Having interviewed a few names within the past, it is now time for Sexy Never Left to interview the very talented, LeVar Thomas, who at the age of thirteen joined three of his cousins to form an all singing group. Pursuing a career with them ultimately helped LeVar come to the decision that this is what he wanted to do. They went on to win talent shows and gained recognition locally. After parting ways and having worked for a while, LeVar decided that his ambition was ultimately to become a singer/songwriter and it was then that he quit his job, taking his entire savings to move to Atlanta, where there were more opportunities for a hungry and ambitious artist like himself. It was from then that LeVar moved on to achieve all that has today.
Here is the interview with the man himself.
What can people who haven’t heard of you expect from your music?
The audience can expect an old school feeling with a new school sound. My music is mainly about love and relationships and goes beyond genre. I don’t really write to aim at any particular audience. I think anyone could enjoy listening to my music. Grandparents, all the way to teenagers and kids who just found puppy love. Haha!
How did you get into music?
I’ve been singing nearly my whole life. I am from a family of great singers and I started by singing at the age of 7 in my church choir. Around the age of 13, I joined a group with my cousins and we sang together for about 10 years but didn’t score a deal. We grew up and had to start working on our individual futures. It became harder for us to continue as a group, so we dissolved but we all still sing in some capacity.
What plans do you have for the future with your music?
As I always say, the sky is the limit. Whether I’m signed to a major label or continue on the indie route, I will always continue to make music. I hope to win some industry accolades for my music.
What approach do you take when writing material?
No particular approach. I work with producers whose beats I vibe with. If we’re collaborating on songs to show to major artists, I write something I could hear that artist singing. If the song is for me, I go with the feeling the beat gives me and I roll with it.
Do you have a favourite song that you have recorded? If so, what makes it stand out from the rest?
I’m fond of 'Ain’t So Bad'. It’s like a testimony song for me and the first complete song I wrote for myself. It’s about growing up with not a lot of material things and a dream. Now that I’m older and can get things I want, I long for the days when I only had to worry about school and being a kid.
What song of yours do you feel has had the best response from listeners so far?
Wow, that’s a good question! I get a great response from most of my songs but to date, the song that comes up most is 'Missing You'. A song I wrote about missing my loved ones at home, once I moved away. Fans of my music come by to tell me that they like my newer tunes, but 'Missing You' still holds deep meaning for them.
If you had the opportunity to tour with anyone of your choice, who would you like that to be?
There are lots of great artists out there I would like to tour with. An artist I’m really fond of and I think I could learn from is Erykah Badu. I’ve been to several of her concerts and it’s never the same twice. She has die hard fans who come to hear great music and get an experience they’ve never had before. Her stage presence is out of this world.
What are your thoughts and feelings towards artists of today?
I don’t blame artists at all for doing what they can to get out there. I do however feel that labels and radio could embrace more diversity and show love to a bigger group of artists. Playlists are for iPods and should not be used for radio.
Sexy Never Left believes in bringing real talent forward and giving them a chance to shine. Do you think talent gets a fair deal in music today?
There are some talented artists out there not getting their shine. I think the idea of what talent really is has been lost to finding sound-alikes and blank slate artists that could be molded into whomever the label wants. Again, I don’t blame the artists for trying to get ahead but there is too much copycatting going on, while real artists who can enrich music for the future are put out to pasture. If this continues, I’m afraid radio will go the way of dinosaurs... obsolete.
Did you ever want to do anything else when you were younger?
Not too many things aside from music. I attended college for a while to get into computer technology and once in kindergarten I think I wanted to be a fireman, but music has been what I’ve wanted to do since I was a young teenager.
Are there any artists in the industry today you would love to work with?
Most definitely, yes! I would love to work with some trendsetters like Beyonce; Usher; Anthony Hamilton and Erykah Badu - to name a few. You can see the dedication and time they put into their craft and we need that. Who will the kids look to for inspiration in the future without fresh and original acts like we were inspired by?
What do you believe you bring to music that is different from many other artists?
I think my sound is a throwback to old school balladeers like Luther, Stevie and Donny Hathaway with a new edge. As I said before, there is a lot of trend following and I dare to be unique and be myself.
How do you feel your music is being accepted?
The fans show me crazy love and I think that should be a defining factor of an artist. Not how much you can sound like the last radio hit. Lots of industry people have heard my music. Some say I need more edge, some can’t believe I’m not signed yet. So I’m not really sure. It’s been a mixed bag but at the end of the day, when the fans can say they love my songs, it’s all worth it.
Is there anything you’d like to achieve which you haven’t already?
I would like to be signed to a label that let me be me with a little more polish. I want to win some awards for my writing and be able to make a living from doing what I love to do; singing and songwriting.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say to the people reading this interview?
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read the interview. To my fans, thanks for the constant outpouring of support. For those just hearing about me, I hope they will visit my site and become a fan as well. To those with any dream or goal, be steadfast and work at it daily. To established artists, never forget what you set out to do when you first started.
Sexy Never Left would like to thank LeVar Thomas for taking the time to answer the questions that were put to him, as well as take part in this interview. LeVar is a very talented artist who is going very far within music right now. If you wish to find out more about LeVar and his music, you can do so by clicking here. Also, if you would like to talk to LeVar about his music, you can chat to him through his Twitter. You can also visit his MySpace or his official site for even more information about him.
In the meantime, here are some of LeVar’s songs for you to listen to and if you like what you hear, you can find out more by clicking here.
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