Marsha Ambrosius former member of Floetry had a performance at “The Club” in Chicago. The Jordan Rollins Brothers hosted the intimate evening. Marsha was greeted by thunderous applause as she launched into her first single, “Hope She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player),” the crowd took over the singing for the entire opener and embraced Marsha throughout the show as she was very candid when addressing the audience.
I had a chance to conduct an impromptu interview with Marsha before her performance and we talked about her debut album, “Late Nights & Early Mornings.”
Check out the interview excerpts below:
How is this album different from past projects you worked on?
Marsha Ambrosius: It’s really all me, that’s the only difference. I’ve never done a solo project before. I’m getting to speak my mind and focus on the production element and the song writing element. I think there were touches of what was all me on the other records. “Say Yes” was all me as far as production and writing and just my voice and “If I Was A Bird” I initially wrote for myself. So there’s definitely been some parts of all Marsha Ambrosius kind of thrown in every one I’ve done. But I took an opportunity to make a cohesive album that you know has a story like a beginning, middle and end. And I think with albums that’s what makes them albums versus throwing out a bunch of collected songs that you made over a period of time. I wanted to make a piece of work that made sense. So “Late Nights & Early Mornings” became a thru-line for the topping of the album that’s why I was like it sounds like that should be the title of the record, I do have a song on there called “Late Nights & Early Mornings.” But it definitely became the mood of what the album felt like.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Marsha Ambrosius: [Laughs] That’s hard, there’s too many…there really is…it’s so cliché like trying to name your favorite kid like ehh…I love them all. The intro… the way it starts it’s like 1 minute 47 seconds long and it’s amazing. That might be my favorite… I like the interlude, also with the intro I think it’s good because it’s the beginning the starting point and it’s like oh my goodness where does this take me from here. I think it was the perfect introduction to the album.
Do you have a specific message that you want people to get from this album?
Marsha Ambrosius: Umm, I don’t think that albums are made that often anymore. I think too many people concentrate on what the first single is going to be, who’s featured on it, who produced it and who wrote it. As a producer and songwriter I wanted to be one of the very few artist that is respected in this industry and as a part of my artistry I want to give a point of view. And just having that opportunity with J Records, they really respect people with their own voice. So when people hear my album I just want them to take from it that I was singing from my heart.
Congratulations on signing with J Records.
Marsha Ambrosius: Thank you, yes I’m just going to roll with the punches and see what happens next. I never really plan anything but I always have a plan but it doesn’t go as planned. And that’s ok I’m enjoying the journey and just going with it…
