Coming off his 2008 debut album, After My Time, whose lead single "The River" landed him the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts, Noel Gourdin was well on his way.

Although things seemed perfect on the outside, no one knew Gourdin wasn't exactly happy with his label, Epic Records. Having little creative control over his album and image, he questioned whether or not having a major deal on Epic was the best for him and both parties decided to part ways.

"I went through a little depression and gained about 35 pounds. It was my family that really held me up. We had a get together and they prayed for me and said keep your head up because I had so much talent and the stars are going to align. So I got back in it and picking up the pen a little bit more and writing. It was very tough but my family was always there for me."

Vowing not to be discouraged by the music offerings today, and on a mission to start a movement to preserve real R&B and soul music, he is back with a new album Fresh: The Definition.

Gourdin knows he can't save the music alone—and he just wants to be considered one of the small number of artists that still believe in timeless music. Gourdin is a huge fan of BET Music Matters.

"Big shout out to Anthony David. That's my man, he's on that tour. We've had a lot of [tour] dates together prior to him going on that tour and Marsha Ambrosius, she's phenomenal."

In the interview below, Gourdin talks about coming back on a new label, doing more live instrumentation and more concept-driven songs. He's in a better place mentally and spiritually, and is finally fully in control over the product he puts out, and you can hear it in his voice.

Check it out!

Fresh: The Definition is in stores April 12th. Go here to check out a review.

(Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)