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Interview with R&B singer Avant shortly after
it was announced that he signed a new deal with Capital
Records.
I just read the press release and I see you have a new
deal with Capital. Are you happy with your new deal?
Avant-I'm
so happy with my new deal. I'm happy to be away from Geffen,
you know what I mean? No disrespect, they gave me 10 years,
I can't be mad at that. I just felt like I wasn't being
used fully. Basically, what I'm trying to do now is I
have a company that believes in me that's trying to bring
forward everything about me.
Can you tell me your experience working on the stage
play "Love In The Nick of Tyme?" It was very
successful.
Avant-It
was beautiful. It was my first time ever doing a play.
I was familiar with the plays, but I had never done a
play. In doing it, it was fun because I didn't play the
guy who was the lover or the guy to break a girls heart.
I was the liberal guy. You know, "peace and blessings
my black sister." I came in and gave them a little
funny edge. A lot of people came up to me and said, "I
didn't know you were going to be funny like that."
I gave them a whole different view of who Avant was.
Did that experience inspire you more as an artist?
I mean did you branch off and start writing more?
Avant-It
really didn't do anything for my writing because I write
everyday. It definitely opened me up more with the movie
scene. I probably won't do anymore plays, I will probably
stick with this one because we might bring it back out,
"Love In The Nick of Tyme." It definitely inspired
me as far as the movie scene, that's probably what I will
pursue next.
I know you just came out of a really long record deal.
What really inspires you to stay in the music business?
Avant-It's
the fans. I do it for the fans. I see them everyday. I
might walk out of my house or go to a restaurant and they
come up to me, "Oh Avant. I love that song."
It doesn't even have to be a hit record, just something
they picked up on the album. That's what inspires me everyday
to continue to go forward and to make good music.
My favorite Avant album is "Private Room."
Do you feel like that was one of your best albums? I do.
Avant-Actually,
I believe that every album is my best album. I've done
most of the writing. I think the last album was awesome,
I just don't think it got promoted right. I think every
album is, especially because they are periods of time.
The things that we go through. In the "Ecstasy"
album I was probably extra sensitive. In the "Private
Room" album I was probably felt real pimpish or something.
You never know. It's just a period of time and how all
music evolves and change. Every album is different.
Have you already completed your next
album?
Avant-No,
I haven't completed it yet. But I have some great music
coming and you should hear a single around March. I got
to give them that sexy, "I can read your mind,"
vibe. I gotta give them that stuff from that "Private
Room." I better do that. Yeah, that's what my focus
is.
What are you basically doing with your time this holiday
season? Are you working on the album, are you touring...
Avant-Oh
man, I'm Santa Clause right now you know what I mean?
I'm working on the album, you know I'm also hitting spot
dates right now. Just being Santa Clause. I'm Santa Clause
to my nephew, I got a son, I'm Santa Clause to him.
What do you want for Christmas?
Avant-Actually,
I can't complain about nothing really. Just to have a
successful album going into the next year. To have the
fan base, and to see them and give them great shows. That's
all I want really.
What was the highlight of your career so far?
Avant-I've
been out on tour with Mary J., I've worked with Ron Isley,
I worked with Charlie Wilson, I worked with Nicole from
Pussycat Dolls. You can pull from any one of those.
I know you said you write everyday. Do you still write
for other artists?
Avant-Yeah
you know basically. I'm going to open it up real heavy
because I'm with Capital and the president really believes
in my writing. They got J. Holiday over there, Letoya
Luckett, I don't want to name everybody but they have
a lot of artists over there that I know I could write
for.
Do you ever get a chance to get on Myspace or Youtube
and leave any messages for your fans?
Avant-I
definitely do. I'm going to do more of it now. I was in
a period when I wasn't on as much because I didn't have
new stuff for them to hear or things that I wanted them
to know about. But after doing this signing, and I'm also
going to try to get into a couple of movie roles, I'll
have some stuff to talk about. After this whole holiday
season I'll be talking a lot more.
What are some places that you like to go on vacation?
I know you've probably been all over the world?
Avant-The
Bahamas, the Bahamas are beautiful. Jamaica that's beautiful.
I like those little small islands, it's still in the United
States but Hawaii is beautiful too. Anywhere that we can
ride boats and go fast all day and get into a little stuff
me and my homies.
I saw a special a few years ago. I think it was the
song you had out with Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls,
It was a special where you flew one of your fans out and
they got to spend the day with you while you were shooting
a video. Is that something that you would do again?
Avant-Yeah.
It was beautiful just to make her smile. I ended up giving
her $10,000. That was a beautiful time for me. I would
definitely do something like that again. That's the rebirth
the new stuff I want to bring to the game, where you give
the fans a little bit of what they gave you.
Do you ever have a chance to give anything to the fans
in the Ohio area who are inspired by you?
Avant-I
sponsor a toy drive, it's not really a toy drive, but
bikes. I know when I was a youngster I always wanted a
bike. Once I got it I cherished it so much. I left it
in the garage, water ran all on it, it got rusty, but
I still rode my bike. So what I do now is that I go and
get between 200 and 500 bikes and give them to the less
fortunate kids and let them have a good time it's hard
out here, it's really hard now.
You have a long track record in the industry and you
talk about wanting to get into films and stuff but personally
what is your main goal in the entertainment industry?
Avant-Definitely
to have platinum albums and multi-platinum albums. But
also to build my fan base up even more and to have people
respect me as a writer, not only as an artist and have
a couple of records out for other artists. That's my main
goal.
Related Links-http://www.myspace.com/avant
Avant-interview
copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2007
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com
or add her as a friend at MYSPACE.
Avant-interview
may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission.
You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie
Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com December 2007.
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