Wayne Armond going solo

As lead vocalist for the band, Wayne Armond’s work is distinct on tracks such as Good To Be There, Still Love You, and Revival Time. Although he has enjoyed much success as part of the 40-year old-group, in recent times, Armond has been toying with the idea of a solo career. To that end, the entertainer has been writing and recording tracks of his own, the first of which was released last month. According to Armond, the single, It’s Alright, seeks to offer a ray of hope for people going through difficult times. He told The Sunday Gleaner that although the track was written two years ago, now was the ideal time to feed it to the masses.

“Right now is exactly the right time for a song like this. With all the issues surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and the global pandemic that we are facing, people are losing hope badly,” he said. “It is up to us as artistes to send messages of hope, especially in a time like this. People really need something to hold on to, and that is exactly what I want to provide with this song. I want them to listen to it and know that everything is going to be all right.”

Armond says so far, the track has been receiving positive feedback, especially on the international circuit. He says that it has been getting good rotation in Africa in countries like Ghana and Nigeria but admits that he wants it to pick up momentum on home soil.”It’s been getting some airplay on stations such as Edge and Fire, and I’m really happy for that. I really would love it if it would get picked up by stations like Fame, Irie, and Nationwide because they have a larger audience, and this song deserves to be heard,” he said. “I’m rather proud of this song. When the song just come to you one time without even planning to write it and it just flows through, that’s the best. That’s how you know it will connect with other people because it was something spiritual.”

SOLO ALBUM

Armond went on to point out that him wanting to establish himself outside of the band is not to build something separate from Chalice’s legacy. In fact, Armond believes that even when he releases solo projects, people will still associate them with Chalice. For him, though, there are certain songs that are so personal that he has to deliver them alone. “Although Chalice is my focus as the band leader, I have been writing songs over the past couple of years that are personal to me. I have been putting them down, and I intend to put out a solo album still, although it might come out as Wayne Armond’z album, people will relate it to Chalice, and so I’m not doing it to get any recognition as Wayne Armond. As I said before, these songs are based on personal experiences, and I just want to show people some more of me. I have always been in the music for the music sake – it’s a passion – and so long as I can make people happy whether as part of Chalice or as Wayne Armond, I’m good.”

Armond has no set date in mind for when the solo album could be released but assures fans that it will be something to look forward to.

shereita.grizzle@gleanerjm.com