About the band: Southside Desire check all the boxes that get them called a soul band, with layered backup harmonies, chick-chick guitar, damp ghost-noted snare, and muted bass. But there’s a Midwestern punk rock grittiness that sets them apart from neo-soul bands. All of the members of the band grew up at basement punk shows and those ethos and aesthetics are reflected in this band. Their debut LP, 2012’s Songs to Love and Die To (Piñata Records) was hailed as the best Twin Cities album of the year and received uniformly glowing reviews.
Marvel Devitt is the band’s lead singer and principal songwriter. She’s lived in Minneapolis all her life and her insightful lyrics are a perfect mix of vulnerability and resilience, with her melodies underscored by two extremely talented back-up singers Gloria Iacono and Joy Spika (who contributes her song “Dirty Hands Prayer”). The rhythm section is comprised of Devitt’s husband Trevor Engelbrektson (bass), Paul
Puleo (guitar) and Damien Tank (drums).
About the new album: Southside Desire is a completely Midwestern soul, pop and punk-rock album in the best way. Recorded in several studios over a year, there’s a new variety of sound and instrumentation on this record. A song has crashing layers of guitars and keyboard while the next is just piano and vocals. Devitt’s lyrics have grown more insightful: at once sweet and biting with each song a story. The punk rock, new wave and power-pop influences are more prominent, mixed with Mellow Mafia smoothness and Brill Building songwriting science. Ultimately, Southside Desire is a brilliantly unified album of distinct and unique songs.
credits
released November 25, 2014
"Four Broken Souls", "The Ledge", "Make or Break" and "Take It" recorded by Mike Wisti at Albatross (June 2013).
"Missing" recorded by Zachary Hollander at The Pearl Recording Studio (December 2013).
"The Heat" and "Dirty Hands Prayer" recorded by Eliot Gordon at Disgraceland (January 2013).
"Double Dutch", "Recognize", "Taking Time", and "Deliver" recorded by Jacob Grun and Aaron Baum at the Sound Gallery (April 2014).
Mixed by Jacob Grun and Aaron Baum at The Sound Gallery.
Mastered by Rob Schlette at Anthem.
Keyboards and piano by Sean Schultz, St. Michael McCabe, and Marvel Devitt.
Cello on "Taking Time" by Aaron Baum.
Southside Desire is Marvel Devitt, Gloria Iacono, Joy Spika, Paul Puleo, Trevor Engelbrektson, and Damien Tank.
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