Roberta Lea is one of those rare songwriters where each spin gives her music new resonance. Lea is a storyteller first and foremost, and her songs are mature — stories of the day-to-day work that goes into maintaining a marriage and caring for a family. Her music also focuses on chasing dreams — ones as big as starting a music career in her 30s, and as small as creating a safe and happy home. With the release of her latest video “Dinner, Sunset, Nina Simone,” Lea tells us more about how the video was made, and how she always pays tribute to her roots.
The lyrics in this song are so evocative. Can you tell us how it came to be?
I had gotten t-boned in a parking lot. Our neighbor worked with cars and knew a guy we could see to get it fixed. So we got a rental car and drove across the tunnel to the other side of town to drop it off one evening. We realized it was getting late and we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in traffic, so we decided to grab something to eat before heading home. Well, being that it was 2021, a lot of restaurants were still closed for dining in because of Covid, so we settled for eating in the car in the parking lot. As we talked about all the random things we talk about, my husband and I brought up Nina Simone. My daughter asked “Mommy, who’s Nina Simone” and I put on a playlist for us to listen to. And there we sat, during sunset, eating dinner, and listening to Nina Simone. Three chords and the truth!
How much did you use the lyrics to “storyboard” the video?
Visually, I knew I wanted to shoot the video at a location that had old school vibes. I really wanted to lean into the idea of a classic visual. The first location at “The Big Pink” Victorian Station is a very special place for me because it was one of the foundational open mics that gave platform to me as a songwriter. The second location, Fort Monroe, is a historical landmark that is rich with the complex history of African American beginnings.
What was it like to make the video?
I had the privilege of working with Tremaine Etheridge of Phond, who is the videographer and director of “Dinner, Sunset, Nina Simone” and “Girl Trip. Featured in the video is the violinist on the track Bill Gurley and an aerialist Ashely Ray. It was a beautiful team effort amongst my fellow Hampton Roads creatives and I’m always grateful for that.
Now that the holidays are in full swing, what message do you think “Dinner, Sunset, Nina Simone” can give us?
The song is about finding a bubble of peace in the middle of a chaotic world. There are so many things outside of our control, like “the car needing fixin”, “the mortgage to pay” and all the other “problems to solve and measures to take”. Those things are going to be there. That’s simply a part of life. The song reminds us that we have to be intentional about creating joy, love and peace for ourselves, because the world is not a natural giver of those particular gifts.
How are you finding peace ahead of the new year and what it’s likely to bring?
I’m finding peace by focusing on myself and the people I love. I find peace by choosing to do things that make us happy and centering ourselves in the present moment? It can be as simple as candlelight, a book and a cup of tea or as detailed as planning a short getaway trip. It’s being ok with the feelings of sadness every now and then and realizing that it’s temporary. It’s having dinner and listening to our favorite old school records. The new year will bring the challenge of creating new momentum through collaborations, and that’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m playing the long game and building this dream piece by piece.