Adelide's musical journey is a true testament to the power of passion and personal exploration. Based in Brooklyn, New York since 2019, Adelide has carved out a niche in the music industry with her distinctive blend of disco, synth-pop, and soul. Adelide's songwriting process, deeply rooted in her jazz background, unfolds beautifully, often beginning with chords that came from her creative spark. Her latest single, "Witness," exemplifies her ability to seamlessly blend inspiration with personal narrative. Beyond her music, Adelide is a passionate advocate for causes close to her heart. Her involvement with the Youngsters of Uganda (YOU) organization underscores her commitment to making a positive impact. To learn more about Adelide, read on.

Where are you based?
I’m currently based in Brooklyn, New York, where I have lived since 2019.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the music industry?
It was always a given for me! I fell in love with music in first grade when my teacher played the Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong album in class. I was completely enamored by it. After hearing them I knew I wanted to sing, and I was lucky enough to have supportive parents who believed in me and quickly got me into voice and piano lessons.

Can you tell us about your songwriting process and how you come up with your lyrics?
Every song is different, but I almost always start with the chords — it’s the jazz girl in me. Once I’m inspired by a chord progression, I’ll move on to melody and figure out how to pair melody and harmony together in a way that excites me. Lyrics almost always come last, and to be honest, I rarely go into writing a song with an idea of what it’s going to be about. Or if I do go into it with an idea, it almost always becomes something completely different.

Typically, lyrics will come to me while I’m noodling around with melody and chords. It’s like a puzzle — I’ll sing something and be like “oh, the word gravity works well right here!” or “I like the sound of the “u” vowel here so let’s make that the rhyme for this part” and then I’ll have a few of those revelations, sit back, and be like — “Ok now what is this song about?”. From there, I’ll get inspired and edit the lyrics around the central theme where I’ll start pulling inspiration from my life to fill in those blanks and in that way, it becomes about my personal experience.

Congratulations on the release of your latest single, “Witness.” Can you tell us what inspired your new single and video?
Thank you! “Witness” was one of those rare songs where the lyric, melody, and harmony all came to me at once, like it was all totally meant to be! I knew quickly that I wanted to use the song as an opportunity to explore my queerness,and I had this vision of an alternate version of the Garden of Eden, one with Eve and Eve. The images I had in my head were so vivid as we were making the song that I knew I had to bring it to life with a video. I brought the ideas to Margot Bennett, the director and producer of the Witness video, and she took them and ran, turning them into something we’re all insanely proud of.

You also recently released an extended version of “Witness” with Melvin Knight. What inspired this extension?
In my opinion, the extended version is THE definitive version of the song. Melvin is an absolute beast of a musician and I’ve always admired his music, so when he agreed to lay down some vocals on the track, I was ecstatic. He adds so much character to it. The extended version is by far my favorite.

So I think the question for us was more “why have a short version?” My main collaborator (and bass player) Aaron Holthus and I both come from a jazz background, so we don’t mind listening to long songs. But part of figuring out the “Adelide” sound has been learning what to take and what to leave as we journey into more of a disco/pop/r&b space, and how to make the music effective without needing over five minutes to do so. The process of whittling down “Witness Extended” into what eventually became the OG “Witness” was an exercise in that.

What can fans expect from your music?
We borrow from a lot of diverse influences. I’d like to say there’s something for everyone, but fans should expect a lot of disco, synth-pop, and soul from future Adelide projects.

Your music often explores themes of queer romance, temptation, and forbidden desire — what draws you to these themes?
I explore these themes in my music because I’m still exploring these things for myself. I’m queer — I’ve never felt the need to put a more specific label on my sexuality so I typically leave it at that. When I explore these ideas in my music, I learn a lot more about who I am in the process.

