Lubriphonic’s show in San Francisco at the Connecticut Yankee last Friday was a real treat, as it gave me the chance to get up-close and personal with one of the hottest up-and-coming funk bands around. Having seen these six vibrant performers rocking out in a huge festival tent earlier this summer was quite an experience, but enjoying them in such an intimate setting was altogether different and rewarding.

Being so close to the stage meant that the audience really got to witness the sparks flying between front-man Giles Corey and the other band members. His stage presence and soulful voice filled the room, reverberating off the walls and drawing the crowd toward the front to move to the beat of the music. The energy of the horns section, made up of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone, was explosive. The bass player and drummer launched into a mind-blowing breakdown that defied what should be possible on four strings and a drum set. All in all, it was a night of infectious energy and bad-ass grooves.

Giles Corey took the time to chat with me about their album Soul Solution, the band, and the future of Lubriphonic:

Ashley Schaeffer: It sounds like you all had some really stimulating and far-ranging experiences working with different artists before you fused together to form Lubriphonic. Who were some of the most influential musicians you’ve worked with?

Giles Corey: I played for several years with Otis Rush, a Chicago guitar player who was a major influence on rock players like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Both Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin covered his tunes. Rick King, our drummer, played with Koko Taylor, who was one of the most famous blues singers in the world. We both played behind Syl Johnson, one of the great soul singers of all time, as well as one who is regularly sampled by hip-hop artists. I guess you could say we all got a wonderful first-hand education in American music.

AS: Your sound is usually described as Chicago Blues, but you clearly tie in a lot of other elements. How would you sum up your style?

GC: We are not Chicago Blues at all. This is not a blues band. We are a rock band that has a diverse background. As such, our music is colored with other styles, like gospel, soul, and funk music. We also have a three-piece horn section, which is unusual for rock bands nowadays.

Giles Corey

AS: Your current tour seems to be taking you quite a way from Chicago, all the way out to California and even India, where the folks don’t hear your type of sound on an everyday basis. Tell us a little bit about the experience of bringing your style to new parts.

GC: I love it. I love playing a town for the first time and winning people over. Our fundamental philosophy is to give to the audience — to move them, to get them dancing, to get them feeling alright. That transfer of energy winds up replenishing and healing us as well. That works no matter where we go. I haven’t been to India before, but people are people, right?

AS: What has been the absolute favorite show, city, or festival you’ve played to date?

GC: We did two sets at High Sierra Music Festival this year. I think that was a high point for everybody. That festival is so cool. Out of all the fests that I’ve been to or played, that one is my favorite. It’s really intimate, and the overall climate and temperament of the attendees and staff is so mellow and friendly, I didn’t want to leave. Ever. That calm goodness translated into our sets, and man, we just had a blast playing those two days.

AS: Your album, Soul Solution, really stood out in my mind because the energy of it feels like a live performance, but the recording manages to sound studio-crisp without seeming at all over-produced, which can be difficult to achieve. How did you manage to make that happen?

GC: Thanks for saying so! Our previous album, Supemoncho, was recorded entirely live in one room. It’s still one of my favorite recording experiences because we had our band, and anyone who ever collaborated with our band, in one room, laying it down, having cocktails, and laughing for eight hours. It’s lo-fi, but I love the vibe of it. However, it was pointed out to me that for Soul Solution, it was time to grow up and make a real studio album. So we all went into the studio with the idea that, even though we were making a “studio recording,” we were going to keep it as live and real as possible. We recorded guitar, bass, and drums live. Then the horns tracked their parts, and I put the vocals down last. We actually recorded the whole thing in two days. We could work quickly and have a relaxed, live feel because, by the time we actually set down to record Soul Solution, those songs had been part of our live show for months already. A lot of the sound has to do with the final mix as well. For that, the credit belongs to Blaise Barton, one of the finest studio engineers in Chicago.

AS: It looks like there has been a change in your position for saxophone player. Who do you currently have filling that role for you at this time?

GC: Our saxophone player is named Garrick Patten, and he is one bad mother…

AS: How has the band grown and changed since its original formation and after shifts in the line-up?

GC: We have had a number of changes since we formed. Every change, however difficult it may have seemed at the time, was always for the best. I think we have the best incarnation of the band yet, in this line-up. At the same time, going through that stuff, I think, gives everyone the wisdom that changes happen, people have to be replaced, and it’s not the end of the world.

AS: Has it taken much time and effort to be able to read each other on stage to feel out solos and improvisation, or does it just come naturally?

GC: The more time you spend playing with someone, the more you’re going to be able to read each other. It’s like being in a relationship for a long time — eventually you get to the point where you know how your other half is going to react before they do anything. The challenge is finding surprises. That’s why I don’t use a set-list. I prefer to call the set on the fly and throwing in little random changes, depending on how the audience is interacting. It keeps everyone on their toes (including me) and prevents things from getting into some kind of auto-pilot, which is a real danger after three weeks of one-night stands.

AS: Do you guys hang out as friends much outside of your time spent touring and recording? What are some of your pastimes and hobbies?

GC: I’ve been in a few bands in my time, and this is the only one I’ve been in where everyone gets along with everyone and enjoys each other’s company. This is a blessing, because we see each other constantly, whether touring, rehearsing, or recording. Lately, there hasn’t really been time for hobbies, though.

AS: It sounds like you will be releasing a new studio album in the near future. What new sounds or approaches can we expect to hear on it?

GC: Lubriphonic has been through some changes in the last year. We’ve had some struggles, and that has been reflected in the writing I’ve been doing, as well as the way we are playing. I think the one over-arching theme we have going for this one is a statement of defiance and resolve.