Back in fall of 2017, The New Mastersounds‘ guitarist Eddie Roberts and Soulive drummer Alan Evans made waves when they debuted a brand-new project, Matador! Soul Sounds, at Brooklyn Comes Alive. Roberts and Evans tapped keyboardist Chris Spies, bassist Kevin Scott, and vocalists Kim Dawson (Pimps Of Joytime) and Adryon de León (Orgone) for the project, rounding out the lineup for the powerhouse jazz-funk-soul-fusion band. After their highly anticipated debut performance, Matador! Soul Sounds decided to take the project on the road. In December, the group announced a string of upcoming performances in March for those eager to catch the band in action live.

Today, Matador! Soul Sounds detailed even bigger plans for 2018 with the announcement of the upcoming release of their debut album, Get Ready. The album is due out on March 12th—a few days before the band kicks off their tour on March 15th at Pittsburgh’s Rex Theater—and will be issued on red vinyl (pre-order here) as well as available for digital download and on all major streaming services.

Coinciding with the album announcement, Matador! Soul Sounds has also announced that they’ll be starting a new social media campaign to help fans get acquainted with the new project and its members. Starting on February 5th, fans are encouraged to visit the band’s website and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) each week for #MatadorMonday. Every Monday leading up to Get Ready‘s release, the band will offer a free download of a track off the album and share personal anecdotes about the band, select songs, and the creation of the album.

As a press release detailed, here is some backstory about how Roberts and Evans came together to create Matador! Soul Sounds:

Matador! Soul Sounds was formed organically when Eddie and Alan were on tour. Eddie explains, “The idea came about one night while we were drinking wine in a bar in D.C. when I turned to Alan and asked ‘can we start a band together?’ Alan obviously shared the same sentiment as here we are today launching the debut album!” The next step was to come up with a name that encompassed both of their identities and musical inspirations. The naming of the band came about during Eddie and Alan’s Grant Green tribute shows. Both of them liked the Grant Green album Matador, and all that it evoked. Matador! Soul Sounds is a band loosely based on the concept of traditional Spanish bullfighting. However, a common misconception in America is that bullfighting is a feat of one man versus one bull. In reality, bullfighting is largely a team effort by a matador and his cuadrilla – which is the theme that showcases the all-star lineup behind this original band.

You can listen to the band’s first two singles off the new album, “Get Ready” and “Mr. Handsome”, and make sure to check out the band’s upcoming tour dates below or on their website.

Upcoming Matador! Soul Sounds 2018 Tour Dates

3/15 @ Rex Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA – tix
3/16 @ Union Stage – Washington, DC – tix
3/17 @ [Pacifico Presents] Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY – tix
3/18 @ Fairfield Theatre Company – Fairfield, CT – tix
3/19 @ Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA – tix
3/21 @ The Ardmore Music Hall – Ardmore, PA – tix
3/22 @ Martyr’s – Chicago, IL – tix – tix

3/23 @ Cervantes’ Other Side – Denver, CO – tix
3/24 @ Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO – tix
3/26 @ Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA – tix
3/28 @ Jack London Revue – Portland, OR – tix
3/29 @ Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA – tix

Enter To Win A Copy Of Matador! Soul Sounds’ Debut Album On Vinyl!