Known as one half of Angelo and Veronica, Veronica Petrucci has been a tour de force in Christian music since the 1990s.  Their debut solo album in 1992, "Higher Place" caught the attention of both Gospel music mogul Bobby Jones and legendary hit pop songwriter Diane Warren to create the incomparable sound that is Angelo and Veronica.  They went on to record 6 albums with Benson Music Group, Verity Records and Harmony Records, a division of Sony, Inc. They are recipients of three Dove awards including Contemporary Black Gospel song of the year and Urban Album of the year. 

Now Veronica Petrucci is back with her debut solo album "Make It Out Alive" which includes special guests Fred Hammond, John P. Kee, Shirley Murdock, Canton Jones and Mississippi Mass Choir.  Not only is BreatheCast privileged enough to review her new album recently, we were able to sit down with her to talk about it:  

BreatheCast:  Thank you so much for doing this interview with us.  Let's start with your days as one half of Angelo and Veronica, what sets you apart from many contemporary Christian groups is that you were never constrained to one particular sound.  You had always mix R&B, funk, Gospel, pop, ballads into your music, was that deliberate?

Oh, thank you.  No, it was not deliberate, it just came naturally.  We come from similar yet different musical backgrounds.  Angelo's background was jazz (his dad was a jazz guitar player in Boston), R&B, funk and pop.  My background was Latin music (salsa in particular), rock, pop & later R&B.  I actually heard Gospel Music for the first time when I was at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.  And it changed the direction of my life musically and spiritually..
 

BreatheCast: During your Angelo and Veronica days, you were not afraid to record songs from writers not often associated with the Christian genre like Michael Bolton, Diane Warren and even Carole King! What do you think of Christians doing secular music?

Well, you have to remember the very first Angelo & Veronica single was a love song called "I Love You More".  You also have to remember at the time we were newlyweds.  We married in April of 1992 and our first album "Higher Place" released in August of 1992.  And we were coming out of singing in clubs and restaurants at that time as well, so we did not see anything wrong with it.  We sang songs with a lot of strong Christian lyrics but because we were a married couple did not see anything wrong with also singing love songs.  And I'm glad we still do!  

As far as Diane Warren goes, she was at the Dove Awards 1993 when we sang "I Love You More" and came up to us and wanted to pitch us songs for the next album (A&V).  So the songs we did of hers were personally pitched to us by her.  And again the songs we did, did not conflict with anything in our spiritual beliefs..

As far as Christians doing secular music, I can only speak for ourselves.  If something does not conflict with our spiritual beliefs, and is a great song and is something we want to say, we will consider.  Music expresses what we want to say.  Jesus spoke in parables to the people using stories and illustrations.  What a better illustration than the love between a man and a woman!  But in private, he explained everything in depth with the disciples.  So it depends who you are speaking to.  We wanted to and still want to reach the people.  So Jesus was able to relate to everyone but had wisdom in his delivery.  This is the wisdom we ask for; the wisdom to win souls.  But even more than that, what's important to God is living a Christian lifestyle as opposed to a "secular" or sinful lifestyle no matter whether you sing Christian or secular...

BreatheCast:  Let's move now to talk about your brand new solo project "Make It Out Alive" what made you want to do a solo project?

I didn't!  When Angelo first came to me back in 2001 and told me that God had told him it's time for me to do solo project, I was terrified!  I know many people might find that hard to believe but being a solo act is different than being in a group!  So songs like "No Fear" come from that place of dealing with my deep fears and insecurities that plagued me for so long.  But I knew in my heart it as was time for me to tell my story.   I knew deep down God wanted me to share my testimony.  So from that time, I starting preparing myself physically, vocally, spiritually to help me have the confidence to release what is now "Made It Out Alive"..

BreatheCast: You have some of the biggest names in Gospel music working with you on this new record including John P. Kee, Fred Hammond, Canton Jones, Shirley Murdock and the Mississippi Mass Choir, how did this come about?

Wow! Yes, I do!  And it turns out, I have another up and coming special guest on my CD named Will Champlin from "The Voice".  He co-wrote "No Fear", "Made It Out Alive" and others on the album.  And also sang background vocals.  He happens to be the son of Bill Champlin from the group Chicago.  I am so thankful to Will for these songs we co-wrote which enabled me to express some of the most defining moments of my life.

John P Kee is longtime industry friend and featured Angelo & Veronica ("God Knows" song) on his very successful "Show Up" video many years ago.  He is also the one who asked Angelo and I to sing at the Inaugural at Constitutional Hall.  And I just sang another duet with him for his hit song "Life & Favor" in Spanish.  And on top of that, he so generously lent his talents for this album on "Expecting Great Things".

When we first signed with Benson in 1992, the first person we asked to work with was Fred Hammond.  Fred happened to be on the same label and ended up producing on "Higher Place" and "Give Your Life" albums.  So it was quite an honor to work with him again.  And while we were working on the song, Angelo had the idea of pulling in another person.  So Fred made call to Canton Jones!  So it turned out to be a double blessing!

