Tracy Cruz
I first had the privilege of hearing Tracy Cruz at a showcase in downtown San Jose, California. I remember watching the band and the back up singers take the stage and I thought to myself this girl has a huge crew for an independent artist. At that point I had never seen or heard of Tracy Cruz, so I did not know what to expect. The band starts playing and the music sounds awesome and about 3 minutes into the band playing this very beautiful and petite Pilipino appears on stage. She greets the crowd and then proceeds to sing her first note. I was instantly amazed that such a small lady could have such a powerful and beautiful voice. After watching her perform a magnificent show, I instantly purchased her album “FEEL’OSOPHY,” and again I was greatly surprised at the level of talent Tracy possesses. The album from top to bottom has awesome production, powerful lyrics, and beautiful singing. While I enjoy the whole album, I am especially fond of her songs, “Blue Eyes,” and “Amigo.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Tracy Cruz……
1. Where are you originally from? Do you have any brothers or sisters? Does you family support your music aspirations?
I'm originally from the Philippines. I was born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon and I moved to the United States with my family at the age of 5. I have one brother who is 9 years younger than me. My immediate familydoes support my music aspirations. At a young age, my parents completely nurtured my love for music by enrolling me in several music classes. Also, they watched every single one of my performances that I had growing up. My husband Allen Ross is also very supportive of my music career. Not onlyis he my manager, booking agent, promoter, producer, artistic and music director, he's my #1 fan!
2. I read that you started performing at the young age of 12 years old. What was your inspiration to get into music and did you know early on that music was something that you would like to do as a profession?
I was inspired to get into music at the tender age of 2 because music was always floating around me. I always saw my mother and grandmother sing wherever they went and music was always playing in our house. My family encouraged me to express myself musically to everyone at a young age so I grew up believing that singing was a natural part of life. I knew at the age of 12 that I wanted to make music my profession so I began enrolling in music classes, joining choirs and band, performing at talent competitions, community events and church functions to improve my vocal and stage presence techniques.
3. Your music is very intimate and you have some powerful ballads. What is your process when you are creating a song?
My process of creating a song varies. Sometimes my husband/producer Allen Ross will create a beat and I will come up with lyrics and a melody that fits. Other times I will write lyrics and come up with a melody and show it to my husband, and he will customize a beat for the song.
4. You listen to a variety music genres, which all influence your musical style. What would you say are your 3 favorite albums of all time, why?
My favorite 3 albums of all time are Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek's (Reflection Eternal) “Train of Thought” for its thought provoking lyrics and dynamic music production, Erykah Badu's “Mama's Gun” for its warm, mellow sound, clever song topics and live music elements and Jill Scott's “Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds, Vol. 1” because of its romantic lyrics and soulful, angelic melodies.
5. Allen Ross is your producer and co-song writer on some of your songs. He is also your husband. How did you two meet?
My husband Allen and I met back in 2001 in a Gospel ensemble class at San Jose State University. He was the piano player and I sang in the alto section.
6. How is it working with your husband on your music? Do you two ever fuss at each other on how a song should sound?
Working with my husband on music is very special to me. Since we have a deep connection with each other, we have the ability to create music that is very genuine and heartfelt. The songs we create are all based on our personal dreams, experiences, thoughts, emotions and issues. Working with my husband is also a meticulous process since we always thoroughly examine the concept, lyrics and musical elements of a song and make several revisions before actually recording it. Sometimes my husband and I do disagree on how a song should sound because we may have completely different ideas at the time. For example, I may want to sing a song with a powerful tone but my husband recommends that I sing with a more gentle approach.
7. Besides Allen, do you work with any other song writers or producers on any of your music?
As of right now, I'm only working with my husband on production and songwriting. However I do plan on collaborating with other artists on my second album and future projects.
8. You put out a 4 track EP called “Illuminate Love,” which had a song titled ‘For You.’ The song featured Kanetic Source from Ozomatli. How did you link up with him?
My husband Allen worked with Kanetic Source a few years ago at a music store. They both decided to work together on production. One day we decided to show him the instrumental to “For You” and he really liked it so we asked him to drop a verse on it.
9. Why did you decide to only put out an EP for your first record instead of doing a complete full length album?
I decided to release an EP instead of a full length album because I wanted to test out my sound to the public and see how people would react to it. If I got a positive response, then I would continue to create a style that's similar to the songs on my EP. However if I received a negative response, then I would go back and revamp my style to create an newly improved sound. Also I wanted to generate a little bit of a buzz for my name and musical style before launching a complete project.
