LA-based artist Sweetlove is our new musical muse. Her songs are crafted around meaningful stories and life lessons that everyone could do some learning from. Sweetlove’s recently rereleased album, Goodnight Lover (stripped), is teaching us how to grieve and find our way back after tragedy. Sweetlove’s passion for music is only matched by her passion for uplifting others. She is annually involved in “adopting families" in need during the holidays through the Simone Gordon's Black Fairy Godmother Foundation. Read on to discover more about Sweetlove’s artistic process, musical inspirations, and journey into humanitarianism.

Where are you based?
I'm based in Los Angeles at the moment, although I'm spending more and more time in Nashville and New York :) My family's in LA, so I'll never fully leave there, but I love to be in other cities.

What inspired you to get into music?
I don't remember a time when music wasn't part of my life. I grew up listening to folk singers on vinyl with my parents, and my dad would play guitar and sing to me when I was a baby. Both my parents were teachers and I always loved to read. There came a point where I realized that if I could put the words together with the music, I could combine my two loves and write songs. It feels sometimes more like a need than an inspiration (although I am so inspired by writing and creating music) because there have been times when I wanted to quit and I felt like music wouldn't let go of me. For me, it's a form of beauty, expression, and the divine, I'm so grateful I have music in my life.

You recently re-released your album ‘Goodnight, Lover. What made you decide to re-release this album? Are there any important changes from the first version?
You know, the decision was originally prompted by the difficulties of making music during the pandemic. I worked in a cancer center and the vaccine effort, so I had to be extremely careful. I couldn't do anything but play and sing on my own, which saved my mental health, but made 'progress' in all of the other ways you put music out just about impossible. So we (my team and I) decided to revisit the songs in a much more stripped-down way to keep my momentum going and to give me something to be inspired about. And it turned out it was incredibly inspiring.

I love the original record, and I wasn't sure we would be able to reimagine the songs in a fresh enough way, but it turns out that my friend and producer, Wes Hutchinson, spent so much time thinking about a new way to present the songs that they became not just re-interpretations but they have a singular life all their own. I love them and I think the stripped-down version allows the ache of the stories and the stories themselves to shine through. We even did two of the songs (Before the Devil and The House) live, just my vocal and Wes' guitar in our friend Matt McKenna's lovely studio, and I think they have a beautiful, new quality to them. So it turns out we made something beautiful out of a heartbreaking situation and that's something that has always been amazing to me.

Why was it important for you to revisit these songs so stripped down to just you and an instrument?
One of the reasons of course was that we wanted to make sure we were offering something new to people, and not just filling space or being driven only by how people consume music. In this age of social media and increasing demand for rapid content, I never want to put something out just to 'feed the machine or do it for the sake of doing it. (Although I do think that it's smart for artists to at least understand the marketplace and how you can get your art to as many people as you can in an authentic way, that's probably a different interview :)). But I think the other reason is that these songs all started with grief and loss, and are a reflection of how I grappled with it, and so the stories I'm telling are really important to me, they come from a really deep place. We had more instruments in the recordings and Wes suggested that we strip them down even more, and I loved the idea — I wanted people to hear my voice singularly and to hear the ache in it. So, as we went through the process, it became clear how we need to present the songs.

What excites you the most about utilizing music for storytelling?
I think it's partly because music is a form of worship for me, it always has been, and music moves people and saves them and makes them feel less alone ... so I think it's a way to instantly connect with people. I also think that songs are somehow greater than the sum of their parts — you can take a few notes and say what you want to say in the best way you can find, and it truly moves people. I had someone tell me recently that Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is the song that made him feel most understood after he lost his mother - I can't think of a more beautiful and meaningful compliment - that you made someone feel seen and less alone in what they're going through.

How should listeners enjoy the rawness of ‘Goodnight, Lover’ (stripped)? What do you want them to get from this album?
I think they should listen with an open heart, from wherever they're coming from, and I want them to get what they need to get from it — if that makes sense. The fun thing about putting out a collection of songs is that people all have different songs that move them, and it's so fun to hear everyone's perspective. A lot of my women friends love Devil On Your Shoulder, it speaks to them about what it means to be brave as a woman, especially since so many of us were raised to be small and not upset other people. And others love Before the Devil because they feel like their grief and loss is understood. One thing I hear a lot is how heartfelt my songs feel, and that's a huge compliment because those songs came from my bones.

How do you feel about being dubbed ‘Edith Piaf 2.0’? Do you see yourself drawing inspiration from her music in the future?
What a wonderful (and intimidating :)) thing to say about someone. I loved it, and I hope I can at least halfway live up to that title. I hope to continue drawing inspiration from that title — her voice is so beautiful, but it also always has a sad and aching quality to it, there's a realness and a rawness to it that I love. I think if you are fortunate to live long enough, you learn that the greater sadness that comes to you, the greater love and joy come to you. I think to live life well you have to truly embrace both of those things. And her music makes me feel like she does both of those well, and so I hope to always carry that with me.

Your newest project discusses grief. What are some habits you use to feel connected and stave off loneliness?
Well, one of the most important things I do is I make and write music as much as I can - music literally saved me during the shutdown, it gave me something to hold on to and something to feel alive through. It's always done that, but in the last few years, infinitely more so. So I think whatever the thing is that makes you feel that way, do as much of it as you can, however, you can. The second thing is that I go to therapy weekly, because the more you heal and grow, the better, more connected, and more fulfilling relationships you have. which reminds you that you're not alone in the world, and also that new and amazing people can come into your life all the time. And thirdly, once you find those people, keep them close, look after them, invest in them, and love them. Loving people is a gift. There's a line I always loved from Les Miserables: "To love another person is to see the face of god.”

