Our exclusive interview with Neo-soul singer-songwriter Hadassah
/Hadassah is a neo-soul singer and songwriter from Long Island, New York whose music delivers an experiential story while fusing jazz, soul, and RnB on a minimalist backdrop. She recently released her third project, a nine song EP entitled "Oakmere Drive". We connected with Hadassah to find out more about her introspective new EP, discover how she began the journey as a sing-songwriter, and much more.
Carlton Boyd
At what age did you begin the journey as a singer-songwriter and what led you to pursue music?
I can't really remember a time during which I wasn't writing music. I remember come up with songs during long car rides to entertain my sister. I was probably about 6 years old. What lead me to pursue music was my inability to stop writing. It's something that I do almost every day, so it wasn't really a choice.
Tell us about your latest release "Oakmere Drive"; why is this EP so important to you?
My last release, Oakmere Drive, is basically music that I wrote during the hardest year of my life. I lost my mother to lung cancer. My sisters and I sold our home, and, for the first time, my family and I did not live under the same roof. The EP is important to me because it is music that I wrote in order to get me through the tough times. Oakmere Dr, is the street I grew up on, so the entire EP is written with a kind of melancholic tone.
What do you want your listeners to take away from "Oakmere Drive" and your music in general?
I want listeners to take away that sometimes life is hard, but out of those hard moments sometimes come the most beautiful things. I also want them to know that with hard work, anything is possible.
Have you determined which songs from "Oakmere Drive" you will be filming visuals for? If so, when can we expect to see the first?
It is still very tentative which songs from Oakmere Drive will receive visuals, but for sure "Heaven's Basement," and "God's Bathroom Floor" will have visuals. "Heaven's Basement" will be out sometime next week.
As a songwriter, how do you deal with writer's block?
I deal with writer's block by getting up and walking away. If I am struggling to write a song, that means that I have nothing to say. Some days I can write many songs, sometimes nothing comes out. I try not to force it and just let things happen the way they should. It is all very spiritual for me.