Interview: Yola

Yola’s Asheville debut was shaping up to be quite the night.

The mid-May 2020 evening at The Grey Eagle was to begin with up-and-coming folk/soul singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah, followed by the British soul artist sharing songs from her acclaimed solo debut Walk Through Fire, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and, like practically all other indoor performances, the concert was canceled — which may have been a blessing in disguise. In the interim, Yola was nominated for four Grammys (including Best New Artist) and recorded her stellar sophomore album, Stand For Myself, which finds her more fully realizing her musical vision while strengthening her bond with Auerbach.

Prior to bringing her rescheduled, revamped tour to The Orange Peel on Tuesday, March 15, Yola corresponded via email with Asheville Stages about becoming more involved in the studio, her melodic heroes, and portraying a musical icon onscreen.

Edwin Arnaudin: What have you heard about Asheville and its music scene from others?

Yola: Sorry to break it to you but word didn’t travel to England about Asheville. The different continents thing can really be a party pooper! 

EA: In what ways did the COVID-19 pandemic sharpen your musical skills that might not have occurred had a global health crisis passed us by?

Yola: I got to practice solo guitar for my role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie where I play rock ’n roll inventor Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I would’ve had to have a hand double if I didn’t have all that time. 

EA: Your albums feature so many lovely melodies. Who do you consider your top musical role models in this aspect of songwriting? 

Yola: The more I explore this record and the creative journey of reimagining it, the more I realize that I was uplifted by black women like Minnie Riperton, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Mary J. Blige.

EA: What makes you and Dan Auerbach good collaborators?

Yola: Dan is a great producer and a maximalist in his approach — that’s something we have in common. 

EA: What were some of the biggest differences between the Walk Through Fire and Stand For Myself recording sessions and what impacts do you feel those changes had on this latest collection of your songs?

Yola: The biggest difference is that I was involved. I was kind of a passenger on Walk Through Fire. I’m always in the writing room, but the dynamic of who’s bringing in a starter idea or who is steering is very important.

I was new to the U.S. and I didn’t know enough people to help me make an album, so I heavily depended on Dan’s contacts to make that record. The dynamics and the way the industry works is different, too, and I felt like I was traversing a cultural barrier for a while as a Brit. With Stand For Myself, I knew the environment I was in a lot better by then and that allowed me to bring people into the writing room that I knew would help me finish ideas I’d been holding onto. 

A third of the songs were written before WTFire. I knew what resources I had at my fingertips and I ran point on everything. That’s why the two records sound and feel different — they’re even mastered and mixed differently (for all those nerds out there). The two experiences were polar opposites. On one, I’m not in a position to show my full capability. On two, I have my first foray into self-actualization. 

EA: You were originally going to play Asheville’s The Grey Eagle in May 2020 until the pandemic shut down music venues around the world. How does the show you envisioned for that date compare with what you have in mind for March 15 at The Orange Peel?

Yola: I must admit, I was rushed off my feet. I know that time has gifted me this blessing of mental space to conceive of a show. It gave me time to build a band to explore the journey this record is taking me on as it grows. Obviously, the big difference is that I’m playing songs from a new record, one that I was able to steer a lot more direction- and production-wise. I think the process of being all over every aspect of this record has changed me. You’re gonna meet a whole new bitch at The Orange Peel. 

EA: What was involved in your preparation to play Sister Rosetta Tharpe?

Yola: I had to learn to shred like one of the greatest guitar players of all time. No pressure! I had to hold myself with the kind of authority that spoke, “I’m creating rock ’n roll before your very eyes.” I then had to do these solos (my first solos ever), counter to the rhythm I was singing, while keeping a line of sight to Baz, emoting Sister Rosetta, hitting my marks, and interacting with the other characters in my scene all for the first time. It’s like patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time on a unicycle. 

EA: What are some of your favorite memories from the film's production?

Yola: Nothing I can tell you. :) 

EA: Do you hope to start acting on a regular basis or only as particular opportunities arise? And do you have additional opportunities lined up?

Yola: It has taken a long time to get to a point where I’m able to write my own future in music. It’s taken a long time to find people who aren’t waiting for the bit of the story where I throw to the nearest white guy for the real talk. I’m going to follow my bliss wherever it leads me now I’m here. 

EA: What are your goals for the rest of 2022?

Yola: I have Grammy week coming up. You know I’m on tour spring and fall. You know I’m doing festivals and the Elvis movie drops in June, so watch this space there! And a lot more to come! Suffice to say, I’m already booked up the wazoo and whatever time is left will be on a beach somewhere, cause I will have earned it. 

IF YOU GO

Who: Yola with Jac Ross
When: Tuesday, March 15, 8 p.m.
Where: The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., theorangepeel.net
Tickets: $27.50 advance/$32.50 day of show

(Photo by Joseph Ross Smith)