This Sunday at MOTR, R&B singer and friend to Cincinnati, the powerfully soulful Alanna Royale will be stopping by for an emotional set in celebration of the release of her new LP, Trouble Is.

Ms. Royale has deep ties to Cincinnati, as she explains below, and her partnership with Colemine Records, Kelly Finnigan of Monophonics, and Soulstep Records has helped define this era of her career. Bold, energetic, and emotional, she’s looking forward to bringing her new set to MOTR and sharing her exceptional new album with everyone.

You can watch the video and listen to “Run Around,” right here! If you like (or love) what you hear, head over to Bandcamp and pick up the album in its entirety.

Check out my quick chat with Ms. Royale below, and make your way to MOTR on Sunday, October 22, to see what all the fuss is about - I promise you won’t be disappointed.

For those at CincyMusic and readers at home, can you introduce yourself? Let the readers know who you are, what you’re doing, and a little bit about what you’re all about!

HEY CINCYMUSIC READERS! My name is Alanna Royale and I am a Soul/R&B artist based out of Nashville. I just put out a new record, so I'm hitting the road with a stop in, Cincinnati because it's one of my favorite cities to hang out and play in.

I like to make music that's produced and arranged like the classic artists I grew up with - tape, live strings, no autotune, etc. - but is rooted in a modern feeling with more of a modern presentation.

If you haven’t touched on it yet, can you talk about some of the music you cut your teeth on, maybe what brought you to this realm of the music world?

When I think of the music that influenced my journey to this point, I really see a giant circle. You've got classic 60's R&B that leads to 70's Philly Soul that leads to 90's Hip Hop sampling, and then it all comes back around. These movements and styles seem to perpetuate themselves in my mind. I want to find myself somewhere linked across Nina Simone's rage and power, Marvin's tenderness and sorrow and Mary J. Blige's tenderhearted survival.

You’re touring in support of your new album, Trouble Is, which has some deep Cincinnati roots. Can you talk a bit about the album, its connection to Cincinnati, and what listeners are in for if they’ve never listened before?

Cincinnati definitely has a big spot in my heart and in the lore of my jump off. My producer Kelly Finnigan (of the band Monophonics) is signed to a label based here called Colemine Records and through my work with him, Colemine ended up putting out the first single from this record via 45. This is what really gave me the largest platform I had ever had and helped push me forward into this record. Since then, I’ve toured and played with many Colemine artists and have found a super supportive community here in town.

The tour will bring you to Cincinnati this weekend, on Sunday, October 22 at MOTR - can you talk a little bit about touring on the new record, and what new and old fans can expect?

I'm so excited to be coming back! I know old fans are going to see a whole new side of me as an artist and a performer as these new songs run FAR deeper than my old ones. I really put some of my hardest experiences into this record and there is a wider spectrum of emotions in the set now. Folks who are new to my live show might not be ready for my stream of consciousness segways through the show. If I'm really in it, I kind of check out of my own brain and sometimes I have no idea what's coming out.

Have you had any memorable experiences in Cincinnati that you want to mention?

I do! Years ago I came here to play MidPoint Music Fest at Mr. Pitiful's. The room was so packed that there was wetness dripping and it felt like the floor was going to completely give out. It was wild.

Anything else you want to add or mention?

Thank you for responding to me and giving me an opportunity for coverage. Indie and local outlets like CincyMusic are an essential part of the ecosystem of indie artists and your support means the world to me.

My thanks to Alanna Royale for taking the time to answer our questions (and reaching out in the first place), and my thanks to Tony for connecting us at the start.

For all the details about the show at MOTR this Sunday, here’s the event page. You do NOT want to miss this one.