Kandace Springs - Soul Eyes (2016)

Through her father, a session vocalist, adult contemporary R&B artist Kandace Springs was able to get a demo recording heard by veteran producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken (Stephanie Mills, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna). The duo signed the Nashville native to their SRP Music Group, then shopped her material to labels, including Blue Note, who ultimately offered a recording contract that Springs signed. A singer, songwriter, and keyboardist who cites inspirations ranging from Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill, Springs caught another break in July 2014 when Prince saw a clip of her performing Sam Smith's "Stay with Me." Prince contacted her and she flew to Minneapolis to perform at Paisley Park. Two months later, she issued her debut EP, a self-titled four-track release for SRP/Blue Note. Through 2015, she appeared on Ghostface Killah's 36 Seasons, Aqualung's 10 Futures, and Black Violin's Stereotypes. Her refined first album for Blue Note, Soul Eyes, was released in June 2016. It featured new songs, some of which were co-written by Springs, along with versions of Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes" and War's "The World Is a Ghetto."