Is your soul in need of a revival? Then get your ticket to LouFest and experience an encouraging soul-stirring rush from world-renowned pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Randolph, a New Jersey native, is traveling the country performing music from his new album on Sony Masterworks, Got Soul, a melting pot of high energy rock, soulful funk beats, and blues testimonies that showcase Randolph’s brilliant steel pedal guitar playing. His style has been compared to that of Hendrix meets Sly Stone meets something that is new, unnamed and simply put, funky. I recently caught up with Randolph in the midst of his busy summer tour schedule.
I heard you were in St. Louis earlier this year recording with singer Brian Owens. He said you were killing it during the session with engineer Sam Maul at Shock City Studios.
We had a great time. We have a few mutual friends, and that’s how we connected. We vibed and talked about the music, stories about artists that we listen to and just enjoyed creating some good music to spread to the people.
What should fans expect at LouFest?
They should come expecting to have a good time. The music is a mix of soul, rock, blues, and just feel-good stuff that I want people to come and experience.
You have a new album out. What was the concept behind its creation?
I wanted to get back to the morals that were in songs like Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, and Sly Stone had. The feeling and life those songs gave. My family and I grew up in the church, which was a very musical church in Orange, New Jersey. So my music has a lot of inspiration in it. I wanted to talk about family, life and some positive things. A lot of music is getting back to that "old vibe” anyway. There are great music guys in every city, and every city has a certain sound that sometimes goes forgotten because it has not been properly passed down. Memphis had a sound, Detroit had a sound, Chicago, St. Louis, and up and down the Mississippi, there was a certain sound from different places. That is where you will find the roots of American music. But somebody has to take the time to study and learn the culture in order to keep it alive.
It’s like a young Baptist or C.O.G.I.C. organist that has chops and can play but really doesn’t take the time to learn those hymns correctly, right?
Exactly. The House of God is more guitar-driven, and the tradition of Sacred Steel has been passed down from generation to generation. You can take Questlove, drummer for The Roots, who is a true music historian as an example. He can surprise you with information and different techniques at any time. Like, “Yeah, I was listening to this Led Zeppelin song that had such and such on drums, and they used this mic and threw a blanket over the kick and turned the guitar amp this way to get this sound; so this is how will get what we need.” He takes the time to study and understand all of that history to better further the culture. Plus, you can hear it in his playing. You can not just have one perspective on music. You have to understand the past to be able to embrace where it can take you.
You had Darius Rucker on a single for this new album. What was the collaborative process?
Darius and I have been friends for a long time and we have wanted to work together for some time now. We both wanted to create something that would not be bound to any particular genre. We came up with the music and he felt it was perfect for his voice. We just wanted to create something fun and special. We did not go into it trying to make a party song or with any preconceived notions, but wanted to produce something that was fun for both of us.
One can hear the blues and pocket of the funk in your music. You seem to create some interesting riffs that bounce off the basslines and guitar but lock together in an interesting way. How do you make that happen across so many different styles?
Man, I just start with some riffs, let them evolve. We figure out what the chorus is, and then build off of that. I let everything flow into its natural direction.
You also had Snarky Puppy keyboardist Cody Henry on the album.
Yes, we had a blast.
How was it working with him?
Cody is one of those rare gems that is still flourishing. He is headed down a path to be the next Herbie Hancock. He plays at such a high level and is in tune with everything that is going on around him.
Just from what I have observed in St. Louis, it does not seem like a lot of youth, especially African Americans, are gravitating to play instruments like the guitar. How are you helping to inspire them to learn instruments like guitar?
For starters, kids need access to instruments. They can not play what is not there. They have access to drums and other instruments, but guitar needs to be in there somewhere. I feel it is important for African-American artists to go back to the communities in order to reach the younger generation and expose them to other things besides what they see on television. Schools, churches and the community all have to contribute together. I have been involved in VH1’s Save the Music and other programs. Music helps open up creativity in the mind which ties into the STEM based curriculum.
I noticed that your setup has changed lately, and you have moved from sitting to standing. What prompted the change?
It is just the evolution of the instrument. When I first started, I was having difficulty finding someone to make the instrument for me the way I wanted it. Now, I have someone that I am working with that is customizing it specifically for me. With me standing, it frees me up to move around more, which I enjoy.
So...how about those Knicks?
[Laughs.] We are making some moves, give us a minute, but we are coming back!
Catch Robert Randolph and the Family Band on the LouFest Forest Park Stage, September 10 at 3:30 p.m. For more: loufest.com.
