Soulive will release their first collection of new music in six years when their long-awaited EP Cinematics, Vol. 1 drops on February 23 via Soulive Music. However, today the jazz-funk trio is offering fans an early taste of the record today with the single, “Kings March”.
Accompanied by a music video that finds the guitarist Eric Krasno, drummer Alan Evans, and keyboardist Neal Evans in the studio, the laid-back “Kings March” marks the first release from the forthcoming Cinematics, Vol. 1. The EP takes its name from its five tracks’ cinematic quality, and the band’s press release even offers some thoughts on the types of films that might be complemented each song (“Kings March”, for instance, could work with a vintage spy thriller).
“A cinematic piece of music creates a mood. Film composers like Jerry Goldsmith, David Axelrod, Ennio Morricone and Melvin Van Peebles were all influential in the concept for ‘Cinematics,'” Krasno says. “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.”
“Kings March”
Recorded late last year at Alan Evans’ Iron Wax studio in Western Massachusetts, Cinematic, Vol. 1 is the first release of a planned series of “Cinematics” EPs. That means fans can expect plenty of new music from Solve in the foreseeable future.
“One of the advantages of putting out music in 2018 is that we can do it quickly and on our own schedule,” Krasno says. “We made this record top to bottom in two days and put it out about a month later, while it’s still fresh from being created.”
“We didn’t have to talk about anything,” Alan says. “It all unfolded as we were working on it; one song influences the direction of the next, and soon you find yourself going down this path. We want this music to take people on a little journey.”
Despite the forthcoming release, Soulive hasn’t announced any new tour dates. As of press time, the band is scheduled to perform at the Ardmore Music Hall outside of Philadelphia on March 2nd and 3rd before heading to London for a show at The Jazz Cafe on March 6th.
[Photo: Andrew Scott Blackstein]