Interview with R&B singer Eric Benet. Eric's latest album "Love & Life" is in stores now.

Hi Eric. How are you doing today? The first thing I want to tell you is how much I enjoy your new album?
Eric Benet-I'm doing great. Thank you.

What made you go back home to Milwaukee to record this latest album?
Eric Benet-Well for me I wanted to make a record that was almost like an old school R&B album. It's like an homage to R&B. It's almost like just going back to the roots of R&B. It just felt really natural to me. I felt like if I was going to go back to the roots of R&B I needed to go back to the roots of me. So I just went back to my hometown.

How long did it take you to record the album?
Eric Benet-It was a lot of start and stop but I would say all together I would say about five months.
If you count up all of the time it took to actually make it.

The album before this was the album "Hurricane" right?
Eric Benet-Yes.

Do you feel like this album is being better received. I liked that album too.
Eric Benet-Well thank you. I think that if there is a core Eric Benet fan , kind of music consumer person, then their going to enjoy this record immensely. For me the "Hurricane" record, I've always been the kind of songwriter where I write where I'm at in my life. The "Hurricane" record had a very apologetic, I'm sorry, I've grown a lot, I've learned a lot kind of feel to it, because that's where I was. It was also stylistically kind of a departure from my previous CD's. It was a bit more poppy a bit more acoustic, almost folky kind of vibe in some ways.

With this record "Love & Life" I'm at this very happy grounded present positive place in my life where I'm really enjoying dancing, having fun, making love and I also have got with who I call my musical brother and my cousin and when people think of an Eric Benet song they will think of songs that I did with my partner J Posey or my cousin George Nash. So I got back with those guys and pretty much did the whole record except for one record I did with Keith Crouch. So yeah I think people are going to feel this record.

In my mind it seems like you are pretty much ten years into your career. Does it seem like you've been at it that long?
Eric Benet-It feels like I've been doing it awhile. But it also feels like I'm just getting my stride really. I feel like I'm the best at my game that I've ever been. As far as just being able to interpret what my heart is saying when it comes to writing a song or bang out knowing that I'm going into a writing session and that I'm going to bang out some songs. It's easier, it feels like the flow is stronger and yeah I might be 41 years old but in many ways I feel like I'm a teenager when it comes to writing songs and health and just having that youthful energy in my life.

Eric Benet interview audio clip 1

It sounds like you're at a really good point in your life. Do you get inspired to write music and make music in between working on an album?
Eric Benet-Yeah I mean I'm the kind of person there's always music flowing through my mind. Often what I'll do is even if I don't record the song there might be a song floating around in my head and I'll just remember it. When it comes time to come into the studio and actually record its going through my own mental filing system and pull that one out.

I know its been a couple of years in between albums. Did you get the chance to travel and relax?
Eric Benet-I did. I got a chance to travel a bit. India and I we made a few stops. We went to Italy and I had a great time there. We went to Bali. I still had to make a few live performances, do the gigs to pay the bills. But again there was a lot of time to just breath.

Are you well received as an artist overseas?
Eric Benet-Yes. I think it depends on the country.

What are some of your popular countries?
Eric Benet-Probably Japan, South Africa, France, they would probably be in the top three. Indonesia actually is a good country for me.

I just saw the Sister 2 Sister magazine and your daughter India is in there. I saw that she is trying to launch her music career. Is that something that you are actively helping her with?
Eric Benet-Well yeah. I'm encouraging her to pursue her dream with an emphasis on education. She's an honor roll student. She's very bright and a wonderful student as well. She's pretty brilliant musically as well. She's writing and arranging her own songs now. I'm going to encourage her to pursue her dream but she has to get a degree under her first.

You're pretty well known for being a celebrity father. Do you really cherish the fact that you are one of the most well known African-American celebrity fathers?
Eric Benet-I'm proud of the fact that I'm a father. Probably more so than any other accomplishment that I've achieved. I feel like its one of the things that I'm good at. I feel like, and India can co-sign on this, I'm pretty good at being daddy. Its brought me so much joy and so much purpose into my life. I want to do it again actually before its all over.

I mentioned the Sister 2 Sister magazine. We're you hesitant to do a cover with a new relationship being featured after coming out of such a high profile relationship a couple of years ago with Halle Berry? (Eric is featured on the cover with Manuela Testolini who is the ex-wife of music singer Prince)
Eric Benet-Well as things go I never knew it was going to be a cover about my relationship to be quite honestly. I wasn't really all that happy about that. That's kind of how it goes. You know so that is what it is.

Eric Benet interview audio clip 2

I know you have a lot of upcoming tour dates I saw on your official website. Are you looking forward to the fall performances?
Eric Benet-Absolutely, I'm going to get a chance to do some shows on the West Coast and in LA. I'm having a great time right now we're out on the road right now on the East Coast/Midwest kind of leg and some southern stops as well. I'm in Chicago right now. Most of my band is actually from Milwaukee. This is the tightest unit that I've ever been with. I'm having so much fun and I can't wait to bring it to the West Coast. By the time we get to the West Coast we are just going to be so gelled and tight and solid. That's a great time.

Are any of your brothers and sisters performing with you anymore?
Eric Benet-My sister actually performed with me. We went back to my hometown when we shot the video for the single "You Are The Only One." I did a block party where my band performed on the street where I grew up and my sister actually performed with me and the band. As far as on the road, no. My siblings are doing there own thing.

I know you have the huge Myspace and it's so crazy with the fans do you ever get the chance to get on there and write anybody back?
Eric Benet-Absolutely, as much as I can. I don't get a chance to write everybody back. But whenever I can and people can also go to Ericbenet.net. As often as I can I'm doing little video logs of being on the road and doing the blogging and just trying to stay in touch with the fans as much as I possibly can.

What are your overall goals with this album?
Eric Benet-I did it. I mean I made it. That was my biggest goal. This was the first time in my career where I made a record and had complete creative control. The record label just gave me the check necessary how much it would cost to make the record. No A&R, no record label representative knocking on the door seeing what was happening. I've been trying to make a record like this since I've been signed to Warner and this was the first time that I've been able to do it with such autonomy. To have it to be received so strongly it makes it all that much better.

Related Links-http://www.ericbenet.net

Eric Benet Love & Life CD Review

Eric Benet-interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2008

Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com or add her as a friend at MYSPACE.
Eric Benet -interview may not be reprinted, copied or distribute without permission. You may link to this interview.Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com October 2008.