INEZ wants people to feel hopeful after hearing her music.
“I’m passionate, man. I’m passionate about my music. I’m passionate about love and I want people to walk away from anything that I sing or I do with a little bit more hope than they walked in the room with because I think that’s what we need more than anything right now and music is kind of that thing that I know helps me get there,” INEZ said. “So, anything INEZ, ever, whether it’s a conversation, whether it’s seeing me perform or sing or write or whatever – I want them to have a little bit more love and a little bit more hope than they did the second before they experienced me.”
The singer, songwriter and producer from Pittsburgh is inspiring to be around. But she also takes inspiration from the people around her, especially women.
“They are my greatest inspiration, my biggest muse,” INEZ said. “We go through a lot, man! The album would not be had it not been for women. I can say that for sure.”
That album is “Voicemails and Conversations.” It’s a master class in soulful R&B inspired by, well, voicemails and conversations that do show up on the record. It also pulls from other areas of soul and world music without ever feeling overwhelming.
“I know that, as a songwriter, I can be really hard on myself,” INEZ said. “As a producer, I’m kind of just going on vibes and energy. But when it comes to writing the record, I’m like, ‘It has to be this way. It can’t be cliched. It can’t be corny. It has to be real!’ So, I think I really harp on that. Quincy Jones said something really profound years ago. He said, ‘You gotta give enough space for God to walk in.’ I’m not a perfectionist, I’m particular.”
You might argue that she is a perfectionist after hearing INEZ’s music, but that’s probably because she’s just so good.
Check out INEZ’s “Clouds,” featuring Clara Kent, from “Voicemails and Conversations”:
