"LOVE AS A VERB":

Brunner: Who are some of your biggest music influences?

Odom: Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole, James Taylor. With this record it took us some time to define a lane for ourselves. As a theatrical performer, my job is to be malleable and sing all different styles of music as they're put in front of me in a way that feels authentic and germane. I tried to define a lane for myself which makes sense and is someplace where I feel comfortable. So you wouldn't get a jazz album from me one year, then a rock album from me the next. [...]

Brunner: The many years between Rent and Hamilton you struggled in your career. What kept you going?

Odom: If you stay in this long enough, you're going to run into hard patches. In those lean times when you don't know how you're going to pay your bills, when you don't know, literally, where your next meal is coming from -- those are the times that you ask yourself the question: Why am I doing this?

The answer that I came up with is I am truly in this for connection. I get off on the connection that I have with people. In Hamilton it's the people who are with me on stage. It's the audience. When I'm working on my solo album, it's the musicians. It's that high. That creativity, the sharing that happens in the studio, the way we connect and vibe. We make something that didn't exist five minutes ago. I am hooked on that. That's what I'm here to do. I want to have honest and deep conversations with people through my art.

Brunner: What advice would you give to people just beginning their careers in any profession?

Odom: You can rid yourself of some of the anxiety by trusting your instincts and following your passion. Follow what you love. And eventually, the thing that you love, and I mean love as a verb, will love you back.

I mean, if you love something, read about it, study it, honor it, constantly walk towards it. That's what I would say to somebody interested in law, medicine, fashion, anything. Get up in its face. Keep showing up with your heart open, ready to dig in, ready to roll up your sleeves. It has no choice. Eventually it'll love you back.

Brunner: When you think about Hamilton, what did the show give you?

Odom: Hamilton has restored my faith the theater. There's a part of you that believes deep down in your soul that you might be capable of something great. But until you're given that opportunity, it's just a feeling. Lin gave us the opportunity to prove to ourselves that we were capable of something great, and that, if given the opportunity, we could do something really special. I will never forget that. Now, I have no doubts. That's a wonderful thing.

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