The Soulcialista: ::BEHIND THE SCENES:: WITH LUKE JAMES

::BEHIND THE SCENES:: with Luke James

Interview & Post by Kike Aluko
Video by Joshua Berrent

The Soulcialista team had the distinct pleasure of witnessing Luke James grace the stage at The Hamilton Live on Friday, September 26, 2014, and it was definitely a treat. Right on the heels of his debut studio album release (self-titled, and available NOW!), he showed his love for the DMV area with a double-show set at The Hamilton after performing at another location in Virginia the very same day.

After working for many years behind the scenes as a songwriter for the likes of Keri Hilson and dancing for Destiny's Child and Beyonce, Luke James came into the spotlight when the world heard his amazing voice on his GRAMMY-nominated first single "I Want You," released in 2011. Since then he's released two EPs: #Luke in 2011 and Whispers in the Dark in 2012, all leading up to his debut studio release last week.

To open the show, Luke James came out in a refreshingly casual red plaid flannel shirt and started with a lovely acoustic stripped version The King of Pop's "The Way You Make Me Feel" (á la This is It). Setting the tone for the evening, he asked the audience to just have a good time and groove with him, reminding us that "You can think when you're at work, but right now I want you to FEEL." He then went on to perform several of our favorites including a slower rendition of "I.O.U.," a crunk mix led by "Make Love to Me" followed by a mashup of Marvin's "Sexual Healing" and ScHoolboy Q's "Studio," and of course his beautiful cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me." He was completely down to earth, and related to us as if it was just family time, taking opportunities to come dance with members of the audience and expressing a deep appreciation for his band, who he introduced as his brothers. It is clear that he is right where he is meant to be, as he closed the show saying, "I'm at peace as a man with myself and what I'm doing -- Life is too short to be unhappy."

Check out our interview with Luke James to find out what it was like recording his new album, what he brings to the industry today, and who's in his music rotation.