Lemar’s got the right chemistry

Mar 20 2009 By Polly Weeks

A second album, Time To Grow, followed in 2004, but it was the single If There’s Any Justice that transformed Lemar into a household name. Album three, 2006’s The Truth About Love, cemented his place as a member of UK R&B royalty.

Lemar’s life took another turn at the beginning of 2008, when his long-term partner Charmaine Powell gave birth to a baby girl.

While music remains an important part of his life, he says his priorities have changed.

“You always miss your loved ones when you go on tour, now I’m definitely going to miss the little one,” he says.

“I missed her when I was recording and as she grows she develops even more of a bond with me, so the leaving becomes that much harder, but I also know I love what I’m doing and I do it so I can provide for her. So it’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s cool though, I’ll get through.”

Fatherhood had an immediate impact on his work, especially as he was working on his fourth album, The Reason, at the same time.

Lemar admits he felt pressure to write songs that reflected his new status. “After about a month or so I thought, do you know what? “With this album I’m just going to let myself go, just be me. I’ve had quite a lot of success and achieved quite a few things - I should embrace all that and celebrate it.

“I obviously wanted it to be better than the last album, I want to have a better single then the last single - that natural competition is in me but I think the personal pressure I would have put myself under isn’t there anymore. This isn’t my first album, it’s my fourth, likewise it’s not my first tour, this is the 10th single and so I feel much more relaxed with who I am and I’m just happy to still be doing it and I’ve got the opportunity to bring out some more music and hopefully inspire some people.”

Ticket Info

LEMAR March 27: NIA.

Tickets: £25 plus booking and transaction fee from 0844 33 88 000.