The reinterpretation of classic rock bands like Cream and Led Zeppelin in the form of hard-hitting rock and roll is the best way to describe the unique sound of band The London Souls. After meeting for the first time on stage having only rehearsed via cell phone (really. Read more below), band members Tash Neal (guitar, vocals), Chris St. Hilaire (drums/vocals), and Stu Mahan (bass) have been playing together since 2008. Their debut self-titled album came out in 2011, and their newest album is Here Come the Girls. This spring they’ll tour with Sons of Bill across the country, making a stop at the Sun Valley Fim Festival to play at Whiskey Jacques. Guitarist and lead vocalist Tash Neal talked to SVPN about the band name, their influences and more.
SVPN: I’ve read that before your first performance, you had only rehearsed via cell phone. How did that happen? How did the band form in the first place?
Tash Neal: Chris and I met when we were in our late teens, and had mutual friends. As young musicians we looked for others to challenge and elevate ourselves and we were fortunate enough to find we synced both as songwriters and multi instrumentalists. At the time before our first gig in New York I happened to be in DC so at night we had a little rehearsal over the cellphone, just to tighten up things.
SVPN: Has your sound changed since you formed in 2008?
TN: The sound itself is still coming from the same source of inspiration. We’ve had different musicians play and guest with us over the years but that main source of creativity has been the same between Chris and I, in terms of songwriting and musicianship.
SVPN: As a New York City-based band, how does the City influence your music?
TN: New York is where we came together and played our first rock and roll shows a lot of times before we were old enough to be at the venues we played in, so just that experience in itself is a specific growing period for a musician. We did not look up “New York bands” and model ourselves after that, nor did we look up “London bands” and model ourselves after that musically, I think it’s just such a specific environment to come up in, it has to affect you in some way.
SVPN: Where does the name “The London Souls” come from?
TN: Having known for a long time most band names are ridiculous, we just wanted something that looked cool and sounded alright. Most of the time if the band is awesome the band name is secondary. Over time we’ve realized many ways it fits for us specifically and musically but we didn’t have those conversations beforehand.
SVPN: What are some of your earliest musical influences? What current groups or artists influence you today?
TN: Anything that was moving musically, lyrically, and rhythmically. Anything from the Temptations to Biggie Smalls to Nirvana to Carole King to Antonio Carlos Jobim to Harry Belafonte to Stevie Ray Vaughn to Marvin Gaye. There are a lot of great groups and artists today; I would say one of our favorites is Tedeschi Trucks Band. I’m also partial to Bobby Shmurda.
SVPN: The description on your website compares you to bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Hollies and My Morning Jacket. Does this create a variety in your fan base by having influences that range from ‘70s to modern rock? Is this sound a revival of classic rock or a modern interpretation?
TN: I think our openness when it comes to music and not arbitrarily putting music in boxes and genres and just playing from the heart attributes to the variety in faces I’ve seen at shows over the years. From young to old, black to white, and different languages in between. We mainly just write songs based on our experiences like songwriters have done since before “classic rock” was a term. Guitar and the drums have been used in all sorts of genres of music, and we do love Cream and Led Zeppelin, who “reinterpreted” the blues, although because the music was so visceral that possibility of reinterpretation was an afterthought.
We love music and feel like every chance we get to play, why not play to the best of our ability with the utmost expression, melody and rhythm. During the “classic rock” period the melding between black and white, especially in popular rock and roll, created a union between melody and interestingly syncopated rhythm. Unfortunately overtime musically that began to be separated. Because Chris and I grew up around both rhythmic music and melodic we want to approach it the best we can, with the best songs we’ve written from personally interpreted life experiences.
SVPN: What’s your advice to up-and-coming musicians?
TN: Keep your head up, have a vision, and love music more than everything.
SVPN: What are your top 3 necessities when touring?
TN: 1. Food so that we can sing and have energy. 2. Instruments and maybe two electrical outlets. 3. Only green M&Ms.
