The soulful Kalamazoo singer-songwriter has been splitting time between Crescent City and her home state. The Local Spins Q&A with an artist playing Bell’s Spring Concert Series.
Returning to Bell’s on My 1: Yolonda Lavender (Photo/Caro Fletcher)
SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO A TRACK FROM LAVENDER’S LATEST EP
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As a much-admired Kalamazoo artist, composer and performer whose music spans R&B, neo-soul, jazz, gospel and hip hop, Yolonda Lavender has made waves in Southwest Michigan in more ways than one.
She’s also the CEO of Soul Artistry LLC, which has curated art-driven experiences and cultivated artistry in the region — a role she’s managed while also releasing music and performing. Over the years, she’s opened for the likes of Erykah Badu, Keith Murray and The Spinners.
On Friday (May 1), she’ll perform as part of the 2026 Spring Concert Series at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo. Tickets for the 8 p.m., 18-and-older show are $15.92 and available online here.
Also performing that night will be Asia Sings and Ja’Leeyna, and you can read more about Asia Sings in this recent Local Spins Artist Spotlight.
Lavender recently took time out to update Local Spins readers on the winter she spent in New Orleans and the ever-evolving process of songwriting.
Local Spins: What has been inspiring you lately? Whether that’s literature or film or music or being outside — anything like that. What’s been filling your cup?
Lavender: I for the last couple years have been splitting my time between Michigan and New Orleans. And I have gained a tremendous affinity for the city of New Orleans and the people and just the traditions and culture and the music of course is what drew me there. So I was able recently to spend an entire month there and it really has reinvigorated some kind of space for me to dream bigger and to hone in on my artistic contributions to the world. It really has inspired that.
Local Spins: In what ways?
Lavender: I mean, there’s a lot more opportunity around this time of year to be outside. Just enjoying the warmth. It’s a very walkable city and so being able to meet new people and stumble into a neighborhood dive bar and meet somebody that becomes a lifelong friend is a regular occurrence in New Orleans. So all of that, everything about the city, the culture, the traditions and the music has really inspired me.
Local Spins: You’ve been making music since you were a teenager. What keeps you wanting to create new songs and sounds?
Lavender: One of the things that I would say has been inspiring is when I see these like 75-year-old folks, you know, musicians on stage still playing. It really gives hope that this does not have to ever be over for you until it is. And so I really gravitate towards that and it puts me in a space of not feeling like I need to lean into what the music industry might be saying. Instead it creates this opportunity for me to lean into what’s possible for myself artistically.
Local Spins: Did you have a chance to to create any music or do any writing or perform while you were I’m New Orleans?
Lavender: Lots of writing and creating, and I can feel that the space is starting to open for opportunities for performance and making music. I’m being more intentional about making sure that I’m ready and available when the opportunities present themselves, but I’m not chasing anything, which feels exciting.
Inspired by Her New Orleans Experience: Lavender (Courtesy Photo)
Local Spins: What does that process of songwriting look like for you?
Lavender: That’s something that has changed a lot for me over the years which I’m grateful for. I’m in New Orleans or you know on the beach in Florida for a week being able to up the sun, see what comes to me, be near the water and things just pour out. Then after that, once I get more clarity and the song starts shaping up to be something, I really want to go into the studio to record and capture it.
Local Spins: I read that you have a pretty sacred pre-show ritual. I also read they you previously opened for Erykah Badu. What were your feelings and practices ahead of that show?
Lavender: I made the decision to ask for forgiveness and not permission which I’m still glad that I did. It was an opportunity for me to go into this real creative space to prepare for and design what I wanted this opportunity to be for myself. From the outfit that I was gonna wear, to who’s gonna help style all of these kinds of things like the song choices and everything. It was just like a lot of excitement and joy. It was also happening during the time that my grandfather had just passed away and so I was definitely holding that as well but also thinking about this performance opportunity as a way to honor him and l release this grief that I was experiencing. So there were a lot of emotions wrapped up in the prep for that show.
Local Spins: What’s your usual pre-show process like?
Lavender: My process for prepping for shows now is like again I’m all about ease and flow. I don’t believe in this false idea of urgency. I move with intention but I don’t believe in urgency or like anything that’s going to create a space of anxiousness for me and so I create as much space as I need for myself so that I can move in ease and flow.
Local Spins: You have a performance coming up in Kalamazoo at Bell’s on May 1 and I’m wondering what people can expect to hear and see on stage?
Lavender: I’m really excited that this is the second year that Bell’s has done this spring concert series. I was able to be a part of it last year and so this year, I’m really grateful that I’m able to headline one of the dates on May 1st along with Asia Sings, who’s a phenomenal vocalist, and also Jelena Dooley as well. I’m really excited. They’re just phenomenal so I have a lot of gratitude to be able to share the stage with the two of them. I’m also excited about the inspiration and the fulfillment of what I will receive from even experiencing their artistry and what they do on the stage before I go up. But I know that once it’s my time to be up there my performance is going to be intentional about creating good energy in the space that we need that right now and so I’m hopeful that people will be able to walk away having experienced a really good time, that they will enjoy the music, that they will hear something that feels familiar for them, and that the lyrics will be things that will touch them.
LISTEN: Yolonda Lavender, “Love” (from “GROW Acoustic Reimaginings”)
Copyright 2026, Spins on Music LLC
