There’s some joyous noise coming from the Washington D.C. area.
The noise has been created by Aztec Sun, an ensemble that blends “70’s Funk and Soul, Jazz, Afro-funk and Motown-era pop” through a modern lens. The band’s fat horn section, and soul sensibilities give them such a wonderfully danceable vibe — whether it’s clapping hands and shaking booties, or cheek-to-cheek in a slow dance.
We spoke with the band right before they hit the road to perform at Jams on The Sand in Asbury Park, NJ tonight.
You’ve got a new record coming out this fall — how excited are you guys?
Quite excited! It’s been almost a year since we decided to record a full album, so we’re looking forward to getting this music out.
You recorded an EP in 2016 — how much of a difference are we going to hear between the EP and this full length?
A large difference. Our EP was tracked (each instrument recorded in an isolated, designated space) at a time when we weren’t very familiar with our preferred studio setup. This album was recorded with our full band playing live in a single room – an homage to how funk and soul records used to be done. We wanted to capture both the imperfections and the rawness of our sound, and we’re really happy with the end result.
Alan Evans of Soulive produced this record. How did you guys end up working with him? What did he bring to the table as a producer?
We got an opportunity to open for Matt Butler’s Everyone Orchestra in November 2017 and Alan was playing drums on that run. We started talking about our influences and our plans to record, and it was very apparent that he knew what we wanted our future record to sound like. He invited us out to his Iron Wax Studio and we spent a long February weekend in Western Massachusetts recording with him. Al created an environment in which our songs blossomed. He encouraged us not to get distracted by perfectionism, but instead helped us really dial into our sound and the feeling we wanted to produce.
You guys will be playing Jams on the Sand which is literally in front of the Atlantic Ocean. What’s the most unique venue you guys have ever performed at?
Well, JOTS is definitely up there now! Otherwise…probably playing live music for a yoga class in a small DC yoga studio.
You guys have performed with some pretty big names — what was the best piece of advice you received from one them?
We’re really thankful to have shared the stage with many groups we’re fans of! The best advice has probably been to be respectful to people. From concert goers to venue staff, everyone is working hard to make the event a success and deserve respect.
What do you love most about being in Aztec Sun?
Jokes on jokes on jokes. Our band has some designated jokesters, but every now and then someone will enter the ring with a funny and then everyone will try and one-up the last joke. We’re also big into puns and word play.
What are you most excited for in 2018 outside of the new album being released?
We’re going on tour with Rebirth Brass Band in mid-September! Tell your family and friends!
