Alison Stewart: This is All Of It. I'm Alison Stewart, live from the WNYC studios in Soho. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you're here. On today's show, we'll celebrate what would have been James Baldwin's 100th birthday with a conversation about two exhibits that lift up his life and legacy. We'll also speak with WNYC Gothamist reporter Ryan Kailath about why outdoor dining in New York City is going to look very, very different. We'll learn about the electric lady studios, the recording studio created by Jimi Hendrix. That's the plan, so let's get this show started with a listening party. [MUSIC: Dream - Ravyn Lenae]

Alison Stewart: That's Dream from R&B singer Ravyn Lenae, who the Guardian called an astonishing writer of melody. This Friday, she releases her sophomore album titled Bird's Eye. It's a follow up to her critically acclaimed 2002 debut, Hypnos, which featured a mesmerizing blend of Neo soul, R&B, and experimental sounds. You may have heard about it on this program. The new album Bird's Eye features 11 tracks, including collaborations with Donald Glover, also a Childish Gambino, and singer songwriter and producer Ty Dollassyme. Ravyn joins me in studio for a listening party and also to talk a little bit about the Bird's Eye world tour, which kicks off in October. Ravyn, welcome.

Ravyn Linnae: Thank you for having me.

Alison Stewart: You've said on this album, it signifies a returning to a place of self-trust.

Ravyn Linnae: Yes.

Alison Stewart: What have you discovered about yourself and your needs as an artist in the past decade?

Ravyn Linnae: I think with each album, with each year as a woman and as an artist, I learn a little bit about getting closer to who I am, getting closer to my values, and really leaning into those impulsive, intuitive thoughts that I think we lose as we get older, so a lot of it is unlearning.

Alison Stewart: I was going to ask you, in the course of your trajectory, what kind of threw you maybe off trusting your gut.

Ravyn Linnae: I think naturally, the more you're around people and artists, or seeing other people's journeys and paths, it, I think, becomes almost natural to start to question your choices or question your direction, and start to really take other people's opinions as fact. I think sometimes my voice got a little lost in, I don't know, lost in the intention behind my music.

Alison Stewart: What did you want to revisit? What part of your past did you want to dive into, spend time with and bring forward?

Ravyn Linnae: I think I wanted to jump back into 12-year-old Ravyn, 13-year-old Ravyn that used to put on the craziest outfits and didn't have a care in the world about what people thought about me, or thought about my outfits or my choice of expression. Really, feeling fearless and almost invincible through music and through expression.

Alison Stewart: You work with Grammy award winning producer DJ Jahi who's worked with SZA, Madonna, Kendrick Lamar, Vampire Weekend, that's a big group. How did you guys meet, first of all?

Ravyn Linnae: We met in one of my first trips to LA when I was about 18. We met for the first time then, and then reconnected when I moved to when I moved to LA for the first time, which was four years ago now. I think it felt like a full circle moment for us to reconnect and meet each other at this place in music where I feel I had learned so much about myself musically.

peaker 1: It's so amazing. He can do anything hip hop to pop. What did you tell him you wanted as an artist and then how did he assist you?

Ravyn Linnae: I think that he understood where I was and how I felt this sense of reinvigoration about music. I didn't even get too detailed about what I wanted, where I wanted to go sonically, but the main point was that I thought it was important to acknowledge all those parts of my brain that grew up listening to different types of music or different colors in my palette. I didn't want to limit myself to just one note.

Alison Stewart: My guest is Ravyn Lenae. Her new album, Bird's Eye is due out this Friday. Let's listen to a track. Let's listen to Love Me Not and we'll talk about it on the other side. I love this song.

[MUSIC: Ravyn Lenae - Love Me Not]

Alison Stewart: It's got such a great tight drum sound, upfront. It's almost like alt rock in a way. What vibe were you going for?

Ravyn Linnae: We were going for that. I think the first time I heard the production, it put me in the world of Hey Ya! by OutKast, where it had this soulful thing about it, but also this really cool pop sensibility to it that I thought made that song so interesting. I love this one.

Alison Stewart: Some people may not know this about you, but you're classically trained. You studied opera, music theory. What aspects of your education at the Chicago High School for the Arts do you feel has helped you most?

Ravyn Linnae: I think my ear for melody is something that I take a lot of pride in, and I think that's what I learned in school. I think classical melody is so beautiful and oftentimes simple, but very intricate at the same time. I think that's the major thing I took from classical music.

Alison Stewart: Who are some composers that you enjoyed learning about?

Ravyn Linnae: Vivaldi is one of my favorites. I love Rite of Spring

Alison Stewart: Oh, it's a beautiful song.

Ravyn Linnae: Yes.

Alison Stewart: You grew up singing in the church. You grandfather is a former musician from Panama, was the pastor. Where'd you sing? What'd you sing?

Ravyn Linnae: What did I sing in church. We sang a lot of hymns, that was my first stage, and I still get nervous to this day, whenever I go back to Chicago and they ask me to sing. Something about the church just makes me so nervous.

Alison Stewart: What did you learn from the church that you put forth today?

Ravyn Linnae: I think I learned how to just keep going even when you stumble on stage. I remember one of my first time singing a solo, I forgot the words, and something about seeing the people you know and grew up with, kind of cheer you on. Just, "Just keep going, baby." Whenever that happens on stage, I just hear that in my head. "Keep going, baby. Keep going."

Alison Stewart: When was the first time someone just gave you money, gave you professionally, gave you money for singing?

Ravyn Linnae: When I was in high school, there's a program in Chicago called After School Matters, that basically hires kids to study music, to study visual arts, photography during the summer, and to keep them busy and off the streets, or getting into other stuff.

