Black Carl is good at surprising people.
When you first hear the funk-soul band, it's no wonder the members are influenced by R&B greats such as Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. But the members of the Tempe group don't exactly look like their influences.
"The first time I played some of the recordings we had done that (vocalist) Emma (Pew) sang on to people who didn't know who she was, their first question was, 'What does she look like?'" says guitarist John Krause. "I think it's a common surprise that it's a bunch of goofy white kids."
The band, made up of longtime friends, has been creating catchy tunes since 2007. Krause, who has played in other bands, decided to form a new one influenced by the '60s soul he'd grown to love. He invited drummer Chad Leonard and Pew over to hear some tracks and Black Carl was born.
"Chad was going to beatbox something and Emma asked if she could sing," Krause says. "None of us knew that she could sing, so it was a big shock that she would ask. I was like, 'Alright, I'll probably delete it in the morning.' She got up there, and we were just blown away. I said, 'We're starting a band tomorrow.' "
Guitarist Matt Noakes and bassist Ian Woodward later joined, and they released a self-titled EP in 2008 and a full-length album, "Borrowed," in January. They're not signed but regularly plays shows in the Valley and are embarking on a tour in California this summer.
Black Carl plays Star Swim on Saturday, June 13 at the Wyndham Phoenix. Last year, their gig at the same event was sold out, so they're looking forward to it this time around.
Krause talked to us about Black Carl and offered some of his best swimsuit advice: "If it doesn't fit in the area provided, don't wear it."
What drew you to the soul sound?
I like to dance, and I really like hot beats. I think it was just luck that I had hit this new sound that I had wanted to do that was heavily beat-oriented. I had been listening to a lot of soul at the time, too, and (Pew's) voice just fit perfectly over that.
I think there's a fine line to funk between where it's cheesy and it's good, so I wanted to do the good stuff. We've definitely evolved it into a more classic sound. I think a lot of it is in the tone of the instruments and the riff or the rhythm. It's got to sound completely original or have a good groove.
What influences your songwriting?
For me, the songwriting process is different almost every single time. I try to work backwards in terms of coming up with a rhythm section first, then adding the guitar. For lyrics, it's just generally life experiences. Sometimes it has nothing to do with me, but I'd say most of our lyrics are based on lack of experience because it's understanding about life. It's about where we're at with our lives, and hopefully we can hit home with other people with our lyrics. I imagine as we grow as a band and go on the road more and stuff, our lyrics will change.
How did you get together with producer Bob Hoag for "Borrowed," and what do you hope people take away from the album?
Any time any band came in (to his studio) that had played a show with us, he'd say, 'Let Black Carl know I want to record them.' We were going to record it ourselves, and we realized how much work that was going to be. I'm the only one who has any recording experience, so we would probably just be putting out the album now, and it would probably sound like crap. I hope people enjoy it. If they feel the need to dance or whatever, yeah, that's cool.
What are the band's goals?
Our goal is to break out of the Phoenix area and get on the road as much as possible in the next year and get as many people listening as possible. We wouldn't mind getting some support, whether that be someone booking shows for us or management or a record label, because right now we're doing everything by ourselves, and it's rewarding, but it's very hard.
Why should people come to your live show?
It's earthshaking. People feel compelled to move. I don't think they have an option. Just be prepared to be blown away. We're going to do handstands and play our instruments at the same time. It's going to be amazing. If you thought Jimi Hendrix playing with his teeth was amazing, wait till you see Chad do a guitar solo with his toes.
