Hey Plum’s. On Tuesday [March 5th] I got a chance to see the vocally talented singer/songwriter Marsha Ambrosius [aka the ” Singing hummingbird”] at the infamous SOB’s Nightclub in New York City, and boy did she DELIVER. The UK born artist [needs no introduction]. From her music debut in 2000 as one half of the hit group “Floetry” Marsha’s music success CLIMBED unexpected MOUNTAINS and continued up through her solo career [in 2009] with the release of her first solo LP “Late Nights, Early Mornings” album. Marsha clearly has MADE her mark in the music industry.
The Grammy Award winner has worked with and co-written for Justin Timberlake “Cry Me A River” ] and Michael Jackson “Butterflies“. Coming back to the place [SOB’s ] where she first grew Popular ATTENTION in the states, Marsha took command of the stage and captivated audiences YET again. Delivering her string of hit songs including “Butterflies“, “Yes“, “Getting Late“, “Hope She Cheat On You [With A Basketball Player]” “Late Nights, Early Mornings” “Far Away” a few cover songs of Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love” and “Sweet Thang“] and a few of her new songs [ “Shoes” “Stay“, and “Friends & Lovers“] from her new album dropping later this year entitled “Friends and Lovers“.
Sidebar: And yes Marsha SANG every song announced in the above paragraph [and more] while hitting each and every high note.
ThatPLUM caught up with the songstress backstage [following her performance] for an exclusive chat about her current success, singing for the President, her new album, and more. Please excuse the surrounding chatter, and gum popping in the background from onlookers. Backstage can be HECTIC at times. Peep the excerpts and our full interview below.
On Her Thirteen Year Music Run and Success Thus Far:
“Being on stage, doing a show – its a trip down memory lane. Whether its the song ‘Getting Late’, ‘Say Yes’, ‘Butterflies’ or songs that I’ve written, I have to re-live the moments of Marsha. So I stand here today with later nights and early mornings and now and moving on to Friends & Lovers – It’s Re-Juvenating! I get to re-invent and re-address the core crowd that have been with me from the beginning so I don’t feel ALONE in the journey. I feel like everyone has been riding with me the whole time.”
On Artists She’s Work With And Who She’d Like To Work With:
“I’m glad to be working right now. It’s the music that brings people together and I have the fortunate opportunity to work with the likes of Busta Rhymes, Common, Nas, Outkas, and a slew of other hip hop artists that have been FANS first. I remember when we did the Floetry tour alongside “Gangstarr“, “Talib Kweli“, “Common“…. I’ve opened shows around the tine that Kanye West was riding on Talib Kweli bus and they were doing “Just To Get By‘ together. I’ve been rocking on stage since I opened up for Kanye when he had the song “Jesus Walks” and its John Legend playing on the keys for him [Kanye] and it turns out that John Legend is now John Legend and I have opened for him as well.”
“So I’ve kinda been in the same circles that I’v e been in since getting to the United States so I just keep going and run into people that I never expected to work with – I didn’t expect to work with Justin Timberlake and I did; and we won a Grammy. I didn’t know that was going to happen. I’m like “Cry Me River” – that’s a nice song -I’ll sing on that. I did it and then we won a GRAMMY. So I don’t know who I am going to work and I can’t tell you who I want to work with because that will SPOIL the fun.”
On Her New Album “Friends & Lovers“:
“They’re different songs on the new album “. With “Late Nights, Early Mornings“, I think throughout the show [tonight] I definitely gave our FANS the commentary of how these songs came about. Evening re-addressing the songs Getting Late, Your Hands, Say Yes…. it took all of those moments for me to create the relationships that made “Friends And Lovers“. You know – I was introduced a couple of friends that I met on the late night, or early morning and some lovers as well.”
On Her Upcoming Tour:
“There is a release date, but I never give out the date because people always goes it’s pushed back. Push back means that all the producers, and lawyers are paid, tracks are cleared etc. The album is completed and I’m glad to get that portion out the day.”
New Single “Cold War”:
“I heard the track “Cold War” from a Latin writer… and I listen to and I listen to it. I was in a vulnerable place in my life and I really related to the heartache of that song. I’ve met so many incredible writers and artists and its very rare that I collaborate. I have a set of writers that I always go to like I did with “Far Away” and few songs on the new album. So with “Cold War” -I sat down and I fined tuned it and put my two cents in it; adding things that I would really say and the collaborative effort is the end result and I can definitely relate to the Cold War in a relationship.”
On Performing For First Black Presidential Family back in 2011:
“It was UNREAL…. The Grammy nominations were to appear live on television. And come 11 pm that night we were waiting to find out whether or not I was nominated for a Grammy. So I’m sitting there at the W Hotel in DC overlooking the White House grounds.. thinking I’m singing for the First Family the next day. So, I was like its cool, its doesn’t matter if I get Grammy nomination this time cause I know it will be nice but I’m singing for the President tomorrow-so its a Win Win.
So I find out that I’m not nominated for one but two Grammy’s and then I get a call from the president saying that we would be meeting in the morning so we take the family out together [which I uploaded instagram] and it was one of those moments where I’m singing and I’m looking at the the First Family and the POWER in that. It’s something that you can’t really put into words. The experience itself is that -it’s bigger than you because you realize that every moment that is marked in history and what it took for that to be that moment. Being able to have a VISA and come to United States and work and then to be Acknowledge by the President and the First Lady, Michelle Obama means ALOT. ”
Bonus: Here’s Marsha Ambrosius new single and video “Cold War”
Masha Performs “Your Hands” Live at SOB’s