After six long years since their last studio release, Soulive—the soul-jazz fusion trio composed of guitarist Eric Krasno, drummer Alan Evans and keyboardist Neal Evans—is kicking it back into high gear with a series of new EPs dubbed Cinematics. Earlier in January, the group announced that the first of these highly anticipated records, the five-track Cinematics Vol. 1, will drop on February 23rd via Soulive Music (both digitally and on vinyl), much to the delight of fans globally. Soulive coupled their announcement with the release of the first single from the Cinematics project, the psychedelic and soulful “Kings March”, and today, we’re getting another taste of what Soulive has been cookin’ up in recent months.
Cinematics was recorded in Alan Evan’s own Iron Wax studio in Millers Falls, Massachusetts, at the tail end of 2017. Though the trio had spent more than half a decade without stepping foot in a studio together, the band called upon the rock-solid musical foundation they’ve been cultivating since Soulive’s inception in 1999. The project came together quickly, with the group eventually realizing that they should lean into the “cinematic” quality of their music—hence the name Cinematics.
“A cinematic piece of music creates a mood. Film composers like Jerry Goldsmith, David Axelrod, Ennio Morricone and Melvin Van Peebles were all influential on the writing and recording process,” explained Krasno. “The idea is to use soundscape and melodic interplay to enhance the feeling and sentiment of a visual and to amplify the emotion that it’s relating.”
Today, the band is premiering a new single off Cinematics Vol. 1—a funk-infused and laidback tune called “Sidekick” that recalls the band’s origins. While Soulive has undergone immense growth in its near-two decades of existence, “Sidekick” offers up a throwback to the more original vibe the group first became known for—smooth and inspired compositions with rich tone and spacious sound.
As Alan Evans told us, “Out of all the songs on Cinematics Vol. 1, I think ‘Sidekick’ has the most old-school Soulive vibe of anything on the record. Or at least, it starts out that way. It’s kind of like showing the progression of Soulive’s history in one song while clearly stating who we are right now as a band.”
You can listen to the Live For Live Music premiere of Soulive’s “Sidekick” below. Fans can pick up Cinematics Vol. 1 on February 23rd and catch the band on the road during a two-night stand at Ardmore Music Hall on March 2nd and 3rd before the group hops the pond for a performance in London on March 6th. Enjoy.