Soulchess: All The Things That We Can Be
Soulchess are a band based in Nashville, Tennessee yet seriously defy what you may typically think of as ‘Nashville Music’.
We had the recent pleasure of checking in with the band and they were kind enough to respond to a few interview questions.
Hi guys, please introduce yourselves to our readers and tell us more about the band - who you are and where you are from.
The band consists of 4 members: Derrian Childress on lead vocals, Chris Goodyear on Guitar, BGVs and production, Jameel Aziz on drums and BGVs and Jason Fruchey on bass. The band has been going from strength to strength over the 2 years emerging out of the pandemic guns blazing ready to take on the world.
Consisting of 4 members from wildly varying musical backgrounds, the band has a sound that is the epitome of a musical fusion. The defining features of our music are: A strong sense of melody in every song, an expansive sound that is packed with energy and the presence of interesting genre blending. The influence of drum and bass and other forms of dance music can be heard in their choice of rhythms. The artistic vision being guided by guitarist/programming producer, Chris Goodyear’s appreciation for drum and bass/Dance music’s ‘big sound’. What Soulchess are trying to do is take a song that will stand up on its own when stripped right down; throw in all the instruments you’d expect a band to play and then essentially remix it like a DJ might. It’s an experiment, but we’re certainly not defined by culture, background or genre. We’re as intrigued as anyone to see what the outcome maybe!
How would you say where you grew up and where you are from has influenced your music as a band?
Derrian is from Memphis, Tn and the influence of growing up in this musically rich city certainly had an influence on him. Derrian’s appreciation and interest in performing the major musical styles coming out of Memphis (Soul, Blues and Rock n Roll) could be why these elements find there way in to Soulchess’ music.
Jason our bassist grew up in Ohio where Rock is king and it certainly shows in Jason’s influences. He comes from a Pop Punk - Rock background and when it comes to bass, John Entwhistle of The Who is a major influence. This does find its way into some of the sounds of Soulchess.
Jameel, our drummer, grew up in Nashville with a rich heritage of music in his blood, with his mom being a member of The Fisk Jubilee singers during her time in undergrad. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are the sole reason for Nashville being named ‘Music City’. Jameel’s focus is drums but with his help on background vocals in Soulchess’ music, esp at our live shows, it adds that cherry on top. Being from Nashville, it was a natural step for Jameel to attend the HBCU, Tennessee State University. This is where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Music Business and joined the music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Our Guitarist, Chris is from Sheffield, England. His guitar sound is very much influenced by many guitarists from the British Isles namely, The Edge from U2, David Gilmore of Pink floyd and the plethora of British indie bands that burst onto the scene in the 90's. The band's drum and bass/EDM side mainly comes from Chris' European routes where EDM is a lot bigger and Chris spent many nights during College attending raves, where the concepts of mixing band music and this EDM music came together.
We hear you have new music coming out - tell us all about it.
Our next record All the Things That We Can Be is being released on April 21st 2023 with the video scheduled for release on YouTube on May 5th.
This song is an upbeat ‘drum and bass’ inspired record that is full of melodies, harmonies and a catchy hook. The drum and bass reference there is about the sub genre of EDM popular in Europe. The song is an anthem about looking forward to the future and all the things it may hold. It's about leaving the past behind and moving on to much better things. This song specifically references locations in East Nashville, such as ‘Rose Pepper cantina’ and its strong margaritas, ‘Five Points Pizza’ and the music scene in this area of town. This was where our guitarist, Chris, bought and sold his first home, loved and lost but also met his now wife. The song talks about some of the highlights of this trendy area of town but also about moving away and on to a brighter future.
Much like the up's and down's referenced in the lyric, the song is a rollercoaster of dynamics with build up's and drops to rival any EDM record, not to mention a half time bridge section that has hints of coldplay. While not obvious, The Beatles were an inspiration behind some of the piano, melodies and sounds (think abstract sounds and sitars). The song is a true reflection of the hybrid style of music that we are trying to pursue to craft a novel sound. The song has hints of indie, Rock, EDM and pop, it truly is its own thing.
What is the best career advice you have been given? Would you share it with us?
Jameel: A quote from Wynton Marsalis: "Music is always for the listener, but the first listener is the player" I feel that statement means write music for your and right listeners will become fans.
Jason: "I love the fact that I can make people happy, in any form. Even if its just for an hour of their lives, If can make them feel good or bring a smile to a sour face, then to me it is worthwhile" - Freddy Mercury. This is a big reason I wanted to play music, I love making people happy.
Derrian: I’ve received a lot of great advice, so I can’t narrow down one that’s the absolute best. Two quotes from music legends come to mind right now. You can use one or both, but these two helped fuel my passion for everything I’m pursuing.
"The beautiful thing about learning is no one can take it away from you." - B.B. King
“Whatever you do, big or small, do it well or don’t do it at all.” - Chuck Brown
Chris: Not sure where I heard it but something I have applied a lot in the music world is the concept of learning to use apparent set backs as a tool to moving you forward. This combined with the idea of taking care of things you can control such as; practicing enough for a show(Spartan motto - "Sweat more in practice, bleed less in war"), bringing spares of things (Naval seal saying, "1 is none, 2 is one"), being reliable and being on time.
What goals do you have as an artist for the rest of 2023?
We are planning on releasing 3 more singles beyond this next one we have. We have a really dancy summer vibe of a song we are shooting to get out over the summer. Beyond that we have 2 more singles we have tracked Drums and Bass for, the latter of which is a ballad that we will try to release at the end of this year, perhaps around Christmas.
We are currently booking shows that will fund the recording, release and promotion of these singles. We easy have a debut albums worth of material, we just have to record it all!
Have a listen and connect with Soulchess:
