Lightning 100 debuts “Animal” by Alanna Royale! Alanna Royale is comprised of 7 members, 6 beards, 3 horns, and 1 lady. This is the only combination that could give you the soul pop (with little bit of rock) sound that has brought this band immediate recognition in the Nashville music scene. Their debut single “Animal” hit the radio waves one week before the release show for their EP “Bless Her Heart” and the response was impressive. The release show was held at one of Nashville’s landmark venues, The Basement and no one would have known by the sold out room of over 275 attendees that this was only the bands 7th performance.
When looking at the resume they have created in such a short amount of time, you can’t help but want to know what the buzz is all about. Alanna Royale first took the stage as a band at The Basement’s New Faces Nite and unknowingly played to some people of notoriety in the crowd who saw that this band was going somewhere, and fast. They immediately gained support, and with in the next five shows had graced the stage at exclusive events such as Communion and East Nashville Underground.
Now 7 shows down, with a hugely successful EP release under their belt, the band is booked solid in the next few months. To kick off February they were named Lightning 100’s Artist of the Week and “Animal” has been in heavy rotation. In such a short time, Nashville is clearly responding to the fresh soul pop sounds of Alanna Royale. They have been invited to play on multiple impressive bills, only adding to the proof that this band is a talent that can stand out in a town swarmed with new acts. The Road to Bonnaroo presented by BMI, East Nashville Underground, and Music City Roots are just a few of their upcoming performances!
What is it exactly that has made this success? Alanna Royale has brought a presence to the stage that is untouchable, and a fresh breath of air. Alanna Quinn-Broadus holds the position of front woman, taking command of her audience. She has an attitude and a mouth that most would rate at least PG-13 but she keeps the crowd laughing with dirty jokes (usually involving at least one of the other band members) and one-liners for days. The connection on stage between bassist Gabriel Golden, guitarist Jared Colby, and drummer Matt Snow is undeniable. The cohesiveness and interaction of the band while on stage sends a strong message to the crowd that everyone is in love with the music they have created. Energy exudes from every member and reels you in. To add a cherry on top, Alanna Royale’s horn section is comprised of Kirk Donovan, Diego Vasquez, and Braxton Nicholas of The Nashville Horns. They bring that extra force that takes this performance over the top. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a horn section?
East Nashville is where the band was founded and where they all call home. Alanna and Jared moved there from Boston in the beginning of 2012 and within a few weeks Matt came into the picture. Working at Mitchell’s Deli one day he recognized Alanna from a class they had had in Boston together almost 10 years previously. Jared and Alanna being new to town were looking for people to play with and started jamming with Matt. They started showing him some ideas they had been working on, and wanted his input on the drums. The songs had influences ranging from indie rock to hip-hop and but with Matt having mainly played rock n roll, he said he wanted to be involved in a project that was mostly soul based. That’s when they played “Listen to your Momma” for him, which eventually found its way onto their new EP.
The band was slowly formed organically after that. Friends just sitting down and jamming together, turned into a growing project. Gabriel and Alanna first met when working at The Pharmacy (selling burgers, for those of you with wondering minds). Alanna was sharing a new concept to Gabriel that they where thinking about doing. There were two options, a soulful more jazz based project or a hip-hop project. Gabriel having a background in jazz and soul was immediately intrigued and wanted to hear more about the soul project.
Funny enough, Jared was actually playing bass at that time, and there was no position available for Gabriel. They knew Gabriel was a right fit for this project so Jared eventually stepped over to guitar and Gabriel came in to take over the bass slot. The four of them started making progress in the direction they wanted to go and this led them to a need for a horn section. Four members is great, seven members is just kick ass. The Nashville Horns were brought in to complete the sound. They all knew that with this adventure they wanted to challenge themselves as musicians, and it shows when you hear the quality and pure awesomeness of what they have created.
Once the sound was perfected they recorded the EP in Trapdoor Studios, which is co-owned by Alanna and Jared. Mike Birnbaum and Chris Bittner at Applehead Studios mixed the new tracks and for the finishing touch Chris Athens mastered it. Alanna Royale is composed of raw talent, with fresh ideas and this is one hell of a beginning. The band is already planning a release with two new songs coming in April with a very special vinyl project. Stay tuned!
Love these guys! You also need to check out The Soul Radics, Jamaican rock steady/old skool ska band comprised of Nashville-based muso’s w/ new record “Down To The Hall” on Jump Up Records…
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