Kandace Springs has “a voice that could melt snow,” as Prince once said.
The acclaimed vocalist is set to release her new album Run Your Race in April. It follows 2020’s The Women Who Raised Me, which found Springs performing the music of icons like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Sade, Bonnie Raitt and Ella Fitzgerald. Run Your Race, meanwhile, is full of Springs’ own songs.
Ahead of her performance in Brampton on Thursday, Feb. 15, Springs joined us to talk about her latest work.
Could you tell us a bit about the upcoming album?
My father was my biggest influence. We called him Scat Springs. He didn’t know a stranger. He was the funniest man you’ll ever meet. He was an amazing singer, and he was also a track star back in the day. I lost him in 2021, and I miss him every day. I know he’s up above running his race again. He used to run the hurtles, and he’s got some records that have not been broken to this day. So, I’ve got to brag about him a little bit. He taught me everything I know — singing, sports, and all that. It’s paying tribute to him.
Your last album was a tribute to the women in jazz who inspired you. This one is a tribute that’s closer to home. Was it a different approach that you took to this one?
It was, in a way. Honestly, a lot of these songs that you’re hearing are songs that I’ve written since I was 16. It’s stuff that’s been in the vault till now — I’m in my thirties now. Then there’s “Run Your Race” which is new, and [another] that’s from the last year. It’s a journey of my life, from my teens to the present.
How does it feel to return to those songs that you wrote when you were a teenager?
A lot of it was, Wow, I was really ahead of my time! I remember all the kids my age were bumpin’ the newer stuff on the radio, but I was bumpin’ Ella Fitzgerald. I always had an old soul. So, a lot of it was that type of jazz meets soul, and a little bit of classical and R&B. It’s organic, and that’s what I love. The band really captures it well, so what you hear live is very much what’s on the record.
What are the easiest and hardest parts about songwriting for you?
The easiest part is probably coming up with melodies. I love melody, and I see music in colours. When I play a chord, I see a certain colour pattern. The hardest part is probably coming up with lyrics. It’s more like math. I always struggled with math.
When you’re thinking about things in colour, do you sometimes think about them only in colour and then have to try to bring it back to the music, in reverse?
That’s a good question. In a way, yeah. Certain songs or smells, you’ll associate an image, or something, in your head. That’s how I see it a lot of times. I’ll learn a song that way, and it’s muscle memory. I’ve met other musicians who do the same. It’s a really fascinating thing.
What do you hope people take away from this new album?
I hope it’s something people can relate to, especially the song “Run Your Race.” It’s for anybody who’s lost somebody in their life, or who’s maybe going through something. Hold that person close to you, because they may not be with you the next day.
This interview has been edited and condensed.