Rising star De'Borah burst into the public eye on season three of The Voice with a unique look and story.
The Chicago-area native came out of the closet to her family and the world, capturing a lot of attention in the process. Now she comes out again with a debut single, "Coming Out Looking Good." This freshly released single on Liquid Spins features fierce vocals that showcase a big range. Produced by Chicago's WuLi Records, she keeps things down home.
We met at a coffee shop in Andersonville to find out the real story behind the music.
Windy City Times: Hey, De'Borah. Where are you from?
De'Borah: I grew up in the Rosemont area in Chicago around 102nd then I migrated through a couple of suburbs before landing in Chicago Heights.
WCT: Are you still there?
De'Borah: Actually, I just left there but it is still my hometown.
WCT: Did you always have a music background?
De'Borah: Oh, yeah; I have been singing since I was able to stand. My mom is a singer. My father was over a lot of choirs. They are very musically inclined so we had a small group between my brother and sister at ages 3, 4 and 6.
WCT: So you started off like Destiny's Child except there was a boy.
De'Borah: More like The Jackson 3.
WCT: Did you study music in school?
De'Borah: I went straight to theology school. I have been studying music, experience-wise. I learned to play all those instruments by ear then went to school later and learned. My musical background is really based off of experience. I was just singing and singing until I got it right. This is why I was a stickler on the show. When it wasn't correct I didn't want to sing it. I wanted to fix it first. It was a spur-of-the-moment-type deal.
WCT: Tons of pressure, I can imagine.
De'Borah: Oh yeah, but it was an easy pressure.
WCT: What religion did you grow up with?
De'Borah: Pentecostal.
WCT: How is your relationship with your parents since coming out on The Voice?
De'Borah: The same. My mom and father are great parents. They taught us, first of all, that love is over everything. Family is one of the first things ordained in the bible. We have a close-knit family.
WCT: There are many other artists with the same religious coming-out story.
De'Borah: My songs are geared toward religion. I will never sing about clothes or shoes. They are more "How are you feeling today?"-type songs.
WCT: How did you get on The Voice?
De'Borah: My sister signed me up. She told me that I had three weeks to get there. I went in defeated thinking it would not work. I ended up making it and proving myself wrong.
WCT: The show is all about how people judge your voice and then view your look.
De'Borah: I look very distinct.
WCT: What is one thing you learned from doing the show now that it's over?
De'Borah: I learned how to live a fast-paced life. They showed me the music industry, definitely.
WCT: Maybe good and bad?
De'Borah: Well, yeah. Getting up, rehearsing, and knowing I have to do something. I rehearse a lot at home but it is not scheduled. I learned how to manage my time and business.
Overall, on the sweeter side I learned that the biggest artists are still regular human beings. Cee Lo and Christina Aguilera were cool. Adam Levine was definitely my favorite. Blake is fun, especially when you are drinking with him.
WCT: What does he drink?
De'Borah: Jameson.
WCT: Whiskey man! Are you going to watch the next season of The Voice [which stared March 25]?
De'Borah: Yes, of course.
WCT: Do you like [new judges] Shakira and Usher?
De'Borah: Usher I am a big fan of. Shakira I know her hits.
WCT: I just heard that show has the biggest ratings on TV. The exposure must have been great.
De'Borah: Oh yes. I have fans in Peru now. That is just crazy! I have a lot of fans overseas.
WCT: Isn't that wild?
De'Borah: Yes, because that show really is international. Then I have real genuine fans who will cry. That lets me know that the show shows a side of you that others don't. To know that I am personal to people and we share the same life makes me feel good.
WCT: You have reached a lot of people with your story. What inspired your first single, "Coming Out Looking Good?"
De'Borah: I wrote the song. It was inspired by one of my father's sermons. I heard him say it and thought it was the best title ever. I told my story in each verse: "You can talk about me, that's cool. My mind is not shaking nor my self-esteem. I choose to be who I was designed to be. You can scream at me. Think of the good not the bad, not the stress or the strain. I'm not ashamed of my wonderful change. Coming Out Looking Good." Oh my gosh; I get to tell my story from my standpoint. You guys see me on TV; then I see negative and positive comments on the Internet. I reach for the good but the bad is there, too.
WCT: Your voice sounds very mature on the track.
De'Borah: With my voice, I have a soulful type of tone but I like to rock. It is a double whammy.
WCT: Your brother produced it?
De'Borah: Yes, his name is Troy and also with my engineers from WuLi Records. We literally did it in one month. It may seem like a lot of time but when you are running around doing interviews it is not. I can't believe we got it finished.
WCT: So a full album at some point?
De'Borah: Maybe later, but I want to test the waters and check my crowd. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I don't want to miss a step, put it like that.
WCT: What live performances are you planning?
De'Borah: I have done a couple for Black History Month, then a Motown cover review show that was amazing. I have hit local spots like The Shrine and Schubas. I am going back to Schubas again, too. I have a big crowd so I have to hit the North Side, downtown Chicago and then the suburbs so there is a lot going on. Then there is always New York, L.A. and Texas.
WCT: And Peru!
De'Borah: I have to get over there! [Laughs]
WCT: How do people keep up with you?
De'Borah: Facebook but spelled my actual way. That is my real name. A lot of people don't know that. My mom's name is Deborah but I am De'borah.
WCT: So to still separate yourself from her almost like a Deborah, Jr.
De'Borah: I kind of felt like I was a junior in a way. But I am definitely my own person.
Visit www.liquidspins.com to pick up De'Borah's "Coming Out" single.