Not only are you a beautiful singer, but you are an active humanitarian. What initially drew you to volunteer for Simone Gordon's Black Fairy Godmother Foundation?
Oh, thank you so much for the kind compliment. I first connected with Simone through my dear friend Jen Pastiloff who was posting about her work and helping her to help others. When I first connected with Simone, she didn't have a foundation, she had a Facebook page and was just helping anyone who asked her by essentially crowdfunding through her network. She would post the urgent needs for the day and we would all pitch in what we could or spread the word to our networks. Simone is a single mother with a special needs son and she started helping other marginalized and struggling single mothers, and that's grown into this incredible foundation that helps more and more people. She's amazing, kind, tireless and has helped thousands of women, families, and children, saving them from starvation, homelessness, domestic violence, and poverty. Every day she posts about families in dire need and it's the most profound and direct way I've found to truly help struggling families on an immediate basis. You give $10 and others pitch in, and later that day a family isn't evicted. You give $20 and the next day someone escapes a domestic violence situation, and has a place to sleep with her children. You give $5 and a grandmother can afford her medication or keep the lights on. It's incredible, simple, and beautiful.

Can you tell us a bit about how adopting families for the holidays works through Simone Gordon's Black Fairy Godmother Foundation? How do you choose the families? Do you get to spend time with them?
For the family adoptions, it depends a bit on where you are. I'm in LA and Simone is on the East Coast, and she helps families all over the country, so generally, I ask her who's in the most need and she gives me an Amazon list and I ask my friends to help pitch in and we just send them everything they need. It's such a great way to do it because everything is sent to the family directly so they get what they need immediately and there are no location restrictions. I'd be delighted to meet any of the families at any time, but more importantly, I think is getting them help — so many of them are in such dire circumstances so I'm usually trying to be the most help I can right away. That's what's so great about her program, if you can raise $200 from your friends, you can help a family. I usually start with a few families and then put the word out to my friends, who are so generous, and then I take on more families as much as I can. Hopefully, some people in your audience will be inspired to reach out and help - imagine what we could do if we all just chose one family each - it would be an epidemic of love.

Has your allyship grown or changed during the pandemic? Was it hard to be involved during the heart of covid?
Man, I feel like everything has changed during the pandemic. So much has changed in the world in the last few years and sometimes it's hard to isolate things. I think for me, living through a global plague and seeing such senseless behavior from people think my allyship has sunk deeper into my being. For me, the pandemic drove home that we are all even more connected than we think - and we're all responsible for each other - and for those of us who were able to, we had a greater responsibility to help those who were crushed by the world falling apart. So many choices we make don't just affect us, and my thinking has grown in that way. In some ways, because everyone was in crisis mode, it felt like I was able to dedicate more time to helping others, and people understood and would respond with urgency. In other ways, it felt like because the whole world was in crisis, it was hard to not be overwhelmed by the loss and sorrow. I was fortunate in that almost everyone around me was really in a 'we're all in this together' mindset and we tried to take care of each other. I hope we can take that forward in the years to come and think more about how we can lift each other up.

Covid was particularly difficult for the homeless population and very financially difficult for families. Did Simone Gordon's Black Fairy Godmother Foundation see an increase in need?
It was incredibly difficult and resources were stretched so thin, it was heartbreaking to see. Simone could speak better to the day-to-day of her operations, but yes there was a huge increase in need in my experience — people lost jobs, and homes and they were stuck in terrible situations, I know there were days when people would reach out to her desperately for food or shelter, and she had no more funds to give. She worked tirelessly to help people, especially because the hardest hit by the crisis were families who were already in crisis, and she never stopped helping them, reaching out to everyone she knew. I feel honored to know her.

Being a musician, how does your passion for music shape your passion for uplifting others?
Well luckily with music it's sort of a chicken/egg kind of thing. I think any passion that comes from true expression lifts others just by existing and being put out into the world. I think at a time when everything is curated it's harder to see when people are struggling. So I try to talk about that as much as I can, I try to be as real as I can and because I'm an empath and because I feel so grateful these days, wanting to uplift others is kind of bursting out of me. There are so many people who are struggling these days and hopefully, I can uplift as many as I can while I'm still around.

What is your motto in life?
Currently, it looks something like this: Women are the original outlaws and should have autonomy over their bodies. Don't be a jerk. Give more than you take, but fill your cup first. F*ck fear, we only have so much time. Put something beautiful into the world, anything beautiful. If you need help, please ask for it. You are more loved than you know.

To learn more about Sweetlove and the organizations she works with, please follow via the platforms below:
Instagram : @sweetlovesounds
Twitter: @sweetlovesounds
Facebook: @sweetlovesounds
Support the Black Fairy Godmother Foundation: @theblackfairygodmotherofficial

Thank you so much for having me, I really appreciate it. I'd be delighted if any of your audience would like to connect. More importantly, you can reach Simone at @theblackfairygodmotherofficial or her link tree is https://lnk.bio/theblackfairygodmotherofficial - please visit there and see how many families are in need and lend a hand! Thank you again!

Photo credit: Anna Azarov.

There's No One Sweeter than Sweetlove