Maleke O’Ney: Wow. What happened was it’s a band based here in Atlanta. They have produced and recorded with some amazing writers and vocalists. Kathleen Bertrand, Cleveland Jones….
U.G. Digital Mag: Cleveland Jones is really awesome. We had a chance to connect recently.
Maleke O’Ney: Outside of being an amazing talent, he is a beautiful person. But how it happened, was I had been working really hard, and was talking to a few of the guys. They asked if I would mind singing a song with them, and it went from there to being a full-time meter of the band. We worked out the details of how it made sense, and it was a perfect fit. It was about being on the same page and frequency with these fellas, and it was perfect.
U.G. Digital Mag: Do you see everyone coming together in terms of putting together Confessions of a Pentecostal Girl?
Maleke O’Ney: They will indirectly. I have another set of musicians for that project. I started Confessions of a Pentecostal Girl four years ago, so it’s pretty much complete. It just needs to get to where I feel like it’s complete. I want to get some more production on it and live instrumentation. If you listen to Pentecostal Girl, it’s really straight up hip-hop. Dave West from De La Soul produced that one. He’s one of my favorite producers, and I’m a hip-hop girl so that’s always going to be an undertone of my music, but I grew up listening to Bobby Blue Bland, and John Lee Hooker, so at the core of it all, outside of Gospel, I’m a Blues Funk girl. I need a band who can convey that. So, they’ll be involved indirectly.
U.G. Digital Mag: I think that will be good. In terms of social media, where can everyone hit you up?
Maleke O’Ney: My website at www.malekeoney.com, on Twitter it’s Ms_Oney, and on Instagram it’s @msoney, and on Facebook, it’s www.facebook.com/malekeoneyfanpage
U.G. Digital Mag: So awesome. I’m excited also about the Dave West connection. De La Soul has always been a favorite of mine. It’s a great connection for your project and your brand.
Maleke O’Ney: I think it’s brilliant. We’re all on the same page. We’re all riding the same frequency. It’s always a beautiful thing when someone can be surrounded by like-minded people.
U.G. Digital Mag: Any type of final comments?
Maleke O’Ney: I just really want to thank you. I appreciate it, even with Indie Soul Saturdays, those interviews, this interview, and like you were saying, how others help you to get your thing going, you are helping me get mine going. I appreciate it so much.