the song needs to be. This guides me to what kind of sound the song needs, so I work out the basic groove. Then, I return to the idea and think about what I want to say or what message I want to deliver. This can sometimes take ten minutes or ten months. If I know exactly what I want to say, it becomes very easy, but if I’m not sure, I have to think about it until the right phrasing comes to mind.
At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving many-a-spin to your brand-spankin’ new LP Strong?
I want the listeners to hear something fresh and different in my songs. So far, I have heard this in every city and at every show. Our crowds are growing, and it’s so exciting to watch. I have finally assembled what I think to be the best band out there, and the shows are on fire! I want them to know that I devote my craft on and off stage to bring the listener something they can only get from me and my band. It’s music for grown-ups with depth and thought, not just sounds. My music also understands a common person’s life as that’s where my roots are. It’s humbling and rewarding to see so many coming to shows that have never seen me and get multiple standing ovations throughout the show. I think it’s very apparent when I play that I absolutely love what I do and feel so privileged to be able to do it. I am so grateful to all the people supporting me; it makes me want to write and perform better every time I do it!
For further information about Albert Cummings and updates on the release of Strong, please visit his official website at https://albertcummings.com/.
