Andra Day

I am happy that I can challenge myself in various fields. ”

When I heard Billie Holiday's voice, Nina Simone's and Ella Fitzgerald's - there was something about their voices to me that was such a different texture than what I was used to listening to at the time. Hearing those jazz voices were so different, and I think I just gravitated toward it. ”

I decided to see how my voice sounds on different type of records. So I did Eminem and the Biggie, Florence and the Machine, and Muse covers. A couple of them just came from some jam sessions between me and my sister in her bedroom at my father's house in San Diego. ”

I style my hair so frequently that I need a really good conditioner to keep it moisturized. ”

The album 'Cheers to the Fall' is really kind of me breaking out and being like, 'Listen, I don't care about criticism, and I don't care about possibility of failure. I'm going to do it. And if I do fail, well then, here's to it.' ”

I loved Lauryn Hill; I loved the Fugees. ”

Actors and singers share common ground in that they both express something. ”

It would have been so awesome to be born in the Thirties and be in your prime in the Fifties. Except for the whole being black thing, obviously! ”

It was so surreal, having my parents hear the President and First Lady saying to me, 'Good to see you again! We're so proud of you. We watched you on the Grammys and were like, 'That's our girl!' ”

What I wear onstage is so stylized and bold. ”