After raising more than $7,000 on Kickstarter to fund her new album Living the Life, enchanting chanteuse Ingrid Lucia found herself on the brink of shelving the project. Though the recordings — which were produced by bassist Roland Guerin and feature a host of New Orleans finest musicians including trombonist Mark Mullins, pianist Davell Crawford and vocalist Debbie Davis among others — were complete, Lucia lacked the funds necessary for post-production, packaging and printing the product. Yet, just as Lucia was coming to terms with the conundrum, fate intervened in the form of a Facebook message from two fans who offered her $2,000 to help cover the record’s remaining costs.

Earlier this month, Lucia released Living the Life, the most personal album of her nine-album career. She sees it as a testament to life’s journey and a lesson in letting go of emotional hardships and making the most of each step. Tune in below to hear Lucia talk about her journey from growing up in the Flying Neutrinos to breaking down on the brink of stardom to landing on her feet in New Orleans.