"Part of Liv's mastery is in the way she blends rhythm and blues with neo-soul and hip-hop, which few vocalists can handle. There is a similarity in delivery with that of Sade, but Liv's singing has more body, a fullness that evades Sade. Clearly Liv Warfield sets a mark for others to shoot for, including some well-known national acts."
-Dick Bogle, The Portland Observer
Ascending from a family history of extraordinary talent arises a self-trained singer, songwriter, performer, arranger and co-producer, Liv Warfield. Warfield is R&B’s purest new musician since Sade.
Out of an era dominated by the R&B synthesizer, over sampled hip-hop production and a distinctly bohemian neo-soul movement, emerges a fundamentally pure artist that defies the modern trends of her genre and embodies a global art form through her cross-categorical appeal. A singer who organically blends classic soul, electric rock, sultry rhythm and straight-up sexy blues like Tina Turner—and it’s only the beginning.
Artistic genius flows through the veins of this Peoria-born songstress and close relative of the late comedian Richard Pryor. Born July 10, 1979, Liv Warfield grew up in a solid Pentecostal household where the expression of music was traditionally shunned. As the daughter of a respectable deacon at the Pentecostal Church of Jesus, Warfield was a shy and unassuming child. However, her star quality surfaced at an early age despite her genuine spirit of humility. By age 8, Warfield’s stellar athleticism blossomed. Eventually developing into an Olympic-caliber sprinter and an All-American gymnast, Warfield’s star was rising as she graced the Midwest with her tremendous athletic prowess.
It wasn’t until she moved to Portland, Oregon on a Track & Field scholarship that she gained the opportunity to disclose her long repressed musical talent when a friend introduced her to Karaoke. “I had kept my voice a secret for over 20 years,” states Warfield. “Athletics were my primary discipline and the encouraged formula of success in my family.” Like soul sister Mary J. Blige, Warfield self-trained her powerfully raw vocals through Karaoke. She immediately channeled the same discipline instilled through athletic conditioning into her newly revealed gift of music. Warfield trained religiously five-days a week at Portland’s Galaxy and Ambassador Lounges.
Liv Warfield emerged on Portland’s music scene in 2002 where she began performing with a hip-hop band called “Money N’ Lovin” followed by a successful showcase collaborating with Nashville keyboardist Joey Porter and his soul-jazz ensemble “Silky,” where Warfield became lead vocalist. In 2004, Liv took center stage in her own band entitled “Liv & The Warfield Project.”
Rooted in the Chicago soul of the Midwest, Warfield is an inherently live performing artist known for the gospel-like fervor she delivers during her signature rock and soul performances. She is backed by a talented band of musicians who perform every solo as if they had caught the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Warfield intoxicates listeners with her impressive multi-octave range, her tangible sense of intimacy and the way that she naturally conducts her band like a symphony composer.
In September 2006, B&M Records, Inc. released Warfield’s debut album Embrace Me, which guides listeners through a collection of sexy mid-tempo grooves that can be enjoyed from beginning to end. It is through Warfield’s lyrical clarity, her vocal conviction and the brilliance of her timeless arrangements, where she eclipses her contemporaries. Her succinct and purposeful songwriting, inspired by the “message music” of Curtis Mayfield, fuses her gospel-guided sensibilities with secular lyrics that are sultry without sacrificing her foundation of moral authority.
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