Singer/songwriter, Dawn Richard, graces the most recent cover of Rolling Out magazine. The former Bad Boy artist talks about the transition from being a member of two successful groups to now trying to find her place as a solo artist, and her independently produced forthcoming album, GoldenHeart, due January 15th.
Dawn’s new holiday EP, Whiteout, is available on iTunes now. Listen to the album, and read a few excerpts from her interview with Rolling Out below…
Describe the feeling of basically having the world at your feet while a member of Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money, only to have the circumstances completely different now that you’re a solo artist.
It was a rude awakening. But it’s like I said before … It’s like going to college, and then having everything hand fed to you, only to get out into the real world to apply for a job, only to realize that 30 other people have a lot more experience than you. Even though you have all of these great degrees, you still have to go out and prove yourself. This is the same thing to me. I’m up for the challenge … I’ve always been one to smile in the face of danger, so this is just another obstacle that I have to cross.
But why go solo now? The Last Train to Paris album was phenomenal. It seemed like you guys could do several albums.
Well, Puff was done. He didn’t want to do it anymore, and I couldn’t sit back and wait around to see what was going to happen next. So instead of waiting, I asked could I be released from my contract, and he was gracious enough to let that happen. I gave him six years of my life, and now I’m just excited about this next phase. Like I said before, every moment up until this point was just getting me ready to step out on my own.
You seem so confident that you are going to be successful. Do you ever worry that you have a quality or a personality trait that might hold you back?
Nothing will hold me back from the point of destination. I’m too hungry. I want it too badly and it’s not for the reasons people think. I want it because there’s a message to be told and there’s a story to be told.
With your circle now so small, how do you choose and decide who gets close to you and who doesn’t?
Easy, I can smell fake from 10 miles away. If it looks fake, if it smells fake, it is fake. Plain and simple, I don’t want “yes people” around me; I want smart people around me. With that being said, that’s why there are five people around me. A lot of people want to be with you and tell you “yes” to get where you are and steal the shine.
You have to keep your circle tight, because if you don’t and you let everybody in, you’ll contaminate what’s pure about the whole art. Whatever is innocent, pure, raw and honest will be tainted by something that’s fake and dry and stupid. I don’t want to do that, so if you’re “yessing me” then good-bye; we can be friends from 70 feet away. I need someone who’ll tell me the truth.
Head on over to Rolling Out for the full interview. Post your thoughts!
