When you’re singing hit songs twenty feet from stardom, it’s easy to feel like a cover artist even if you are on stage with Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Duran Duran, Nicki Minaj, John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Ciara, Rihanna or Camila Cabello. And since your role is to add light to someone else’s songbook, you keep your own artistic muse to yourself. Those are the circumstances that inspired Erin Stevenson’s “Cover Girl Uncovered,” her second album arriving June 28 from Innervision Records. Stevenson had a hand in writing all seven of the original songs and produced three tracks for the twelve-song set that uncovers some of her own musical influences via five cover songs that she selected to reimagine in her own inimitable style.
A dynamic, high-energy performer blessed with a powerful voice, Stevenson bills herself as the “Smooth Soul Songstress.” The songs on “Cover Girl Uncovered” are an alchemistic style of R&B beats, jazz improvisation, neo soul grooves and pop melodies. She capitalizes on her freedom as a frontperson to share her own thoughts, insights and stories about love, relationships, and hope through life’s journey.
“The goal of ‘Cover Girl Uncovered’ is to let the world hear what I have to say about life and love. It’s about stepping out boldly into my own lane and spotlight. The album contains several of my favorite cover songs but done my way. I wrote the other half of the songs on the album, which are my uncovered thoughts and melodies,” said the Los Angeles-based Stevenson, who will celebrate the album release with a hometown concert at the Eldorado Ballroom in Houston on June 29.
Among the noteworthy contributors who helped flesh out Stevenson’s vision for “Cover Girl Uncovered” are two-time Grammy-winning producer Paul Brown, soul-jazz saxophonist Marion Meadows, producer-guitarist David P. Stevens, urban-jazz keyboardist Nathan Mitchell, and Grammy-winning guitarist Shane Theriot. Stevenson brought members of her own band – guitarist Kay-Ta Matsuno and bassist Keith Eaddy – into the studio to track the album, fostering continuity between what you hear on record and live in concert.
“Cover Girl Uncovered” contains the following songs:
“I Need Your Lovin’”
“Everlasting Love”
“Perfect Island Night”
“Save Your Love For Me”
“I Want To Thank You”
“Playing With Fire”
“Almost”
“Yes”
“Smooth Soul” featuring Marion Meadows
“Everything To Me”
“Here With You”
“Believe” featuring Paul Brown