'Out of the box and straight from the heart!'

What is perhaps one of the freshest new acts in the music industry, YuLanda is a soulful songstress that doesn’t let labels define her. Beginning singing with her church choir at the young age of three, she eventually traveled the world as a member of the group The Sounds of Blackness.

Working on a solo career, she sat down to talk with Exclusive Magazine about the new, the old, and her philosophies on performing.

What made you want to be a singer? "I’ve always been inspired by music, I love music. So I thought coming into the music world was a natural fit. I would sing in the choir as a kid, and I just loved the sound. And not to mention it’s a natural talent for me."

Can you recall your first public performance? "Years ago," she laughs, "I would perform with my sisters. And there were several events that we did, college performances and NAACP events, and we won awards, but those events are different than what we’re doing now because I had my sisters to sing with. But now, singing by myself and being in a more professional area as far as music is concerned, I’m getting more butterflies because now I don’t have the back-up. But it’s really exciting."

So, is singing a family affair for you, then? "No, it’s not just a family thing. Now we’re on a whole different level, but when I was younger, with my sisters, yeah, it was more like a family thing."

Who are some of your influences? "Well," she laughs, "I love Patti [LaBelle], I love Aretha Franklin, I love Beyonce, I love Luther Vandross, and there’s a host of people that I really like."

Tell us a little about your experience The Sounds of Blackness "It was really exciting because I got to delve into new adventures. I got to travel worldwide and do events, so being on a national and international level was really a dream come true for me."

How would you define your sound? "If I was to classify my art, it would be more like I’m a soul singer. What I do is I sing from my heart. So whatever piece I’m going to sing, whether it’s a hip-hop, R&B, Rock, Soul, a Gospel piece, it comes straight from the heart."

That’s so refreshing! A lot of times, it seems, a lot of artists neglect that part of themselves, and it all comes out sounding rather corporate "Yeah, YuLanda isn’t corporate! I’m not one of those singers who go along with the guidelines, so to speak. I am completely out-of-box."

Let’s talk a little bit about your current projects…what’re you working on right now? "Right now I’m in the studio, adding new pieces everyday, and I’m hoping that we can get it all together and do a release for the CD sometime in 2011."

Any names for the CD, or are you not that far along yet? "I’m still thinking on that. I have a lot of names I’ve looked at, but I haven’t quite made a decision yet."

Are there plans for a tour in the works yet? "I’m not sure about that either. Everything’s still in progress, so I’m just taking it one day at a time."

I had the chance to take a listen to “Thang Called Love” on iTunes…what was the inspiration for this record? "Honestly, I really had nothing that really inspired me to do “Thing For Love.” It was a song that never should never had come out. It was released without my permission, so honestly, I have no connection with “Thang Called Love.” You know how it is, you do pieces for whatever reason, and sometimes, without your permission, people get gullible and release records or interviews without your knowledge, and that’s just something that occurred."

Finally, is there anything you would like the public to know about YuLanda? "I just want them to know that I’m here and I’m coming out strong!"