New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Voodoo Fix's debut Step Right Up offers a preview of the future of blues-rock in its six original songs, which blend straight-from-the-soul songwriting with funky grooves and the cadences of hip-hop to create a fresh and unique sound. And the four-piece band's image-stirring name is a perfect fit for the vibe of numbers like the EP's "Chocolate," "
Save Me" and "Rock Bottom," which thrive on a heady, trance-inducing sonic mix built on a stone-blues foundation.
Step Right Up was recorded on Nashville's legendary
Music Row at Boom Labs with producer
Darin James. The band - frontman and guitarist Abe Rivers, guitarist Scott Parrelli, bassist Will
Halsey and drummer Demario Dunn, who all also sing harmonies - arrived at the studio ready to deliver, with songs fused from the foundation of their unique blues-based sound and honed during the seven years of gigs and tour dates that have made the Voodoo Fix one of the most dynamic emerging young bands in America.
"The Voodoo Fix recipe is as much a musical adventure as it is an emotional and spiritual release. The music is fueled by making ourselves and everybody who connects with us feel good," says Rivers, whose powerful voice - a blend of sweet molasses and Delta dust - and sinuous, expressive guitar lines in tunes like the slinky, seductive and funky "
Chocolate" are also cornerstones of the group. Step Right Up's other highlights include the hypnotic stomper "Hard To Change," which opens the EP, and the socially conscious "Save Me," which examines the state of the world over the elegant blend of a hip-hop inspired groove and hard-boiled Southern rock guitar. And "Rock Bottom" sounds like a great lost entry from the
Rolling Stones catalog, framed by the Voodoo Fix's own swampy aesthetic.
The Voodoo Fix's eclectic and highly accomplished line-up came together in Whittier, California, when four promising students at Whittier College were introduced by their music professor. "The visceral response we felt from the early jam sessions and rowdy house parties we played made it clear and undeniable that there was something special going on," says Rivers, "and we wanted to pursue it as far as it would go." That pursuit led the band members to relocate to
Music City. "We like to say that we were born in Los Angeles, raised on the road and forged in Nashville," says Rivers. "But with all the touring we've done, we've got friends all over the country who make us feel at home."
With Step Right Up currently winning the band more friends and fans, the Voodoo Fix is working on their follow-up full-length album, due for a 2015 national release. Some of the upcoming disc was recorded in
Memphis at the legendary Royal Studios, where
Al Green teamed with producer Willie Mitchell to create his classic hits. "The new songs convey the evolution of the band, but still hold true to our roots," relates Rivers, who describes its tracks as "very high energy with powerful songs, addictive grooves and a seamless blend of styles."
