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All Of It with Alison Stewart
Durand Bernarr in Full Bloom (A Listening Party)
00:24:00
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Durand Bernarr's third album, Bloom is "a love letter to relationships of all types."
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- [00:00]
A
All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates for multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Now it's time for a listening party.
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B
The ones that stained my family tree Willing to bend my life there's a new road Even through all the hurt I've seen Even through all the dirt I'm clean the past it ain't got a hold on me no more I'm gonna be generous with my love Generous generous Pour it out like a love generous Cause there's been snakes that I just can't Cherus Venomous, venomous But I ain't gon stay down I'm gonna be.
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A
Generous with my love that was generous from singer songwriter Duran Bernard's latest album, Bloom. Some of you might remember him for his NPR Tiny Desk performance, which has been viewed 2.4 million times. Since earning a Grammy nod for best progressive R and B album for his album En Route, Duran has released a new album titled Bloom. Bloom continues to reflect his ability to deliver smooth runs and playful vocal inflections. The music also underlines the of preserving relationships with our loved ones. A Billboard piece called a recent performance of the album a kaleidoscope look at the sanctity of friendship, told through a fearless amalgam of genres ranging from rock and funk to gospel and dance. Bloom is out now. Duran Bernard is here with me in studio for an all of it listening party. It is nice to meet you.
- [02:23]
B
Thank you so much for having me.
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A
This record is often described as a love letter to relationships, to relationships that have shaped you. When did you realize that this album was going to be an ode to friendship and relationships?
- [02:37]
B
Well, I wanted to de center romantic love when my publicist suggested that it's time to do the love album. And so I'm like, okay, what's my perspective of that? And so I wanted to talk about the people in our lives that make us love who we are when they're around. And those are my friends that have turned into family. And we call each other in, we don't call each other out. There's a certain care that we handle each other with, and I wanted to bring that to life. And so I was able to get locked into the studio with different producers, different writers, because I usually write by myself, for the most part. So having other people flesh out these concepts and these stories and just create these beautiful moments was. Was nothing short of spectacular for me.
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A
That's interesting. You. Since you usually write by yourself, having to work with collaborators, what did you learn about yourself.
- [03:43]
B
That I. Well, so I let them know each time there was someone new that came to the studio every day, I let them know, hey, guys, I'm in my Rihanna bag right now. Like, I'm here to be a vessel, you know, let me know what it is. You know, I'm a mannequin, you know, so y' all are the word, you know, the stylist. So try it on me. I don't. And my. Me liking the song is ornamental, not fundamental, because I understand that, you know, for some artists, especially back in the day, they did not like their. Their hit records, you know, But I don't have. Y' all have the plaques. I don't. So I'm. I'm open to just figuring out what we can do with this instrument.
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A
Yeah. So it's interesting that you talked about your relationship to friendships and to. And why you're in friendships. When I say chosen family, what does that mean to you?
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B
Chosen family is that's different between your relatives, you know, relatives you share blood with. And that's a lot, you know, out of our control. But people that you consider family are the people that were there when that they embraced you, not accept, you know, because, you know, acceptance requires permission, and we don't need permission to be ourselves, but people to embrace us, to motivate us and inspire us to be better, you know, to show up in ways and to have, you know, just. Yeah, it's a really beautiful thing to experience. I'm really grateful to have encountered these kind of bonds, you know.
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A
The album is called Bloom. What inspired you around the metaphor of gardening and flowers?
- [05:27]
B
Well, it's from the second song on the album, Flounce, featuring God. And I want to talk about my. The people in my life. I look at them as this very vast, lush garden that I have the privilege and the honor of having access to, you know, and there's different flora and fauna in there and different trees and, you know, even a vegetable garden, you know, and I'm. And I'm just flouncing through, watering people, you know, being very gracious of the, you know, the oxygen, you know, that you're providing for me. And, you know, and I'm not trying to pluck you out of, you know, your space where you're able to be your best self. I'm going to meet you where you are and speak life into you. And I would hope that my words and affirmations would inspire you to grow. You know, that kind of thing. That's how we get down in this house.
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A
Let's listen to Flounce.
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B
You know, I just want to grow with you. I want to go higher and higher and higher. The leave some towers and daisies. I'll nourish you daily. Need plenty of room to grow. You think it's easy to sprout from a seedling? What a beautiful feeling. Oh, to reap all the seeds we've sown. Primrose and cosmos we build a bouquet. Flourish and fragrance even in the shade from each each other and grow from a shoes. But I won't pluck you and mess up your roots.