Alison Stewart: For real.

Ravyn Linnae: That was the first time that I found out that music could be profitable or it could be a career.

Alison Stewart: When you think about all R&B musicians who come out of Chicago from Chaka Khan, Shino. Who are some of your favorite artists that you admire from Chicago?

Ravyn Linnae: Definitely love Chaka Khan, Minnie is one of my faves. Who else? I think those are maybe my main two. Obviously when I was in high school, Chance the Rapper was having a huge moment, so even seeing someone from where I'm from, have an explosive moment in that way was very inspiring for me.

Alison Stewart: My guest is Ravyn Lenae. The new album is called Bird's Eye. We're having a listening party. You talk about the song One Wish,  which you say is about a relationship with your father. What thoughts came to your mind as you were writing this song, or trying to figure out what the song would be?

Ravyn Linnae: I knew when I first heard the beat that it felt emotional to me. It took a little time, a few sessions, for me to come to the point of realizing this song had to be about my father and our relationship. The lyrics remember my 10th birthday party and me feeling upset that he couldn't make it. I thought that was such a clear picture and description of the disappointment I might have felt growing up, or some feelings of abandonment that haven't been addressed. Through writing this song and just through getting older and working on this album, I think it just opened up the door for that type of dialogue between me and my father.

Alison Stewart: How do you decide what parts of yourself you're going to put into a song and give to us, and what parts you're not sure about?

Ravyn Linnae: That's always a hard decision. In the past, I think I've been more reluctant to get that vulnerable, but with this album, it just felt like I had to. Like that was just the natural step in me evolving as an artist and as a person, to be able to peel back those layers and just get real, just get honest.

Alison Stewart: This features Childish Gambino, Donald Glover?

Ravyn Linnae: Yes.

Alison Stewart: How did he become involved in the single?

Ravyn Linnae: We had been working on some music around his album. We met through Dahi, actually, who's close friends with him. I remember me and Dahi listening to the song and being like, "Oh, Donald should be on this. Like, he'll be the perfect person." It was so lovely working with him on it because he's an artist that truly cares about the story and wants to get it right.

We had several conversations about my relationship with my father and what perspective Donald can have on the song. Him being a father himself, brought a lot to the song. It's a special one for me.

Alison Stewart: Let's listen to Ravyn Linnae, One Wish.

[MUSIC: Ravyn Linnae - One Wish]

Alison Stewart: That's One Wish from Kay Trinidad You, your voice does some amazing things in that song.

Ravyn Linnae: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Alison Stewart: What made you think, you know what? I'm gonna try something new in this record with my voice, not just with the music, but with me.

Alison Stewart: I don't think it even was a deliberate decision. I think the emotion and the lyrics just brought out that color in my voice. I feel like I sound like I'm begging or pleading.

Alison Stewart: What helps you feel confident and prepared to go into the studio and prepare to give of yourself?

Ravyn Linnae: I think it's just realizing that there's a higher purpose behind each song and behind me doing music in the first place. When I have songs like this, that touch people and connect with people in a deeply emotional way, that's what gives me confidence in my music.

Alison Stewart: You've also been featured on a song called Video. I hope I get his names right. Let me try it. Kaya Tronda?

Ravyn Linnae: Kaytranada. You were close.

Alison Stewart: I tried. Tell us about how the collaboration came about.

Ravyn Linnae: Kay is a friend of mine.

Alison Stewart: Kay, I'll call him Kay.

Ravyn Linnae: Yes, Kay. He's incredible. We actually made this song a few years back around my last album, Hypno. I'm so happy it found a home with him on his new album, Timeless, but he's a superstar. That's like all I could say.

Alison Stewart: What's something you pulled from him? What is something you got from him, you're like, oh, I hadn't thought about that before.

Ravyn Linnae: I think I love his process of making beats. He uses a beat machine. He's not even on the computer that much, he's almost like playing a live show while he's making beats, so it feels very organic and very like it came from his hands and fingers.

Alison Stewart: I love that sound. Let's listen to Ka--

Ravyn Linnae: Kaytranada.

Alison Stewart: Kay, this is Video from Kay.

[MUSIC: Kaytranada - Video]

Alison Stewart: Who else is on your bucket list? Who do you want to work with, Ravyn?

Ravyn Linnae: Ooh, that's a big one. I love Tyler, the creator. Love him. I love Doja Cat.

Alison Stewart: What do you like about Doja Cat?

Ravyn Linnae: I love her ability to transform herself all the time. I think she's a great writer. Just her sensibility with her melody, sensibility is incredible, I just love her. Love Rafael Sadiq. I think that'll be an interesting one.

Alison Stewart: That would be interesting.

Ravyn Linnae: Yes. I mean, there's a long list, but those are some top of mind people.

Alison Stewart: Your first album was so well received, you're about to drop your second record. What would make you happy in terms of, maybe not reviews, but what people would write about it, what people would feel about it? Your second record, because the first is so much of who you were, and you're just prepared for your first record, and the second record is what?

Ravyn Linnae: I want people to understand that I can do anything and understand me as an artist a little bit more, and where I come from. I don't know how these experiences have shaped me is something I wish people take away from it.

Alison Stewart: We're gonna go out on Love is Blind. What is this song about?

Ravyn Linnae: This is about a relationship that didn't work out, but understanding that you got a little bit closer to yourself because it didn't work out. Seeing the light at the end of it.

Alison Stewart: Ravyn Lenae's new album is called Bird's Eye. It'll be out this Friday, August 9. Thank you for coming to the studio.

Ravyn Linnae: Thank you for having me on love.

Alison Stewart: Let's go out on Love is Blind.

[MUSIC: Ravyn Linnae - Love is Blind]

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