Grooving beyond genres — ‘The G’ collective’s soulful evolution
How would we describe ‘The G’ collective’s sound? In the simplest sense, it’s the very essence of groove. “As long as it’s grooving, it’s good with me — groove has no genre,” Sol explains. Carmie, Laville, Sol and Laurie’s story is one of artistic convergence, with the four musicians joining forces a year ago to create a sound that mixes classic soul, neo-soul, R&B and hip-hop, as well as find harmony amidst London’s chaotic nightlife. “Everyone who comes into these venues has a story […] But music is healing, and I’m mindful each time I go on stage to be intentional and create a safe space for people to let go,” says Carmie. As you can probably tell, the collective isn’t solely focused on their sound — they’re driven by the desire to evoke emotional responses from their audience at The Blues Kitchen.
The Blues Kitchen has blessed Londoners with over 100,000 hours of live music, becoming a staple destination thanks to its Southern-style BBQ food, cocktails, and magnetic performances from rising stars in the capital’s music scene. On Friday, July 19th, The Blues Kitchen will celebrate performers like ‘The G’ collective (and everything the venue has loved and shared over the last 15 years) with a special birthday party featuring a lineup of the most iconic bands that have graced their stage. They’re also marking their 15th birthday with a content series featuring the collective and other artists discussing the importance of live music and what it means to them.
Here, HUNGER chats with ‘The G’ collective about Glastonbury dreams, the challenges of coming together as a group, and the art of “grooving”.
How would you describe your sound in five words?
Sol: Fresh groove for the soul.
Carmie: A soulfully groove-led experience
Laville: Freedom. Soulful. Uplifting. Positive. Groove.
What is it about working with The Blues Kitchen that encapsulates who you are as a group?
S: I think with the type of groove we play it’s all based in friendship. When we’re on stage it’s literally just us as we would be in the rehearsal room — having fun.
C: The audiences are different in every venue and that allows us to adapt to a different crowd each time — take people on a journey with us. And the music speaks for itself. We take classics, put our own spin on them, and we change things more or less every time to keep it interesting.
Your sounds all blend so harmoniously, but were there any challenges in coming together as a collective?
S: I was never worried musically, as when I brought the initial band together I’d heard of everyone and knew they were all incredibly talented. I guess the challenge was getting us to be a kind of community. Where we’re coming together to have fun, but also delivering a fresh sound that allows us to all express ourselves.
L: Challenges, no, but we definitely had to grow together to take our sound to another level. We had to bond and trust each other’s artistic vision, which usually happens spontaneously on stage.
C: I don’t think there has been any challenges as there’s a real soulful connection between us all. Almost like a tribal thing. We grew up listening to the same sort of things and we’ve been influenced by the same sort of arts. Our pure love of music and our interpretation of it has created this beautiful blend, which is just being outwardly exuded.
You’ve talked about wanting that interaction with the audience — a kind of communication. What does that look like? What’s your dream audience?
S: It can look like a smile… Singing along… A cheer after a solo? Or just seeing people just getting lost in the music.
C: Everyone that comes into these venues has a story. We all have stories. We have highs and lows — that’s human nature. But music is healing and I’m mindful each time I go on stage to be intentional, and be a safe place for people to let go. I believe we create a safe space as a band.
L: It’s being able to know that your versions of songs are hitting the people in the chest. Seeing them lose a bit of control and become free for a little while.
I imagine you all came together with a lot of disparate hopes for what you wanted to do as musicians. Have they changed since working more collaboratively? Has the goalpost changed?
S: Not particularly. It was a natural crossover and we’ve always supported each other’s musical projects. For me personally, I’d say at some point we need to just put out a record.
L: It certainly has. Seeing the way we play together has made me elevate my own project, ‘LAVILLE’. It’s made me embrace the groove even more than I did.
The Blues Kitchen is such a great venue because it’s so intimate and it invites that level of audience interaction, but is there a dream venue for you guys? One that if you played there, you’d think, ‘Right, we’ve done it now’.
S: Madison Square Gardens.
C: Most would say Wembley stadium. I just think anywhere where our band is would be great for me. Wembley… Glastonbury? Or the O2?
L: Oh, that’s a hard one. As a band I think we could play anywhere, but I’d love to see us hosting a night at, say Blue Note Tokyo [a jazz bar in Tokyo]. Or somewhere beautiful and iconic like St Paul’s Cathedral… Imagine the acoustics.
You’ve been performing with The Blues Kitchen for twelve months now. Have you evolved in that time? What role did the venue play in that?
S: Some of the arrangements of tracks we do now we wouldn’t have done when we first started. Also, I’d just finished recovering from a hand injury when we started playing at The Blues Kitchen, so I’m very grateful to simply be on the stage.
C: I used to be a very shy performer, but I’d say the experience has allowed me to be more free. I trust that the others would have my back. Without performing at The Blues Kitchen as much as we do, I doubt I would have adapted this fast. I love it. I love the staff. It’s just a genuinely lovely atmosphere.
L: Sol was so clear on his vision for the band and he chose people he believes can execute that. But we’re bolder now that we’re living on that stage. And vocally it’s made a big difference to my confidence. You see people doing such big numbers on streaming platforms that a small amount of doubt comes into play. And given that I’m not a spring chicken, people impose time on top of all the other pressures we have. But playing at The Blues Kitchen has made me realise that I’m doing alright!
When people watch you perform, what are you hoping they take away from it?
S: Music is fun. Music is togetherness.
C: That they can get on – or over – whatever is happening in their lives. There’s always a way out.
L: A full heart and a bit of love. We want it to feel like they’ve just been to church for the first time in years.
Growing up, were your families supportive of you making it as musicians?
S: Yeah totally. I made the decision at 19 and my parents have always been big supporters — they’ve come to loads of the shows and tours I’ve done over the years.
C: My parents were very supportive of me singing. They would come to talent shows and all these performing arts performances. I did stop singing back in 2014, but my Dad encouraged me to get back to it in 2020, just before he passed away. It was a promise I made to him that I’m fulfilling now. I know he would be proud of me.
L: I only started singing in 2017, but since then I’ve had my mum firmly by my side at 90% of my gigs. And when my auntie Alison was with us she was at pretty much all of them, too. Seeing her face in the crowd always made me feel comfortable.
Who are your biggest influences?
S: J Dilla, Michael Jackson, James Poyser, Speakers Corner Quartet… and Quincy Jones.
C: Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and Brandy.
L: Pharrell, Musiq Soulchild, Mariah Carey, Erykah Badu… Teedra Moses. I could really go on and on!
You want to get a party going. What song are you putting on?
S: ‘Heaven of My Life’ by Change.
C: ‘Rock with you’ by Michael Jackson or ‘Ain’t Nobody’ by Chaka Khan.
L: ‘Gabriel’ by Roy Davis Jr. It’s a classic and it’s just so smooth and the baseline always wins.
Are there any other sounds or genres you want to experiment with in the future? Ones wildly disparate from what you do now, that you’ve always been itching to have a pop at?
S: As long as it’s grooving, it’s good with me — groove has no genre.
C: I’m open to all genres. If I was given the opportunity to take a stab at it, I would. Especially if the music moved me. I love soulful house — listening to all those iconic, full-figured women singing made me want to do the same. I’ve been working with some producers to make that happen… And I could only imagine what it would sound like live, with a full band.
L: Growing up listening to N.E.R.D. has given me a real need to make a rock-soul album. Something with attitude and serious lyrics.