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A
I like hearing it in real life. Well, I guess. Oh, keep going.
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B
Listen, this is the theme song.
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A
We're talking to Duran Bernard. His latest album is called Bloom. We're gonna listen to another track called Impact. And it's interesting, when you first listen to the song, you hear a group of people, including yourself, sort of dissecting intent versus impact. What those two words mean?
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B
Yeah.
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A
What is the difference between intent versus impact?
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B
So I first was talking about how clumsy I am, and, you know, I bump into things. I knock stuff over. I hit myself. However, it's really about the intention behind the impact, you know, and it was. It really genuinely came from when I was in the studio with, you know, a lot of us, and we're kind of crammed in there, and as we're moving past, you know, I might, you know, just bump you a little bit with my arm. And every time I was like, oh, my bad. Or, you know what I'm saying, it's like, we're in this crap. I know what you meant. You know, it's not, you know, so we don't have to apologize all the time and just understanding where our hearts are, you know, that's. So that's what Impact was about.
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A
It was one of the first singles that was released off this album. What tone did you want to send about this album?
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B
You know, I wanted to go with no Business as the first as the Bus single, I guess. But we kind of came to another conclusion of let's Go with something that's a little less familiar, interesting, kind of, you know, it starts one way and then it, boom, goes somewhere else, you know, with Impact, you know, so I trust, you know, my team, so, you know, if they can you know, give me the facts or the reasoning behind the decision and it, and it, you know, it checks out. Hey, I'm not gonna argue with you.
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A
Let's listen to impact as I know, right?
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B
You know, we don't wanna, we don't wanna make the wrong impact. Okay. Because it's really about the intention. Okay. Okay. Cause it's poetry. Okay. Things like that. All right. Now. But we not gonna do. Okay. What is that? You're not gonna push to shut. Yeah, you can yank. Okay. If it's out of. If it's out of arms. Nudge. Okay. Do a nudge. I take a nudge. A nudge is more so like, you know, I'm there. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. You might not want to do that. We need to put nudge in there too. You moving so close to me I trip over your feet Bound to bump up to the line. Since we're in close proximity. You've gotten so close to me. I feel you in my sleep you can get so intertwined it's hard to tell what you want me. Don't push I will take a nudge. You can gain me up correct me out of love. Step on your toes, toes. You know I didn't mean it just let go, go and gonna overth.
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A
That's Impact from Duran Bernard. His latest album is called Bloom. We're here for an all of it listening party. We'll have more after a quick break. This is all of It. You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest is singer songwriter Duran Bernard. He's here with us for a listening party for his latest album, Bloom. What was something that you wanted to do that was different with Bloom?
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B
I guess write a. Write a love letter to my friends. Yeah, you know, I wanted to share the beauty and the art of falling in love with our friends. You know, when there's this certain level of empathy that is constructed, you know, their well being and their happiness becomes a priority for you. You know, and I. I wish I could bottle up what I feel about certain people in my life. So the best way that I could do that was to put it on wax.
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A
It's your third album.
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B
Technically, if we're going off of. You know, I've been putting out projects once a year since 2009.
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A
So you've been busy?
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B
Yeah, I've been busy. You've. But my ninth noodle that stuck that I threw on the wall was the self titled. And then after that we did Wanderlust and then Hooty Hoo got our Grammy nomination with En Route, and now we're here with Bloom.
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A
Through that entire period of putting out all of that music, what have you learned, or maybe what you're still trying to figure out about what it takes to put together an album that will make you happy at the end of the day.
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B
I think if anything, not only make me. Make me happy, but be impactful. Be the kind of music that will outlive me, you know, years after, like, Earth, Wind and Fire and, you know, Chaka Khan and Rufus and, you know, just Freddie Mercury, you know, Queen, those kind of things. It's really about community. It's bringing people together again. There's beauty in numbers and not trying to do it by yourself. So that is what the result was of, you know, taking my hands off of the wheel and trying to be in control and relinquish, should I say, relinquishing control.
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A
That's a little scary, though.
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B
Sometimes it is. However, I'm. I'm all about the figuring things out, like the curiosity of it all. You know, there's. And especially if all of these people are in here on my side, you know, they're trying to figure out, how can we tell stories that are true to you, that are jamming, that also will translate to everyone else? You know, they have a vision in mind, you know, and it has me considered. So I'm just open.
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A
That takes a lot of trust and also a lot of trust in yourself to know that you surrounded yourself with the right people.
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B
Well, as I said before, when my mother told me, she said you're a great leader because you're an excellent follower. And you're an excellent follower because you have discernment about who you're allowing, who you're allowing to lead you.
