by GERARD DEE

You might say the third time’s the charm for Montreal R&B singer Carl Henry. After two attempts at major-label status, the local singer is finally enjoying success with two albums—Solution RNB in French and RNB in English—on local independent label CeSoul. And he couldn’t be happier.

“We’re not bound by the major label standards,” says Henry. “We’re on our own. It gives us time to focus on specific markets and work it. Even the fact that we were able to work the first single for four, five months, you know we’re on our own timeline. It’s basically a grassroots thing, building that network across the country.”

The networking seems to be paying off. That first single (“One Night Stand” on the English set, “Sans lendemain” on the French set) got radio spins right across the country. The second English single “Sex U” is already getting spins in Toronto and Vancouver, just as Quebec radio gets ready for “Nuit du gel,” the second single off the French set.

“I have no one set way of writing a song,” Henry explains. “Nine times out of ten, what inspires me is that I’m working with a certain producer and I hear a musical arrangement that they’ve done and it triggers something.”

Supporting two albums, not to mention touring with two different shows, might sound confusing, but Henry keeps it under control. “There’s more work involved. I mean, you don’t want to end up some place and say, ‘Oh sorry, wrong set.’ It gets tricky because there’s a lot more to remember. But you stay focused. And that’s where rehearsals come in.”

Henry admits that staying focused isn’t always enough, especially when it comes to show time. But he’s learned how to deal with the butterflies. “I used to think of nervous energy as a bad thing, but I think it’s a good thing. I remember one time I wasn’t nervous and I got nervous for not being nervous. It’s kind of like you miss it if it’s not there, so you create a reason to be nervous.”

He says the tremendous pressure he puts on himself to give the fans what they want is part of the reason for the pre-show jitters. “You’re sharing a part of you with how many hundreds or thousands of people? And you don’t want to come off bad. You want to be on point. It’s like a test. Like, yeah, okay, these may be my fans, but I’m just getting started, these people don’t know me. I kind of have to prove myself.”

Still, he manages to keep it all in perspective. “I set the bar high for myself when it comes to the quality of what I put out. But whatever happens, happens. I don’t base my success on specific numbers, but it’s the satisfaction from doing what I enjoy.

“And, yeah, I hope I sell a million records, that would be like the cherry on top. But I don’t focus on that, I focus on the task at hand. You get ahead of yourself, you kinda get lost and lose your soul or who you are.” :

With Ashanti at Metropolis
on Saturday, Oct. 19, 8pm, $45, all ages

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