Soul-funk band Soulive—New Yorkers Neal Evans (keys) and Eric Krasno (guitar) and Western Mass. drummer Alan Evans—has enjoyed some stellar highlights in its 12-year run.
Like the time Stevie Wonder sat in with the trio at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Or when the crew started its own imprint, Royal Family Records. Or Bowlive, a ten-night residency in Brooklyn showcasing the band along with many of its friends as guest artists.
The group’s next move is a tour in support of Rubber Soulive, its album of funky instrumental Beatles covers. The journey begins at Pearl Street Night Club in Northampton on April 20.
Soulive began in 1999 in Woodstock, New York. Evans Brothers Neal and Alan originally had someone on vibes, but he up and left “to do the Broadway pit thing.” So the duo called in Krasno to help out with some live shows while it auditioned full-time guitarists.
That March, while rehearsing some songs at their home studio, Alan pressed “record.” That session became the group’s first EP, Get Down. The lineup stuck and has been rocking together ever since.
The trio is inspired by the music it listens to: there is no discrimination regarding genre or artist, so everything is up for grabs. That kitchen-sink philosophy applies to its songwriting, as well.
“Our songwriting process varies quite a bit,” says Alan. “Sometimes we all bring finished tunes to the table. Sometimes we all bring just ideas to the table. Sometimes we write on the spot.”
The Beatles concept arose from the band’s research for a proposed British Invasion covers record. They found that they could not stop listening to the Fab Four’s tunes, so they focused exclusively on the Liverpudlian quartet.
Alan Evans recently shuttered the Hatfield studio he operated for over three years, but is currently in the process of building a studio at his home in South Deerfield where he’ll be able to mix albums for other artists. But he states that the focus will primarily be on his own music.
“I’ve had the chance to work with some really awesome cats,” he says of his old studio’s run. “I recorded and co-produced Revision’s last album—they are a great band out of Ithaca, New York. Some other bands I had in there were Dear Havanah, Project Blue Book. I mixed some of Seth Glier’s first album there.”
Soulive is set to embark on a month-long spring tour that commences with its gig on the 20th at Pearl Street. The night features the Nigel Hall Band and The Akashic Record in support. The trio also plans to play various summer shows and festivals, and recently recorded an album with funk and jazz legend Karl Denson that it hopes to release soon.”
For more info, visit www.royalfamilyrecords.com/soulive.