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A
Let's talk about your family. You're from Ohio.
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B
Yes, Cleveland.
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A
Cleveland, Ohio. Your mother worked as a music teacher and a music director for various churches, and your dad was an audio engineer. Tell us something that would let us know that you grew up in a family that knew something about music.
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B
Oh, my. Well, my father being best friends with Richard Smallwood and shoot my first concert being Brandy at nine years old.
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A
You got it when you were nine?
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B
Yeah. And the. Never say never to her. Yeah, she came down to. Where was that? One of the amphitheaters down in the flats. And C Note Silk and 702 opened. Never forget it. Just those kind of experiences, you know, knowing about Marvin Gaye and, you know, Earth, Wind and Fire, of course, you know, the Delfonics the Emotions, the Honeycombs. I mean. And then also other music that I got into on my own, you know, just from digging, you know, and figuring out, like, who else was out around that time, or, you know, watching Unsungs, you know, things like that. Just being a sponge.
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A
Yeah. When did your sense of. Your sensibility, of I like this differ from what your parents liked? You can always like what your parents like. Yeah, but there's this moment when you sort of stake your own ground, like. No, I like this.
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B
So. Okay. Very. Like that I can think of. Okay, so do you remember this compilation that you. That came out back in the late 90s called pure moods? And it had music like Enygma and Enya. You know, Sail Away, Sail Away. You know that, baby, that's my jam. That's my jam. City of the Media, baby. Hey. So anyway, I remember seeing the commercial when I was, like, 6 or 7, and I told my mom, I want that. I remember it was 1999, and she ordered it for me. And it just had all this New age, you know, yoga music, you know, that. That right there, that's my style. Yes. Oh, yeah. So that right there, that's when I knew, like, oh, no, I don't have to like everything else that everybody likes. And then, of course, there was Deep Force. There was Keiko Matsui. She's a jazz pianist. And of course, we had Erykah Badu.
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A
Your eyes got so big as you started talking about all of this. You got so excited.
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B
I know that was my inner child talking as he started driving.
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A
Let's listen to another track from Bloom. This is Overqualified. What should we listen for in this track?
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B
Oh, goodness. A cookout theme song. Like, that's literally what this is. It sounds like something that you've heard before, but also it's new. Like, it's been here forever, you know. And also a new subject matter that we're talking about. You know, people that are doing the work, trying to be their best selves in therapy, you know, whatever kind of, you know, mental, emotional, physical exercise that they're doing for themselves. And they need someone to, you know, stand on their own business and so that they can see eye to eye.
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A
Let's hear Overqualified.
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B
I've been waiting for too long Just can't seem to get right how the hell am I overqualified? How am I? The horns are considered backgrounds, too. Shout out to Chase Wave, who produced oh, so Beautiful.
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A
We just got this text strand that said I definitely had that same cd Geoffrey Manette.
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B
Yes. Yes. Therapes. Yes.
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A
Before we wrap up, I do want to get to this. I think it's important. You've been really open about crediting therapy and intentional self work as being a foundation for this album. How did therapy help you discover sort of a new dimension of yourself?
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B
Well, I would like to say first, I unprofessionally, I had been in therapy just from listening to my elders, you know, having certain mentors in my life that, you know, were very generous with their knowledge and, you know, perspective and whatnot. And then 2020 is when I decided I just want to check under the hood, you know, and see what's going on, you know, not that I feel anything is wrong, but what if there are some ways about myself that I'm charging to who I am when it's really a trauma response? So I just wanted to get to the core of who I was before all of this stuff kind of deterred me, you know, in a way that might be fear based or it might be wall based and not boundaries, because there's a difference between walls and boundaries. Walls are built from fear and unmet wounds, but boundaries are transparent and they are clear. And they can either be established or they can be set. Either way, it'll be done with a smile when you really get to that place of peace.
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A
The name of the album is Bloom. It's by Duran Benar. Thank you so much for coming to the studio to be with us.
- [21:21]
B
Thank you for having me.
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A
We're gonna go out on the song Reaching.
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B
Yes.
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A
Sa.
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B
Wake up. And I know where I was in the first place. I'm satisfied, so tired of me I want to give her the space that she really needs. I'm reaching for nothing There is always something to do to do but there's gonna be that one.
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A
And that's all of it. Coming up on tomorrow's show, actor Dulay Hill. He stars as Nat King Cole in a new off Broadway play that focuses on the final night of his groundbreaking television show. Hill joins us to discuss along with director and co writer Patricia McGregor. I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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