The Back Pockets

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“I’ve been to the future, baby, and the future looks good!” sing The Back Pockets on their boisterous self-titled EP. Their uplifting sound, an energetic blend of 1960’s rock, blues, and classic Motown-era soul, exudes a contagious, positive energy. The quintet’s synergy is evident throughout their music, and it’s easy to imagine from the lively, optimistic grooves what a blast they must have together, filling the studio with their dazzling confidence. Hailing from Seattle, members of The Back Pockets have been playing and recording music in various configurations for over thirty years, drawing inspiration from the many legendary bands that their hometown scene has birthed, including alt-rock icons Nirvana. The group shares an undeniable passion for music, instilled for each member at an early age through exposure to family record collections. Bandleaders Sean Wolcott and Craig Curran note Kraftwerk, Shuggie Otis, and the Motown greats as just a few of the early influences that sparked their love of music. The group describes their new project as psychedelic soul, but ... [ more ] “I’ve been to the future, baby, and the future looks good!” sing The Back Pockets on their boisterous self-titled EP. Their uplifting sound, an energetic blend of 1960’s rock, blues, and classic Motown-era soul, exudes a contagious, positive energy. The quintet’s synergy is evident throughout their music, and it’s easy to imagine from the lively, optimistic grooves what a blast they must have together, filling the studio with their dazzling confidence.
Hailing from Seattle, members of The Back Pockets have been playing and recording music in various configurations for over thirty years, drawing inspiration from the many legendary bands that their hometown scene has birthed, including alt-rock icons Nirvana. The group shares an undeniable passion for music, instilled for each member at an early age through exposure to family record collections. Bandleaders Sean Wolcott and Craig Curran note Kraftwerk, Shuggie Otis, and the Motown greats as just a few of the early influences that sparked their love of music. The group describes their new project as psychedelic soul, but note that their music also reflects a broader, more expansive love of a variety genres. The band describes their approach to recording as laid-back, collaborative, and experimental. “We have an extensive array of mostly 1960s-era instruments and recording equipment that we have built up over the decades and employed to get the sounds for the record,” states the band.
Energetic vocals that evoke visions of classic-rock legend Ronnie Van Zandt fronting the Motown Funk Brothers, hard-grooving basslines, upbeat Clyde Stubblefield-style drum beats, and a soulful horn section, all mingle with the band’s expert musicianship to create a funky infectiousness in their music. The intro track, “Do What I Do”, punches hard from the start with a joyful, care-free tone. The group sings together spiritedly over upbeat grooves and a bassline reminiscent of the great James Jamerson of Motown. “I just do what I do, you gotta give me some room! I just do what I do, you can watch if you want to!” On the song “The Future Looks Good,” the band sits comfortably on an extremely funky rhythm section groove that feels uncannily like New Orleans second-line funk heroes The Meters. And the gospel-inflected “Family is Family” will have you celebrating the people you count on most.
The Back Pockets keep the feel-good energy alive across all the songs on the EP, even as they flex their chops over an array of soul genres. They rejoice over relatable themes of hope, confidence, and love. Brimming with vibrant, spunky energy, The Back Pockets are sure to breathe some much-needed optimism into anyone’s day. [ less ]