10. 3 years after your EP you put out your full length debut album titled “Feel’osophy.” Why wait so long to put out the debut LP?
I decided to wait 3 years to put out a debut LP because I really wanted to polish my songwriting, vocal and performing abilities first. I didn't want to launch my project without being fully comfortable with “myself” as an artist and I wanted to make sure I was putting out music that was genuine not just ear candy.
11. How would you describe the sound of “Feel’osophy,” to a person who has never heard your music?
Feel'osophy is a blend of various musical styles ranging from Soul, R&B, Jazz and Hip Hop and consists of soulful head-bobbing beats, velvety rich vocals, heartfelt lyrics and memorable melodies.
12. How has the public response been to the new album? Do you feel happy with the album?
The public response to the new album has been very positive. I have gotten a lot of love, encouragement and support from listeners of all different ages, walks of life and from everywhere in the world telling me how much they enjoyed listening to the album and how they liked my style, sound and lyrics. I do feel happy with the album because the songs I created were very “real”-I wrote the songs based on what I was feeling or experiencing at the time. I felt that “Feel'osophy” was my musical biography.
13. How long is the album as far as time length and how many tracks are on the album? Is there a conscious effort to make a certain number of songs or does the process just happen?
My album is an hour and 1 minute long, with 16 tracks. There is a conscious effort to make a certain number of songs. Before we even start preparing for the production of the album, we agree on a goal of creating a specific amount of songs. For instance, we make twice as many songs so we can narrow it down to our top 10 to 16 songs.
14. You have done live performances all over California. Do you enjoy performing in front of people?
I really enjoy performing in front of people because it's a lot of fun to share my musical creations with others. It's definitely a blessing to be able to connect with people through my voice, lyrics and music. Performing is a magical experience in itself, it's impossible to describe the rush I get when I see people singing along to my songs, smiling, dancing and having a wonderful time!
15. I had the opportunity to catch a show and you come fully equipped with a live band as well as back up singers. How much rehearsal goes into a Tracy Cruz show?
A lot of preparation and practice goes into my shows. My musicians and I have weekly rehearsals a couple of times a week. I also set up separate weekly rehearsals for my background vocalists and a full band rehearsal a few times before the show. We rehearse for 3 hours, constantly going over our set list and make specific arrangements on each of those songs.
16. Are there any plans to do a tour to promote the new album? If so, are you willing to travel outside of California or even the United States to do a show?
Yes I will be going on a 10 city tour in mid-October of this year to promote my album as well as new, unreleased songs. I'm definitely willing to travel outside of California and the United States to do a show because I would be able to gain new audiences and create a buzz in different places.
17. Are there any plans to sign with a major label or do you prefer to stay independent?
Yes I do plan on signing with a major or independent label and a distribution deal in the near future.
18. Would you ever crossover and make a pop song in order to gain more commercial success?
I wouldn't necessarily make a pop song in order to gain more commercial success rather I would use the elements of a pop song such as a catchy hook or popular musical sounds to gain a broader audience.
19. Your music sounds phenomenal! These days, music is not just based on talent but also look, (which I think sucks!) do you feel that you are at an advantage or disadvantage being a Filipino soul singer?
Thank you so much! I believe that being a Filipino soul singer can both be an advantage and a disadvantage for specific reasons. I feel that it can be an advantage because you're not the typical Soul singer as far as image which would set you apart from other artists. The disadvantage is that people in the music industry may not be ready to take their chances on a Filipino soul singer since it has never been done before and would require a large amount of risk taking.
20. Is it tough being a mom and wife, while trying to pursue a music career?
It can be a challenge to pursue a full-time music career while being a mother and wife because they all require a lot of my time, patience and effort. I have to find the right balance to make sure I put in enough time to enhance and strengthen my marriage, give love and attention to my children and create high quality and meaningful music.
21. What is the overall goal for Tracy Cruz? In the next 5 years where would you like to be musically?
My overall goal is to be signed to a major or independent label. I would also like to perform across the United States and around the world. In the next 5 years, I would like to have released two more solid albums and be the strongest singer, songwriter and performer I could possibly be and reach the level of prominent singers including Chaka Khan, Jill Scott and Ledisi.
22. Any last words for the fans out there?
I would like to thank all of my fans out there for their consistent love and support. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my music, attend my shows, give me feedback on songs, sending me encouraging messages, and buying my albums. Thank you for appreciating my music for what it truly is! You all inspire me to continue to share my heart , mind and soul through my music with the world.