Teisha Marie is one of our absolute favorite artists at Liberated Muse. She first appeared in our 2009 book tour show at the Artomatic before headlining as a featured act at our 2nd Annual
Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest later that year.
Her voice is pure beauty and we were thankful to have her as one of our original cast members to debut our first Liberated Muse Production of the play
"Running: AMOK" in the 2010 Capital Fringe Fest.
That's right. She acts. She sings. She writes. She's a multi-instrumentalist. The list seems to go on and on. Before even reaching 30, Teisha Marie has garnered a strong following with her debut LP Addicted to Life and has shared the stage with a whole host of phenomenal neo-soul acts, including the likes of Carmen Rodgers, Deborah Bond, Angela Johnson, and more.
This year, Teisha (pronounced Tea-e-sha) promises to drop new music and tells us what she has in store for us sound-wise. Here's a taste of the interview with her that will be published in its entirety on
SoulTrain.com later this month.
LiberatedMuse: Teisha, how would you describe your music to those who are reading about you for the first time?
Teisha Marie: I would say it’s like tasting candy for the first time. You know, you eat a piece of candy, you may or may not like it but there is some part of it you like, whether you like the whole part or not. It’s an experience that you just have to sit down and listen to. A lot of people have said it’s a good album to listen to when cleaning the house (laughs)
LiberatedMuse: Tell us more about your new project you're working on.
Teisha Marie: This album is for the person who likes to put their iPod on shuffle. It’s not necessary a different genre of music, but my delivery will be different. The album is called The Girl From Nowhere, based on my experience as an Air Force brat. People always ask “where are you from” and “what do you do” and I never felt like I was from anywhere. I guess I identify with the South the most. It’s from feeling like the outsider a lot of time—alienation and the strength you find in being different and how in your difference you aren’t alone. It’s for people who like quirky and different styles. The topics are different on this one, but my fans will like it.
LiberatedMuse: Sounds out-of-the-box. As an indie artist, who have been some of your idols and role models in the industry?
Teisha Marie: (laughs) Hmmm. People who have been doing this for a long time—people like Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker—people who just made their music and didn’t have to explain themselves. People who did it because they need to release emotions. I really like what Janelle Monae is doing. I got nervous when she signed with Bad Boy but she’s really retained her sense of self. Of course, Eric Roberson—he’s like the champion of indie artists. He shows it’s possible to be indie and maintain your independence and be successful and not sell out who you are.
LiberatedMuse: You are a gifted songwriter who captures life's dialogue in prose through song. What inspires you to write? Will this new album reflect something new?
Teisha Marie: I could be walking in the grocery store and hear a mom talking to her daughter and that could inspire a song. Sometimes it just comes from TV, sometimes its just life. I wrote a song on Addicted to Life called “Inner Truth” about a guy battling with his sexuality and another verse about a girl not feeling love that was from my own life so it come s from wherever I am in the moment. “King of Negativity” has come out of being angry and another song coming up on the new album called “Walk Your Own Road” about an ex- boyfriend who would just call around the same time each month until I had to just tell him to step-off (laughs).
LiberatedMuse: What are your thoughts about how music can impact the world today?
Teisha Marie: I think that music is a great unifier. For the people who are protesting all around the world, I know that there is some song that is propelling them forward. There is so much negative music out that I think that a little more positive music put in the world can change the world for the better.
LiberatedMuse: What message do you want to send to your fans who may want to follow in your footsteps?
Teisha Marie: I would say “Do Not Give Up”. That’s number one. Number two would be “Stay Open”. Opportunities can come from anywhere. For the two years I’ve been doing this, I’ve been meeting some interesting people from all over the world. I’m appreciative of that. I can not stress this enough—“Do not give up”.
LiberatedMuse: Is there anything you would like the readers to know about you?
Teisha Marie: I’m a very genuine person who sometimes wears my heart on my sleeve and I’m very passionate about things. So, if you follow me on twitter and I’m throwing out random thoughts and stuff, be sure to answer back.
-Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
