In Conversation with Inaya Day..

In Conversation with Inaya Day

June 2009:

A little background:


This is a first for 'Setting Sun' without doubt.

Always with Setting Sun interviews
since they were first done back in 1999,
they have always being done by Andy N, often
alone but sometimes with other people.
This however is a first as I got approached by a
young lady to put this interview
up by a young lady called 'Jo Conchie' to put
up this interview of a singer /
songwriter called Inaya Day.

Must admit off the top off the top of my head
I hadn't heard off her, but a little investigation
revealed the following:

American singer / songwriter Inaya Day
became an overnight success when she teamed
up with Mousse T in 1998 on the track Horny,
and has since had chart success with her 2005
version of Nasty Girl. She’s appeared on
Broadway, written for Randy Crawford and
Bootsy Collins, and has even worked
with Michael Jackson.

This interview in relation ahead of
her release of 'Heaven' a track
she has been working on with
Matthias Heilbronn who was recently
voted in the Top 100 DJs in the world.

Thanks to Jo for the interview.

More details are at the bottom
of the interview.

Cheers

Andy N


Jo Conchie:

Is Inaya Day your real name?
Inaya Day:

Well, Inaya is my middle name.

Jo Conchie:

When was the first time you heard
house music?

Inaya Day:

I was in school and a friend of mine put her
headphones on my head. She said “You gotta hear this
new music! It’s called ‘House Music’. Fierce!” I fell in
love with it right away.

Jo Conchie:

You’ve recorded for Michael Jackson.
What was he like to work with?

Inaya Day:

I was living in Germany when I recorded ‘Ghost’ for
Michael Jackson and he was in California.
Modern technology can really take the wind out o
f your sail when it comes to actually working
“together”. But, even though I didn’t meet him
face to face, he sent me a nice message
saying how much he loved my vocals and
accepted everything that I submitted.

Jo Conchie:

Who else have you worked with?

Inaya Day:

I’ve worked with Ashford and Simpson, MC Lyte,
Stephanie Mills, Queen Latifah, Al Green,
Bootsie Collins, and Tichina Arnold –
to name a few.

Jo Conchie:

Nasty Girl was released in 2005 –
what have you been up to since then?

Inaya Day:

I’ve been making records consistently since
the release of ‘Nasty Girl’ and have been
blessed to have a few more #1 and top
5 billboard and ARIA Hits under my belt.

Jo Conchie:

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve been to
while on tour / recording?

Inaya Day:

I’d say, a small town in China whose name escapes
me, but there were people pulling rickshaws on the
highway, running next to the cars.
During the show, the people all stood and stared
while I sang, then burst into thunderous applause
when each song ended - strange for a night club.

Jo Conchie:

You did a track called Glamorous Life – what’s a
typical day like in your glamorous life?

Inaya Day:

Well, my life may seem glamorous to others
from the outside because of the shows, travelling and
parties, but it takes a lot of work from the interior.
I don’t see my life as glamorous but I’m glad others
do – makes me know I’m doing things right by making
it seem fun and easy.

My typical day consists of doing contracts and
agreements for the artists I manage and myself, writing
songs for myself and other artists, approving flight
schedules, and rehearsing then performing with
the band on Thursdays.

That’s just a typical day. Goodness knows, it
can get even more tedious than that.

Jo Conchie:

What’s the most extravagant thing that
you’ve bought?

Inaya Day:

A custom made necklace with blue and yellow
diamonds what ran me thousands of dollars.
Something I didn’t need but merely “wanted”.
I’m not really materialistic – I prefer to travel.
Jo Conchie:

You’ve had 2 recent hits ‘U’ and ‘Natural High’
– what are they about?

Inaya Day:

Natural High is a song of encouragement. The
first verse sings you out of depression and the
second verse advocates sobriety and being drug-free.

U is a song I wrote to God and acknowledges that
he is my provider, friend and life.
Jo Conchie:

What are your thoughts on people
downloading music from the internet?

Inaya Day:

I think it sucks! Recording artists have to
make a living too. If music is pirated, we don’t eat.

Jo Conchie:

Who do you look up to musically?

Inaya Day:

Ella Fitzgerald, Karen Clark-Sheard,
and Jocelyn Brown.

Jo Conchie:

How did you get involved with
Matthias Heilbronn?

Inaya Day:

Matty and I met while recording for the
same label in Germany more than 10 years
ago, and have been stuck together ever since.

Jo Conchie:

Where did the inspiration for Heaven
come from?

Inaya Day:

I wrote Heaven in dedication to someone
I really care for and used “Heaven” to describe
the euphoric feeling.
Jo Conchie:

What is next for you?

Inaya Day:

Next for me? Lots.
My new single “Reap” was just release
two days ago on Deep Sugar Music, I have
one more song to record for my album with
Mike Cruz, I’m working on an Australian-based
album with Antoine Dessante (producer of U),
and I’m 4 songs into my soulful / deep
house project with a well-known producer
whom shall remain nameless .

Busy, busy, busy.

**

Heaven by Matthias Heilbronn
featuring Inaya Day is released on 7th June,
with a pre-release available at www.traxsource.com
from 24th May. Go to www.seamlessrecordings.com
for more information.