One in a million musicians can say that they were invited by Prince to join him onstage. But it’s even more impressive for an artist to receive that endorsement before officially releasing a note of music. Yet that’s exactly what happened to Kandace Springs when His Royal Badness saw a YouTube clip of her performing Sam Smith’s hit “Stay With Me,” initiated a correspondence on Twitter, and asked Springs to fly to Minneapolis and perform at his legendary Paisley Park Studio. 　　Rather than be dazzled by the glamor or the ego boost, though, singer/songwriter Springs looks at the experience in terms of Prince’s longevity and work ethic. “I see the effect that he has on his fans, because he’s playing real music,” she says. “That’s what I want to stick to—making real music that’s going to last, and having a loyal fan base like his. And I think providing good stuff attracts good people.” 　　The four songs on the Kandace Springs EP (SRP/Blue Note)—a first taste of her forthcoming full-length album—illustrate her commitment to merging old-school values with fresh and innovative styles. Drawing on R&B, hip-hop, jazz, pop, and Latin music, Springs creates songs which reveal that out of all the lessons she has learned from her idols, from Billie Holiday to Lauryn Hill, the most essential rule is to stay fearlessly true to yourself.