Episode #323: Liv Warfield TALKS Prince, ‘AGT’ Journey & Teatro ZinZanni

It is an honor and privilege to welcome singer-songwriter and performer Liv Warfield to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

A former track star and gymnast, Peoria, Illinois-born Liv Warfield began building her legend in Portland, Oregon. Despite having no formal background in singing, she gained the respect of local superstars and became an icon in her own right. While she takes cues from musical influences like Nina Simone, Etta James, Mavis Staples, Sade, Tina Turner, and Mary J. Blige, Warfield has carved out a style all her own, which can best be described as “alternative soul with a lil bit of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” In 2006, she self-released her debut album, Embrace Me. By 2009, she caught the eye of the one-and-only Prince and ultimately joined his group, the “New Power Generation.”

After touring for several years and soaking up as much knowledge as she could from the ultimate music mentor, Warfield made her big splash on the national scene in 2014, first as a featured artist for VH1’s “You Oughta Know” campaign and then with the release of her major label debut album “The Unexpected,” which was executive produced by Prince. What followed were show-stopping performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Arsenio Hall Show; a 2014 Soul Train Music Award and nominations for two others; a BET Best New Artist Award nomination; an interview with National Public Radio; and high-profile cosigns from Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, and Nancy Wilson of HEART. That same year, Warfield’s performance closing out Essence Fest was hailed as one of the most memorable after-shows at the New Orleans House of Blues. In 2015, the accolades grew, with Warfield and the NPG Hornz being named one of the top 10 bands to see at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. It’s no wonder she has left celebrities like Letterman declaring it’s time to “cancel show business!”

In 2017, Warfield began the next phase of her ascension, collaborating with another of her childhood influences, the aforementioned Nancy Wilson, to create the band Roadcase Royale. Their lead single, “Get Loud,” was featured prominently in the 2017 Women’s March, and they released their debut album, First Things First, later that year. If that weren’t enough, their remake of HEART’s “These Dreams” was featured in Molly’s Game, which starred Idris Elba, Jessica Chastain, and Kevin Costner. Warfield recently recorded music for the Oscar-nominated HBO documentary Da Bronx. She also tipped her hat into the theater realm to rave reviews playing Madame ZinZanni in the Chicago version of Teatro ZinZanni.

This past summer, Liv Warfield auditioned for the NBC talent competition America’s Got Talent: Season 19. Liv and her band performed an original song: “Stare,” that received a standing ovation from not only judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell but also a Golden Buzzer from the Got Talent creator. During the AGT: Season 19 Quarterfinals, Liv and the band blew the audience away by performing “The Unexpected,” a song Prince wrote for her.

In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Liv Warfield spoke about the lessons she learned from Prince, her time on AGT, and performing in Teatro ZinZanni.

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