What's been the most challenging part of your journey as a musician, and how have you overcome those challenges?
I have two degrees in Jazz Performance and for years I had myself entirely convinced that I was going to be a jazz musician, but every time I’d sit down to write in that idiom, the kind of music that would come out would be this more soul/pop-leaning stuff that was considered super uncool to the people around me, specifically during my undergraduate degree. I was often made to feel embarrassed for my tastes and was ultimately shamed out of writing music for a very long time. It wasn’t until I got to grad school that I realized I wasn’t the problem — the environment I was previously in was the problem. I got to New England Conservatory and everyone there, even the jazz musicians, had interests and projects in different genres, and while I was one of the few who took a more “pop” direction, everyone was so into it and so supportive! I often think about how much time I lost being embarrassed about my tastes in undergrad when I could have been making the music I really loved, but I’m glad I’ve found my voice and my confidence.

We heard that you work with an organization called the Youngsters of Uganda. Can you tell us more about this organization?
Yes! The mission of Youngsters Of Uganda Organization (YOU) is to encourage and support vulnerable and Orphaned children in Fort Portal, Uganda by providing them with quality education, shelter, food and other basic needs to help them become self-sufficient.

The YOU organization was founded by a bright young man named Frances Alicwamu, who works as a tour guide for visitors to the area. My parents actually went on one of his tours and were moved by his life story and the struggles he endured. They began sending him money to help him better his own life, but he instead chose to use the funds to help the local children in need, which in turn inspired the launch of the organization as a whole.

What inspired you to get involved with this organization, and what do you hope to achieve through your work with them?
While I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Francis in person yet, we have met via video call a few times and I have to say, he’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known. It’s very rare these days to meet someone as active in trying to better the world around them as Francis is. I think what makes this organization so special is Francis himself, and the fact that you know exactly where your sponsorship money is going when you get involved with this organization. A lot of times, you hear “donate to starving children in Africa” but these organizations are so large and you’re never sure where your money is going or if it’s even going to help the children directly. With YOU, you’re given a direct line of communication to the child you’re sponsoring through letters and school progress reports. It's a very intimate way to get involved in helping to improve the lives of these kids.

Francis has a lot of big ideas for the future of the organization, one of which is to build an orphanage for the many homeless children in the community. It’s a long way away, but I’d love to see the YOU organization gain enough support to get this orphanage built!

You're also working to raise funds for flood victims in southern Brazil. Can you describe the situation there and tell us more about your work?
Back in March, there was a giant flood that wiped out 40 or so counties in southern Brazil, one of them being the county my mother is from, Rolante. People lost their loved ones, their pets, their homes, their businesses, everything. It hasn’t been on the news much in the US and most of the people I’ve talked to about it didn’t even know this was happening, so I’ve just been trying to bring awareness to some of the organizations that are doing meaningful work to help those affected. One of the best organizations I’ve come across so far is Luz Alliance Fund which Gisele Bündchen is partnering with to raise funds.

How do you see your music evolving?
As our recording and editing process becomes more streamlined, we’ve been able to spend a lot more time honing in on the exact sound we’re going for which has been super exciting. We are dialing into our brand of disco/r’n’b in a way that we wouldn’t be able to if we didn’t have access to a home studio to make the music at our own pace.

Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share?
Yes! My next single, “Carry Me”, will be out everywhere on July 19! It’s pretty different from “Witness” but I think it will appeal to both new and existing Adelide listeners.

It has been a crazy past few years, how have you been staying positive?
Oh gosh…lots of therapy, exercise, delicious food, Lexapro, and the best circle of friends anyone could hope for. I also just finished Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” which was pretty challenging and totally life-changing. It completely revolutionized my perspective on how I feel about making art, and the things I’ve discovered through doing so have brought me a lot of joy. I highly recommend this book to everyone — we’re all artists in our own right!

What is your motto in life?
I don’t really have a motto per se, but I got into a near-death car crash a few years ago with my partner and one of my best friends that put my mortality into perspective (long story but everyone is okay!). I would say I try my best to live by the idea that nobody is promised another day, so try to make the best of every day that you get! Cliché, but true!

To learn more about Adelide, please follow the links below:
www.itsadelide.com
Instagram: @its.adelide
Tiktok: @adelideknits

Adelide - Finding You Through The Tune