Soulganic’s Anthony Rodriguez sat down with Happy to chat about the genesis of the band, what inspired it and where it’s going next
Rodriguez, who is the mastermind on the bass and lead vocals, makes up Soulganic with friends Ryan McKeithan and Cory McClure.
Having just released their latest album, Phosphene, Rodriguez gave us a little insight into their creative process as a band, and how it all came about.
Blending Afro-Carribean and African-American cultures and traditions, Soulganic have managed to make their own unique style of what they call Funky Indie Soul – essentially, heartfelt lyrics on top of damn good music.
As they enjoy a period of relaxation after the release, Rodriguez takes us through the raw, romantic, spiritually-bound and free-spirited nature of what it is that makes up Soulganic.
Have a read of the interview below.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
RODRIGUEZ: Enjoying a beautiful Southern US autumn day. Most currently grooving to Adrian Younge’s Sao Paulo record.
HAPPY: Tell us a bit about where you’re living and what you love about it.
RODRIGUEZ: Currently living just outside of Charlotte, NC, US. So there’s a bit of everything very close by. Mountains, ocean, forests, rivers. And a great city in Charlotte. So it’s definitely an up and coming metropolis in the vein of Atlanta, but with a smaller feel.
The arts scene here is also on the come up. A lot of great musical and spoken word and visual artists in and around the city. It’s a bit like a school lunchroom sometimes, not everyone knows just how to reach out and make friends, but we’ll get there.
HAPPY: How did Soulganic come together as a band, and what was the initial vision behind the project?
RODRIGUEZ: The genesis was Ryan McKeithan and me. We’ve been making music together since the 20th century! The rest of the band coalesced through jam sessions and the recommendations of mutual friends back in 2005.
For the longest time we were a quartet, and only recently have reset as a trio. Ryan on guitar, Cory McClure on drums and keyboard, me on bass and lead vocals. The initial vision behind the project was to first and foremost make music that was a conduit for all of the expression of our shared heritage, the branches of the Afro-Caribbean and African American musical traditions.
Secondary to that was to make original music that we ourselves wanted to hear. Anyone can play covers, someone else’s music. But we always felt that while that’s ok in doses, it’s a cheapening of talent. We felt that if you’re putting in the work to create, then really create. Make something new, something people have never heard before.
And third, we wanted to make music that had something to say, that would challenge the audience’s complacency on social issues. So the initial vision was to make original music that honored our heritage, and had something of substance to say.
HAPPY: What’s the most important thing you want people to take away from your music?
RODRIGUEZ: That it’s genuine. From the soul, and for the soul.
HAPPY: How would you describe your musical identity in a few words, and how does that align with your personal lives?
RODRIGUEZ: We call the music we create Funky Indie Soul. It fits the sound, but also us. With each of us to varying degrees there’s a bit of the looseness, rawness, and insistence of funk. The free-spiritedness and quirkiness of the best indie music. And the blend of romanticism, spirituality, and social consciousness of soul music.
HAPPY: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped the way you create music?
RODRIGUEZ: Our influences really run the gamut, across nearly all genres of music, old and new. But the throughline with them all is that they’re artists who are genuine in their expression and who have a sound, who don’t sound like anyone else.
For instance, there are some artists that all you need to do is hear a bar or two, or even a guitar lick, and you know exactly who they are. Those artists influence us the most, because that’s what we’ve also tried to do.
Create a sound of our own, so that you know ok, this is a Soulganic record. It may have shades of other things, or remind you vaguely of something else, but it’s undeniably Soulganic.
HAPPY: What’s your favourite part of the songwriting process—coming up with the lyrics, crafting the melodies, or something else entirely?
RODRIGUEZ: Getting a song done! But also the journey, all the different musical and lyrical permutations that organically occur. We don’t use them all, but it’s always fun to see where the music wants to go.
HAPPY: Can you share a bit about the chemistry between the three of you? How do you keep things fresh and creative within the band?
RODRIGUEZ: It’s really a brotherhood. We’ve been with each other a long time, much longer than most bands. So, we have a non-verbal language that’s developed, almost like we’re triplets. All it takes is a look, or gesture, the start of a sentence, or even body language, and we know where we have to go, what we have to do.
We keep things fresh and creative by separating for a while and doing our own thing. There’s a freedom there, and a trust. What that allows is time for us to be exposed to different ideas, different ways of doing things. Then, we bring those back to each other either consciously or subconsciously and it becomes a springboard for creativity.
HAPPY: What’s one thing you’ve learned from touring or performing live that you carry with you in the studio?
RODRIGUEZ: To really listen. And to honor the power of silence. There’s a lot that can be said in the spaces between the notes. And really listening helps us to lock in to each other, because in a trio format there’s nowhere to hide. You have to be on point.
This serves us well in the studio because we get in and there’s not a lot of wasted time. We’re ready to work, we’re prepared to play and hopefully play well enough that we get what we need with the fewest amount of takes. This then gives us time to approach the production side with a little more breathing room.
HAPPY: Is there a particular moment in your career that made you feel like you were on the right path?
RODRIGUEZ: It’s hard to know if something is really the right path until enough time has passed, or the path has ended. And moments can be deceptive. It’s easy to read into something, or be blinded by hope or ambition, only to realize later that the moment was not all it was cracked up to be.
While you’re on the path, though, it’s easier to keep going when you have something to sustain you. So I’d say that’s been most helpful more than any one moment. Having people who really listen and appreciate what we’re doing, and who show love, which in turn sustains us.
HAPPY: How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep creating and pushing your sound forward?
RODRIGUEZ: There’s probably a bit of stubbornness there. But also a compulsion to create. And having an open mind to new experiences which can inform your outlook.
I think as we evolve as humans, we’ll always have a need to express ourselves with every iteration of our development. So there’s always fuel for the creative fire.
HAPPY: Outside of music, what do you think shapes your band’s identity and influences the work you do?
RODRIGUEZ: Our families, wives, children. Our spirituality. Our love for people and for this earth.
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
RODRIGUEZ: Time with my favorite human. Feeding my spirituality. And creating with my brothers.
