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Cleveland R&B vocalist to make Akron debut

Doss, who has built fans in States, Europe, says that she'll remain indie

By Malcolm X Abram
Beacon Journal music writer

Published on Friday, Nov 20, 2009

Conya Doss is a musical multitasker.

The Cleveland-born and bred singer/songwriter, who will be performing at the Keepers Lounge at the Stage Door of E.J. Thomas Hall Saturday, has been on the proverbial grind for four albums. She's gone the old-fashioned way in building up a solid following of fans in the States and in Europe who enjoy her smooth, honeyed vocals and soulful sound, performing wherever folks want to hear her sing while maintaining her career as a teacher of special-needs students.

Though the Cleveland School of the Performing Arts graduate has been releasing music and been a touring artist since her 2002 debut A Poem about Ms. Doss, she does not sing very often in Cleveland and has not performed in the Akron area.

''I've been to [local record store] 2 Live Music several times and I have friends in Akron and we make trips to Krispy Kreme, but I'm always everywhere else but at home,'' she said by phone from her Cleveland home.

Doss' most recent album is Still . . . , a 14-track collection of R&B that garnered her the 2008 female vocalist of the year award from XM Satellite Radio show Soultracks, and she was nominated for best underground artist at the 2008 BETJ Virtual Awards. She was listed on iTunes as the best Underground/Indie Artist of R&B, and the head-nodding bluesy kiss-off single It's Over was named Best R&B Indie Track of 2008. Doss also spent a few weeks last year performing in London (where she has toured before) as well as gaining new fans in Bern and Zurich.

''Oh gosh, it was great. Some of the people could speak very little English, but they knew the words to my songs. It was really cool; they just enjoy music and that's what we need, more outlets here in the States. There is definitely an audience for the kind of music I do,'' she said.

Some of her potential audience may have already heard her sing and not known it, as Doss' mainstream profile was raised recently when she teamed up with fellow R&B artist Dwele (who also performed at the Keeper's Lounge in October) for a commercial campaign extolling the virtues of McDonald's new McCafe drinks.

''That was hot. We had a good time and he's so silly,'' she said.

''[The opportunity] feels like an extension of my labors and that they are paying off, and that was my first time doing a jingle. It was hard because you have to simplify. You have to get to the point and you have a short time to make the statement, you have 30 seconds. So it was hard, but I sure wish I had come up with that ba-da-da-da-da jingle,'' she said laughing.

Doss has made it this far as an independent artist and has no plans to make a play for major label support. Though being an indie artist means there is no buffer between the artist and the business and adds a layer of stress, Doss wants the control and freedom.

''You have to balance it out and decide. If you're expecting to get money upfront for the financial gains, then the majors may be for you. At the same time, you have the risk of them scrapping your whole record because somebody doesn't like it or you have to sacrifice your creativity, and if you weigh it out, I don't think it balances. Because at the end of the day, they present you with so many bills, you have to sell so many records and do so many shows to reap any actual benefits, while the smaller indie artist can directly see the effects of our labor,'' she said.

While many independent artists think of themselves as musicians who have day jobs to pay bills, Doss maintains a full second career as a language arts and math teacher for special-needs students, which she said provides a healthy balance with the music business.

The Keeper's Lounge show will likely be her last for a while, as she is preparing to hunker down and finish her next project, with the hope of a late spring/early summer 2010 release.

Malcolm X Abram can be reached at mabram@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3758.

Details

What: The Keepers Lounge with Conya Doss, Elemental Hard Groove and DJ Krate Digga

When: 9 p.m. Saturday

Where: The Stage Door at E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill St., on the University of Akron campus

Tickets: $10, $5 UA students

Information: 800-745-3000, 330-972-7570, http://www.keepersoftheart.com.

Conya Doss is a musical multitasker.

Get the full article here.


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