All I had was a Fender Rhodes, which is an electric piano.
And just sat down one day and just started playing these chords.
Kravitzs creativity functions like an antenna he explains.
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
I never intended on writing a song, I just liked the phrase.
The resulting song, Road to Freedom got a Golden Globe nomination and is Oscar shortlisted.
DEADLINE: Youve known George C. Wolfe since you were a teenager.
Tell me about that connection?
LENNY KRAVITZ:Well, I met him when I was 17.
Interesting story, because I was driving a friend to an audition for a play calledThe Me Nobody Knows.
It was a play that was done in New York.
Because I was waiting outside.
I said, Im not auditioning.
I drove somebody here.
Im waiting for them.
And she said, Why dont you go upstairs and audition?
I said, Yeah, sure.
She said, Go upstairs and audition.
DEADLINE: I hope the friend forgave you.
So, we ended up doing this production of this thing.
I guess they never got the money they needed to make the production, but we did these performances.
And it was George Wolfe, in the very beginning of his career.
And then I didnt see him for many, many, many, many years.
And then we met again when he was working with Denzel, doing theater and so forth.
Were talking a lot of years.
Denzel is my big brother.
Its being directed by…
It was directed by George Wolfe.
And I was like, Oh, wow.
So I was in Paris at the time, this past summer.
I was finishing my album, which needed to be turned in.
I was extremely busy.
I technically didnt really have time, but I heard my mothers voice in my head.
It said, Youve got to do this.
Because this is the kind of thing that I should be doing.
This is the kind of thing shed want me to be doing.
And its part of our history and something thats so important, a story that needs to be told.
So they sent me the link for the film.
I was moved by the film.
I didnt realize Colman Domingo was the star of the film.
We didThe Butlertogether with Lee Daniels.
And so I said, OK, I want to do this.
I got to make this happen.
When do you need it?
And they said, We need it yesterday.
Of course you do.
So I spoke to George.
DEADLINE: What kind of notes did he give you?
KRAVITZ:He said, I know that I want the sound of trombones, of the trombone choirs.
Hed been listening to the trombone choirs from the Carolinas.
These are groups of trombones, one horn.
They play gospel, they play hymns, and its really beautiful and strong.
And hes like, I just hear that.
So that started me.
I knew that I had to have these trombones.
And he said one simple thing.
He said, Its about the work.
Which you see is such a powerful part of his character.
And he said, No, Im fine.
It shows you so much about his character and about his ego.
DEADLINE: What was your writing process?
Some people do that.
Some people are very good at that.
For me, Im an antenna.
I want to pick something up.
I want to be given something that is for me.
And so, Im just thinking, They need this yesterday.
I dont have this luxury of just sitting around and waiting for inspiration to strike.
I kept walking by my piano.
No, I dont feel anything yet.
OK. And then about two days later, I felt something.
And I didnt know what.
I sat at the piano.
It came from there.
And then I wrote the lyric.
I sat in the song.
Craig Ross, my partner, engineered it and played the guitar.
He also played in my band for a couple of years.
He did a world tour with me when he was 17.
I had to get a note from his mother to go on tour because he was an underage genius.
And hes gone on to have this incredible solo career and is an icon.
I mean, he is the Louis Armstrong of New Orleans in this generation.
He represents that city, and that culture, and the music.
He had 48 hours off between a couple of shows.
I found a gospel choir in Paris.
I had no idea there was one.
I thought I was going to have to get on a plane and go to New York City.
DEADLINE: Wait, where did you find them in Paris?
KRAVITZ:Somebody said, Theres a gospel choir that sings traditional African-American Gospel.
And I thought, I dont know.
I listened to some things theyve done.
I was like, Oh, wow.
I had them come by the house.
Didnt know them, never worked with them.
About 12 or 16 [of them].
I taught them the parts.
The song is done.
George says, I love it, but lets talk about these words and these things.
And is there another way to say this?
Is there another way to say that?
And the song is either going to enhance everything thats gone on or not.
And he had ideas.
And so Im thinking, Oh my god.
DEADLINE: Thats not your normal experience, right?
KRAVITZ:No, no, no.
And then I turned it in.
And then theres more notes and more notes.
And, This word doesnt resonate with me.
I dont like this word.
How can we make this say this, but another way.
What could you do?
So this went on for about three weeks.
Mind you, they needed it yesterday.
DEADLINE: Your lyrics were evocative of Martin Luther King Jr.s speech.
Was that always there, from the beginning?
And George was like, We just talked abouta dream, not dreams.
So it was even little things like that.
DEADLINE: And it matters to George.
He really wants it to be specific.
KRAVITZ:So thats a small change, but a big change to George.
The dream continues today, to the issues of today.
But he wanted it to be singular, not plural.
We got to the place where George was happy and I was happy, and that was it.
Do you sit in silence?
KRAVITZ:The only thing I watched for those days was the movie.
And no, I didnt listen to anything.
But I knew that I wanted it to be gospel, R&B, soul.
And so, I knew the genre that I wanted.
It had to be of that time, but also be timeless.
So I knew where I wanted to go, but I didnt know what it was going to be… Thats the way I like to work.
So just live, collect all of these feelings and experiences, and let them do the work.
DEADLINE: You performed your song Calling All Angels at the Oscars last year for the In Memoriam.
What would it mean for you to perform The Road to Freedom up there this year?
Because its amplifying this story, this experience that we all should have already known.
But we dont know about the backbone behind it, or part of the backbone.
Were on the road to freedom.
The road to freedom is something thats continuous.
We are on it now.
DEADLINE: Your new albumBlue Electric Lightis coming out in March.
How are you feeling about it?
KRAVITZ:So good.
Im so happy with this album.
Its something that feels really fresh for me, another new beginning.
Youre going to hear things on there that will surprise you, some different sounds and production value.
And its a celebration.
Its got a little bit of everything.
Im very excited aboutBlue Electric Light.
