Nicole C. Mullen

It’s been several years now since Nicole C. Mullen swept into the hearts of listeners everywhere with the now classic, “Redeemer.” That song propelled the artist across the airwaves, into homes and churches, and across denominational and racial bounds. That examination of relationship characterized the first of Mullen’s trilogy, The Sharecropper’s Seed, and has continued it’s way into her latest effort, A Dream To Believe In.

Soul-Audio recently sat down with the artist to discuss this latest album, her experiences as an African-American woman in the CCM industry, and her relationship with her husband and others in the music world.

Soul-Audio: Now, your last album dealt with the power of differing relationships while this one seems to deal with more of that, touching on romantic encounters, husband and wife stuff as well. With a title like A Dream to Believe In, what is that dream for you?

Nicole C. Mullen: There are topics on the album that deal with relationships and maybe a couple of them have to do with “couples” but the rest of the eight tracks really are how we as people are loving across color lines, economic lines, gender lines, and denominational lines. According to the scriptures, Jesus prayed that we would be one and I think the album is a call to answer the prayer of Christ to reach across those differences, to embrace the sameness of Christ in all of us that have professed His name. In the end it does have relationship songs on it but I think it’s more about relationships of people rather than just husband and wife.

SA: Also, just from the title and the first cut, “I Have a Dream,” it’s tough to shake the concepts of racial reconciliation from that line. What is your take on being an African-American woman in today’s CCM industry?

Nicole: I’m enjoying it even though there are obstacles every now and then but for the most part God has given me favor so I thank Him for that. I have had a great embracing audience so that in itself is a gift from God. I speak on racial issues because we as the body of Christ are called to be the remedy and not to follow the world being politically correct but we are called to be Christ correct.

And again, Christ says that they will know we are Christians not by the songs we sing, not by the deeds that we do, but by the way we love each other. I feel like I’m one of His messengers to remind us of that fact and to encourage us, not to shame us, to reach across the lines of our differences and to embrace each other in the name of Christ.

SA: Musically, you possess some chameleon-like qualities, jumping from radio-friendly pop to more urban-flavored sounds and more. Which of these sounds is most natural for you and why?

Nicole: They’re all natural for me. I think it’s kind of like a gumbo; which flavor is more dominant. It’s kind of hard to tell since they’re all mixed together and that’s how it is for me so if you hear at one moment I’m doing something that is R&B, another moment something more Pop, another moment something that lends itself to Reggae a little bit, or one moment something that has a little Hip-Hop or ballad or strings, I love playing it all. These are extensions of who I am and they are pages from journals of that day of life.

I said a long time ago and it probably still stands true that hopefully when people hear my music they know if they like it, they know who they like and if they don’t, they know who they don’t like but hopefully they enjoy the pieces I’m presenting.

SA: What’s it like for you and David to work in the studio together? What sort of strains does it put you guys through? How do you leave work at work?

Nicole: We have done a lot better lately but in our early years it was a lot more spicy. You know that saying when iron strikes iron sparks will fly, there were some sparks at times because it used to be harder to differentiate a comment when you took everything as a criticism. I think we’ve gotten closer to the point of being able to separate ‘you’re critiquing my art’ as opposed to ‘you’re critiquing me.’ With this past album it was the smoothest I have to say and either we just don’t care about the little squabbles anymore or we matured a little bit to where we can let them roll.

But David’s brilliant as God has really gifted him. He is a great producer who is very smart but at the same time he’s one of the few people that can finish and write a song in my voice. Often I will start a song and get stuck; he is the one I will pass it off to and at the end of the day it is what I wish I had written myself.

SA: And as you have worked hard at carving out your niche in this industry, who are the artists who inspired you, who you looked up to? Why?

Nicole: The artists who have probably inspired me the most would definitely be artists like Amy Grant, who took me under her wing and on tour a long time ago as a background singer. Michael W. Smith, who is still one of my big brothers in the faith, CeCe Winans, I love her….a woman of integrity, of character, a good singer. There are a lot of artists I look up to and respect.

I love to encourage the new artists that are out there and to remember that singing is what you do and not who you are. At the end of the day hopefully you are a good mother, hopefully you’re a good friend, hopefully you’re a great daughter, hopefully you’re a great sister. These are the things that make us who we are, the character, and the singing, the writing, and the dancing are the icing on the cake. Those are the things we do and let’s not mingle them and not mistake them for who we are.

SA: What are your thoughts on the shifting sands of the music industry, and the Christian music industry in particular? Are you excited by the changes? Concerned?

Nicole: I’m excited to see Christian music reach out to the world more. That’s the part I love. When I see us taking the water to the desert instead of just taking the water back to the sea. I love it when we are able to be salt in a salt-less world. In that regard, I say let’s take more of it out there, let’s do our best to encourage the believers but entice the non-believers to taste and see that our God is good.

Now from the industry, I know there are a lot more independent labels that are coming up and a lot of people are doing their own thing so I say, “go for it.” I think we are definitely going toward a more internet-friendly music industry so it seems. I’m just like, Lord wherever you’re going to take it, wherever it’s allowed to go, and wherever you want me to go that’s what I’m willing. The rest of it, the how to’s, the jot and tittle, that’s not my expertise to be honest. Mine is to write, to sing, and present the message. But I’m excited about the other avenues coming available for us, but the other details I’ll leave for the smart people.

SA: “Redeemer” has clearly been a good song to you. Do you ever tire of singing that song? And, if so, just to have fun, if you had to choose, what song out there would’ve been your signature song if you could’ve picked it?

Nicole: No, I don’t ever tire of singing “Redeemer” believe it or not. Now there are times I would love to lower the key and sometimes I’m hoarse by the end of the song I have to admit but I’m very grateful to the Lord for entrusting me with the gift. I was just a secretary that day when it came to the pipeline. I didn’t create it as I just took the notes and hopefully I got it right. Hopefully it has touched people’s lives and that it will continue to do so. And if that is the case, then really again that is Christ’s doing.

And as far as the song I wish I had written there are several. One would probably be “I Hope You Dance.” I love that song. Another is “A Kiss So Sweet.” That’s one of my favorites. I love a great song, I love a great story in a song. And I love a song that’s able to paint a picture and my favorite pictures are pictures of hope.

• www.nicolecmullen.com
• www.myspace.com/therealnicolecmullen

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