Thus the thrust of Latice’s stunning 2016 sophomore album the five-song EP, Diary of a Church Girl, released via an exclusive licensing partnership with EchoPark ARTS Entertainment and distributed by Caroline Distribution, the Independent Services division of Capitol Music Group (CMG). Self-penned and nakedly autobiographical, the project resonates with authenticity because Latice’s goal is to connect to listeners in personal sometimes painful ways that transcend traditional gospel song story-lines.

 “Diary of a Church Girl are songs from my life and relationships—the good and the bad: an emotional journey through the eyes of a human being who happens to be a Christian.”

“Author,” the EP’s sweetly orchestrated and lyrically fortifying first single, speaks to the central theme of allowing God to work through you in your darkest hour. Each song has a corresponding story that Latice elaborates on when she performs them, in interviews and with people that come to her aching to know what inspired them. “In this day of social media, if people don’t see the person behind the songs—know what you cry about—they don’t want to buy your music,” Latice states.

Latice collaborated on all five songs for Diary of a Church Girl with producer, Bruce Robinson, who worked with her on most of her first CD including the single “There.” From the soulful guitar plea of “Choose Me” to the old school piano nostalgia of “In Love With You” to the feel good sway of “Look At Yourself Again” to the big hand-clappin’ finish of “Whatcha Gonna Do,” the duo shaped specific sounds and vibrations that amplified the arc of each story—none sounding like another. “I have an old soul,” Latice confesses. “I like funk and jazz. Bruce is from down south and we really ‘get’ each other. For every song I write and arrange, the music has to promote the same emotion. From the keys to the instrumentation, the songs ascend or descend the same way as the stories.”

Latice, whose current church is Grace Memorial Community Outreach where her father pastors and her mother Sharon worships, concludes, “When I recorded Diary of a Church Girl, I had no expectations. I did it for me—to prove that I could share some things that were on my heart. I believe people hear my sincerity and transparency. When it debuted at No. 15, it was the only EP on the Billboard Gospel chart. To see so many people commenting online and that the songs are so relatable is amazing. That showed me it doesn’t take God to come off the mountain to save the universe. It takes us to let Him work through us and our imperfections—and in those imperfections, He is still there for us.”