Ex-Star reporter Jordan Harris fronts new funk act RootNotes
Fresh funk is how they describe themselves – a sparkling gem of individuality in a heavily populated world of guitar rock.
RootNotes are the latest act looking to rise out of Walsall and entertain the world. They’re inspired by James Brown, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Vulfpeck, and in their own words are set to ‘bring a sense of fun and a very unique new sound to the Midlands indie scene’.
A five-piece, they hold enough swagger to pull off the often cringe-worthy initial press shots, but without stepping over the line into absurd cockiness.
And they have a comforting sense of familiarity too at Ticket Towers; one of their members is ex-Star reporter Jordan Harris.
“We have been friends since we were kids and at the centre of that friendship was always music,” Jordan, aged 26 and now working in PR, says.
“It seems like we’ve been getting together, listening to new music and old classics pretty much non-stop for about 10 years, but only recently has the idea of RootNotes come together.
“We have always been into the great British rock bands such as The Beatles, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, but over the last few years we’ve really started to get into a bigger variety of music, primarily funk, jazz, hip-hop and soul. [Band member] James [Potts] decided a couple of years ago he wanted to learn the saxophone and we thought that gave us the perfect opportunity to create a niche for ourselves and start a new band. Once he started to really pick it up and feel comfortable we started practicing regularly and writing our own songs.
“There have been a lot of good ideas set aside for now because what we really want is to create a fresh, funky and uplifting sound. Nothing too heavy and something to make people smile or nod their head.”
They have some experience too when it comes to being in a band.
Jordan and guitarist Matty Cross were previously in another Walsall group Spacement Apes, while Kieron Osbourne on drums and bassist Daniel Evans were in Dirty Little Lies.
Only saxophonist James is in a band for the first time.
“Both bands played a lot of gigs together from 2012 to 2016 and when each band decided to call it a day, we came together,” adds Jordan, before emphatically declaring, “But we don’t call it a supergroup!”
And staying true to that moniker of ‘fresh’, it really hasn’t taken them that long to get some material out to the world. Their debut single Move To This has already been crafted and will be released on July 27 – Jordan’s 27th birthday in fact.
It was recorded at the Magic Garden Studios home of Gavin Monaghan, who has worked with Robert Plant, Kings of Leon, The Blinders, The Twang and many more. He’s a real go-to guy for up-and-coming artists to work with.
The track is described by the band as ‘a funky, spirit-boosting composition’ and includes guitars, saxophone, trumpet, keyboards, vocals and rhythm section.
“For us, it feels like a long time coming, we really worked hard at making Move To This as strong a debut single as we could possible create,” adds Jordan.
“When we decided on working with Gavin we really wanted to just make sure we arrived in the best shape possible. It’s incredible for local bands to have the opportunity to work with such a talented and humble producer, who really does care about the artists he works with.”
And what’s after this?
“We will be going back to Magic Garden later in the year to record our second single. It has always been our plan to take the first two songs we wrote together, that really represent the core of what we are at this time, and record them this year.
“We hope we can bring a few more people in with our next release because it really is a song that hits you straight away, with some crazy lyrics and a catchy hook.
“From there, we will likely continue putting out individual releases. It allows us to give songs a chance to breathe and reach their full potential, plus we can keep the ball rolling with releasing new material.”
But if people want to see RootNotes live, they may have to wait awhile.
While their promo shots offer a glimpse of their style and aura, there are currently no plans to tour yet.
“This summer we are going to be locked away in the rehearsal studio finishing off our set ready to really hit the live scene with a bang on the back of our second release,” Jordan says. “That way, there will be two songs for people to learn the words too if they want to come and see us.”
And for Jordan, it’s important they get the sound right before making an appearance.
With meticulous planning like this behind them, they surely will.
RootNotes can be found on Facebook and Twitter, both @RootNotesband, and Instagram @rootnotesband. You can also see 'Move To This' music video by searching for them on YouTube.