Shirley Murdock is a singer I have long admired.  She is one of the best.  I finally got to meet her not too many years ago.   Her and her husband are great people.  It was a dream to do a duet with her!

And Mississippi Mass Choir was actually my husband's idea because he thought they would be perfect behind my song, "Made It Out Alive".  "Made It Out Alive" is probably the song that is nearest and dearest to my heart because it is my testimony in it's most raw form.  And they are perfect for the song!  And honored to have worked with them..

 BreatheCast:  One of the songs that have personally brought me a lot of comfort is your faith affirming ballad "No Fear," can you tell us more about this song?

Oh, I'm so glad it blesses you!  Yes, "No Fear" again is a big part of my testimony because I have had such a struggle with the spirit of fear.  Which probably started in my life as a little girl.  I remember being so timid and afraid of everything.  And as I got older this fear worsened into depression.   It was stealing my peace and destroying my dreams.  It keep me in constant state of worry and anxiety.  And tormented me incessantly.  Truly, fear was getting in the way of my destiny and affecting every area of my life.   It was trying to take my life.  In fact, in 1997, my son was born.  My husband took my son out one day and when they left I planned to commit suicide.  This spirit told me (in my spirit) I was not a good wife, I was not a good mother, I was not a good Christian and I would be doing my harm than good by staying in the world.  And that I should throw myself out the window and end it all.  I meditated that entire day on how I would take my life but all of sudden my husband and my son came home and I was not able to do what I planned.  Thank God for the very presence of God, the very presence of my family that saved my life that day.  After that time, I remember sitting in church still very distraught but I heard one thing that would change my Christian walk forever.  All the preacher said was, "when you read the bible read it out loud".  I was so desperate to try anything.  It turns out the bible say "Faith come hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  So I went home and started highlighting scriptures that spoke to me.  And one of those scriptures was 2 Tim 1:7 " For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  I slowly realized that I had been living with this spirit of fear on my life.  But I started to fill my life with the word of God, and the fear slowly began to subside and faith started rising up.  I also began to take up my authority as a believer and told the spirit of fear go, in Jesus name!  So this is song of deliverance!  The Lord gave me these words "no fear, no fear no fear..just faith, just faith, just faith".  It has become an anthem for me because of overcoming the biggest demon in my life; fear!

BreatheCast:  I also love your cover of Tamela Mann's "Take Me to the King."  Why did you decide to cover this song?  And why did you decide to record this song live rather than a studio track?

Sorry to say but this song was not our idea.  A woman named Vicki Mack Lataillade asked us to do it.  She has great ideas.  And I'm so glad we did it.  It is able to capture so many demographics all at the same time.  Surprising to say, I have been singing this Spanish version more in the American church.  But really that has been so much of what our ministry has been about, bringing races and cultures together.  So that's why I love it..

BreatheCast: There are a couple of songs "Women of Faith" and "A Voice for Women" that addresses the needs of women.  I know the ministry to women is very close to your heart, can you tell us more about this?

Yes, it was so important to me to drive home my ministry, "A Voice for Women".  This ministry again is based on my testimony but focuses more on the area of self-esteem and self-worth that women struggle with.  Because my depression also came from low self-worth and bad self image.  But again God changed that in my life.  And has shown me I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  The word of God changed my perception of myself.  And I can now say "I know who I am" in Christ Jesus.  So I want to teach women to speak positive confessions from the word of God so they can begin to feel differently about themselves.  Our motto is "your voice can make a difference".   And this is what I want to teach women to speak the word of God over themselves, over their families, over their lives.  It is our voices (when we speak the right things) that do make the difference!

BreatheCast:   What are your plans in terms of promoting this new record?  Will there be a supporting tour?

"Made It Out Alive" has been on the main page of iTunes and on New & Noteworthy for several weeks.  This has been great promotion.  Yes, I have already been traveling extensively to promote this music and most of all, share my testimony.  And yes, I would love to be part of a tour..

BreatheCast: What is the future of Angelo and Veronica, can we look forward to a future album soon?

We are still Angelo & Veronica and still doing ministry together!  Angelo produced nearly this entire album and was the true visionary for my ministry.  Something he has wanted for me for a very long time.  So this is still Angelo & Veronica!  Except I am the new face of the ministry.  God is doing a new thing.  Angelo was the voice of Angelo & Veronica,  and I am the voice of this new ministry.  

So honestly, there are no plans for another Angelo & Veronica CD but hey if someone drops us $100,000 I think we'll be able to do it..lol!

BreatheCast: As we are approaching Christmas now, what does Christmas mean to you?

Shopping?! Just kidding..lol  Christmas to me means the birth of Jesus and He was born so I could live!!!  And speaking of the birth of Jesus, "Angelo & Veronica" are re-releasing "Away in a Manger" this Christmas season.  It is the best Christmas arrangement I have ever heard..