Solange Knowles in Sister’s Footsteps

Solange issued her debut album ‘Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams’. She is best known as the younger sister of Beyonce Knowles.

Solange is a very talented young RnB singer, a model, a mother and who knows what else hides in the body of one person who is known to the world as the younger sister of Beyonce Knowles.

Solange just issued her debut album ‘Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams’ which is completely inspired by the sound of the legendary Motown of the 1960’s. Mostly thanks to the cooperation with the chief architect of Motown sound, Lamont Dozier, as well as producers of world class such as Mark Ronson and Cee Loo.

In an interview for Zagreb’s Plavi Radio, Solange revealed how she combines private life and a successful career and how much her parents and sister help her.

The song which is also your latest single was based on the sound of the 60’s?

- Actually, I’ve grown up listening to 60’s and 70’s music. My mum was in a 60’s girl group named The Veltones, a local band in Galveston, Texas, so I think it was just in my blood. I started writing songs about three years ago that were very reflective of the era and it just evolved into an album. I actually wrote the treatment for the video and I thought it would be cool to travel through time. I worked very closely with the director and making that a reality.

Do you like high heels?

- Oh yes. I run track in them. I really have before, in seventh grade. I forgot my trainers and it was the day that we had to do our physicals, and If I didn’t get one, I was going to get a D. So I just ran in my stilettos and I was fine in them.

On your album you worked with various producers, for example Cee Loo and Mark Ronson. Each of their have their own specific approach to music. How did you combine this?

- Actually, no. Cee Loo just likes to party, he thinks that that is how you get to know the artist. So, he was a lot of fun to work with. Mark was very professional and reserved and all about the music, so both have very extreme, different situations with the product, but they both came out great. I can’t produce, so I actually need them. But I think that, because I write my stories on top of their music, I don’t feel the need to open up, otherwise, it would just be a bunch of guys knowing all my business.

Parenthood and career. Do the two go together?

- Most of the time I bring my son with me, so I’m not away from him, which helps. And the times that I’m not, I chat and I talk to him on the phone. But I have learnt to say no and I learned to have boundaries. I have no problems saying ‘no’ and I need the time with my son making sure it’s equal time distributed. It wasn’t hart for me because I’ve always lived like that since I’ve I had him and at the end of the day it’s going to be him who counts. No many records I sell and how much success I have, I would be a failure if I died not being a successful mum and that’s what I live by.

Is it true that you design toys with you son?

- I actually have already, so I can get points at his preschool. It’s inspired by him and he loves hip-hop music, so I incorporated that into the toy line. That is like a mixture of education and musical toys: a lot of hand-eye coordination for the younger kids. Mostly it’s about pairing the music with the learning, so it’s a real cool idea and I was very happy that it could be executed.

You once said that you would not want to be as successful as your sister because you love going shopping too much?

- I do, but that’s not working for me right now, it’s happening anyway. But once I start seeing that that happens then I’ll just move to Iceland, build an igloo and get away from all the crazy people.

You are not as famous in Great Britain as in America. Do you have more freedom there?

 - No. There’s paparazzi following me trying to get shots of me with my legs open or picking my nose, or something ridiculous. I don’t know what is so entertaining. In L.A. I can avoid the places where I can avoid this, while here in London they are pretty persistent.

How do you relax? 

- I really like to spend time with my son. Any off-time I have, we take trips to Sea World and Disney Land and I love that. We saw “The Lion King” on Broadway and we saw “Little Mermaid”, which I actually saw Victoria Beckham taking her son to see it and I thought: should you really take a boy to see a girl mermaid thing? But It actually was really, really cool and Sebastian sort of saved the day.

Dad in the  - how is that working out for you? 

- I go insane, that’s how I handle it. I have a few curse words for him here and there and we definitely fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, he works his butt off and he makes sure that I’m looked after. So, it comes out to a happy median, but as of now, this week, I can’t stand him. As far as the creative process goes of making the music, he stays out of which, which is the only way I’m accepting of it.

Does you mother make your outfits? 

- She does. She actually makes some beautiful pieces for my second video and for my album sover as well. She doesn’t make me wear anything, she gives me options. She puts stuff on the rack and it will be mixed with other designers, but I gradually gravitate to her designs.