Durand Bernarr Talks Latest Album, Exploring Ways To Be Creative, 2000's R&B (Exclusive Interview)

We recently caught up with Durand Bernarr for an exclusive interview to discuss his latest music, the creative process behind his latest album and what's next in his musical journey. The singer opened up about creating "My Life" with Johnta Austin and Bryan-Michael Cox, working with legendary collaborators like Raphael Saadiq, and Troy Taylor, and stepping outside his comfort zone to explore new sounds. He also discussed the creative process behind "Wild Ride" with James Fauntleroy, his plans to explore rock music, and the influence of 2000s R&B on his artistry. Plus, we put him to the test with a blind ranking of some classic 2000s female R&B hits!



YouKnowIGotSoul: We're so excited to be here with Durand Bernarr! How's the tour going?

Durand Bernarr: This has been the easiest tour I've ever been on in the 21 years that I've been on the road.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Amazing! It's our first time meeting, but obviously, we've followed you on social media for years now, and I have to ask you this question. This is our icebreaker here: Do you know the song "House Party" by Latrelle? And why is it the best song of all time?

Durand Bernarr: Oh my God, yes! I know "House Party" by Latrelle, and it is, oh gosh. I actually have that on vinyl. Not the album, but the single. It's one of those, if you know, you know. That was back in the blog days with Toya's blog. Back when they were putting out whole albums that didn't get officially released but somehow made their way onto the internet. Latrelle's "Good Girl, Dirty Girl, Wrong Girl" was the whole album, but yes, "House Party."

YouKnowIGotSoul: Absolutely! Shout out to Latrelle. I just want to talk about the new album "Bernarr". It's really interesting because I've read that you didn't actually mean for that to be the album. It was one of those things where it won the Grammy, and you wanted to make some more songs for the deluxe version. Take me through that process of making this project because it was very, I would say, more concentrated in R&B than I think I'd ever heard from your previous projects. Just take me through that process. Was that the intention when you started making these songs?

Durand Bernarr: Not necessarily. I kind of wanted to just piggyback off what we were doing already and kind of just expand on the story of "Bloom". So, still talking about friendships, talking about certain relationships platonically. But I guess I needed that one record, which was "My Life," and that was the farthest I've ever been in an R&B bag. So, I'm glad that we were able to crank that out.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Yes, I think it's really cool because I wouldn't necessarily identify you as strictly an R&B artist, but I can tell from your influences. The fact that you even know the Latrelle record lets me know that you're well versed in R&B. Just take me through that as a student of the genre. What was it like going to the studio with those heavy hitters like you did on this album? What was that process like?

Durand Bernarr: It was very easy. Anytime folks come together and everyone respects what it is that everyone does and has an excitement to create, I think that's what makes for a really great moment in synergy. For the record, I wasn't necessarily going for R&B records. I more so wanted to go in a direction of, like, where haven't I gone? What sounds haven't I used? What ways have I not utilized my voice or anything like that? So, it's really more about taking some chances, taking a page out of Miss Frizzle's book: "Take chances, get messy, go on an adventure!"

YouKnowIGotSoul: You're an artist who has done a lot of your music on your own. You've been on this independent route. Once you started getting into the studio with these legends, like Bryan-Michael Cox Cox or Raphael Saadiq, was it hard not to get lost in the moment and just focus on the music?

Durand Bernarr: No, because there was already a conversation going on. There was already laughing and smoking going on, so it was never hard to get into the groove of it. When you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready. When it's already in you, it's nothing that you have to put on. Maybe turn on, but it's already in you. So, when it's in everybody, then we can move freely.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I gotta tell you, when you put "My Life" on the album, I heard that song and, obviously, as a 2000s R&B fan, just from the first three seconds of it, I knew it was gonna be one of those ones. But listening to you, I had to see if you could connect the dots on it, and obviously, you did. Just talk about that record because that's a song that you kind of consider a ballad, but it's one of those ballads that you can play in arenas and have people sing along to. Just talk about creating a song like that.

Durand Bernarr: I have to thank Johnta Austin for penning that one. I've been very open to different directions and just fiddling in areas that I haven't really stepped into. I'm all about making sure that at least I love the record, but I also want the composers and creators of the record to love it as well. So, taking very distinct and detailed instructions on how the song needed to be delivered or how certain notes landed-it was, how did I put it? It was almost a little like boot camp, right? Because, again, I'm used to recording by myself. So, when I have someone else who has a vision for something, I want to try to give them as much of that vision that they have in their mind as possible, and I want to bring it to life.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Right. I had a chance to text Troy Taylor right before this interview. I asked him what that studio session was like because you've obviously experienced Troy Taylor's boot camp. His vocal coaching game is on point, and he's really tough on vocalists. What was that experience like for you? I texted Troy and asked what it was like working with Durand, and he said that he loved the fact that he didn't have to use any autotune.

Durand Bernarr: Yeah, I'm a theater kid, and I'm a live performer who records in the studio. So, I'm always considering how this is going convert, I guess, live. It was very easy working with Troy. Like I said, when you already have chemistry with someone outside of the workspace, it kind of helps to have a good foundation for how you're goning to work together. I even showed Troy some things, and I was shocked that he had not experienced working with artists in the studio that way. I always love when we can bring different things and different ways of approaching things into the space. Folks are like, "Oh, I like that. I think I'll take that along with me." So, I thought that was pretty dope, and we have way more that we need to work on, too.

YouKnowIGotSoul: I've got to talk about the song "Wild Ride" that you did with James Fauntleroy. I gotta tell you, the first time I heard that song, I was like, "What the heck is this?" I didn't understand what was going on. But I feel like that was one of the records where I had to go back and relisten because I was like, there has to be something to this because I don't understand it. Every time I listen to it, I find new gems and different things. I love the bridge. It's crazy! Just talk about that because that must have been a fun record to create.

Durand Bernarr: When I got in the studio with James to record, that was actually the first song that he played. I just love the darkness of it. Because of the chords and how they're constructed, it gave me a place to land vocally that I would have to make or create in other songs, whereas with this one, it's there for me. Specifically, the notes that I'm singing in the hook when I say "slow." I love that.

YouKnowIGotSoul: No, I think that's the beauty of it. I know you've mentioned previously that a rock album is on the horizon. Just talk about that. What can we expect from a rock album from Durand Bernarr?

Durand Bernarr: Well, I've kind of splashed a little bit of that into the music with "GPS," "Generous," "Unspoken," "River," and "Am I Okay?" Just getting people prepared because I've always wanted to do it. I love rock music, and we created it. I'm just kind of getting back to another root system of music because a lot of this stuff inspires me and influences me. I want to take everybody on that journey as well. I'm just as curious about what it's going sound like as everybody else.

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