![\"Issue36-liv-warfield\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Issue36-liv-warfield.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nHOMETOWN:<\/b> Peoria, Ill.
\nINFLUENCES:<\/b> Nina Simone, Etta James, Tina Turner
\nALBUM:<\/b> The Unexpected<\/i>, out now
\nWEBSITE:<\/b> livwarfieldmusic.com<\/p>\n
The daughter of a Pentecostal deacon, LiV Warfield grew up in a household where musical entertainment was discouraged, so she set her sights on a different path\u2014as a sprinter. \u201cI kept my voice a secret for more than 20 years,\u201d she says. \u201cAthletics were my primary discipline and the encouraged formula of success in my family.\u201d Following high school Warfield accepted a track-and-field scholarship to Portland State University in Portland, Ore. But between classes and track meets, Warfield began performing at karaoke nights throughout the city and eventually started her own band, LiV and the Warfield Project.<\/p>\n
When Prince\u2019s New Power Generation announced an open audition in 2009, Warfield submitted a YouTube video that featured a powerful rendition of the Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cGimme Shelter.\u201d It was all Prince needed to see, and he extended an invitation for Warfield to become a backup singer in his influential backing band. The opportunity allowed her to perform alongside B.B. King, the Roots and Al Green. Receiving support from Prince, Warfield gained an extra level of confidence. \u201cI\u2019ve finally tapped into my chi and that\u2019s just letting yourself go\u2014no boundaries,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m in full flight now.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Warfield has toured with the New Power Generation, she has also spent much of her time recording her latest album,\u00a0The Unexpected<\/i>, at Prince\u2019s Paisley Park Studios near Minneapolis. \u201cI had to be at my best and not shortchange my feelings on this record,\u201d she says. \u201cThe words and vocals should penetrate.\u201d Prince, the album\u2019s executive producer, helped her achieve the desired sound\u2014\u201calternative R&B-soul with a bit of rock \u2019n\u2019 roll.\u201d Since its release, Warfield has performed on Late Show With David Letterman<\/i>, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon<\/i> and The Arsenio Hall Show<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LIV WARFIELD HOMETOWN: Peoria, Ill. INFLUENCES: Nina Simone, Etta James, Tina Turner ALBUM: The Unexpected, out now WEBSITE: livwarfieldmusic.com The daughter of a Pentecostal deacon, LiV Warfield grew up in a household where musical entertainment was discouraged, so she set her sights on a different path\u2014as a sprinter. \u201cI kept my voice a secret for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[83],"tags":[7654,7652],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14614"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14616,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14614\/revisions\/14616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}