This week's honourable #bandoftheweek
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/536osqBGKzeozje8BfcGsa?nd=1 iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/allen-stone/263555086 Soundcloud:https://m.soundcloud.com/allenstone
Allen Stone, born March 13, 1987, is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. When I first heard
Allen's music, I was completely blown away by his soulful, characteristic voice, not to mention the groove that he and his band (featuring drummer Jason Holt, organist Greg Ehrlich, keyboardist Steve Watkins, bassist Brent Rusinow and guitarist Trevor Larkin, as well as background singers Dani Elliott(amazing vocalist), Jessica Childress and horn players Evan Oberla and John Landry) where putting out.
Stone was born on March 13, 1987, in Chewelah, Washington, near Spokane. He began his career singing at his father's church. His father was a preacher and his mother was an nurse. He began singing in church at the age of 3. By 14, Stone was leading worship at his church and playing the guitar.
Allen did not discover soul music until he was a teenager, and started collecting classic albums from the 1960s and 1970s. When Stacie Orrico, a close friend of Allen's as a teen, became successful in music, Stone decided to become serious about his musical career. The New York Times compared his socially conscious music to the likes of Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers and two of his musical influences Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. I can personally hear a lot of influence from The Meters.
He has released three records, Last to Speak (2010, self-released), the self-titled Allen Stone (2011, ATO Records), and Radius (2015, Capitol Records). Radius was also re-released by ATO Records in 2016 as a deluxe edition with seven additional tracks
Allen Stone said to Pop Matters: "I want to make the best music possible. Stuff that's timeless, that lives on with people who really, truly love art."
If you're into soul and even if you're not, I highly recommend Allen Stone: https://youtu.be/ZrZv3JpOr2g