Located in ‘Lost & Found’: Amel Larrieux Explains Her Absence and Why She’s Returning to Music

Amel Larrieux is back on the scene. You may remember her hit song 1995’s ‘Tell Me’ with then group member Bryce Wilson of Groove Theory. Since disbanding in 1999, Larrieux has released four albums and then took a break. A long break. After a five year absence, Larrieuax is back with a new music. In a recent interview, Larrieux explained her absence, the creative process and more. Peep some excepts below.

Why It Took So Long To Release New Material: 

 It took five years for a number of reasons. First, I’m raising two amazing teen daughters—which is a job. I’m not one of those people that say I can do everything. Throughout making the album, I’ve had to stop one thing or the other to focus on what needed my attention at that time. Funny enough, it was easier when my kids were younger but now there are different things I have to be available for, questions I have to answer. We’re independent. I don’t have a machine behind me. I have a beautiful, small group of people that I work with. Not having a studio at home created some problems. That can make it take a little longer. Lucky for me there’s the Internet and people who support me.

How Songs Make The Album: 

Often it’s just how I feel. Sometimes there will be something, a lyric or another piece of work we’re doing that’s just dragging along and [my husband] Laru is very good at remembering things we’ve worked on that we should pick back up. The way I work is from my heart. I’m probably way too in touch with my feeling but it informs who I am as an artist, who I am and how I write. How I feel effects the way I’m going to write or the song I want to present.

When She Realized She Could Turn Songwriting Into A Job: 

I’ve been writing songs before I could even speak. I would just make them up. The moment I realized it could turn into a job was when I was working for Karen Durant, a music publisher. I was her assistant. I was actually labeling the cassettes. Bryce Wilson was signed there as a producer. He was trying to get a group together and shopping a deal. He said, “Well…look do you want to try writing one of the tracks?” When he heard it, he said why don’t you just be the singer too. And that was the beginning of it.

How she felt emotionally when Groove Theory came out: 

We signed to Sony when I was 19 and the album didn’t come out until a few years later but it didn’t feel prolonged. I never really thought about the future so I don’t remember being too upset about it. I knew I was broke but I was always able to eat and pay my rent. I kind of just went with the flow. It never dawned on me that anything incredible was happening.

Check out her newest song, ‘Afraid’.

Larrieux is currently on tour, her newest album Ice Cream Everyday will be in stores August 27.

[Essence, Facebook]