The title of Soul Track Mind’s new single, “Can’t Stop Us Now,” couldn’t be more appropriate; this Austin band’s on a roll, and the momentum is building. The band will celebrate their new single with a release party at 8 p.m. Friday, April 29, at Austin’s North Door, 502 Brushy St. Cover for the all-ages show is $12; for info or advance tickets, visit soultrackmind.com.
Like their recently released “Generation Song,” this track was recorded with Grammy-winning Memphis producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, who offered them free time at his Royal Studios after hearing them perform in the 2014 Louisiana Music Prize competition (which they won).
That’s the same studio where Record of the Year Grammy winner “Uptown Funk” was tracked, and where Mitchell’s father, legendary Hi Records producer Willie Mitchell, crafted so many classics with Al Green and other greats. Of course, it inspired Soul Track Mind singer/songwriter Donovan Keith, co-founding guitarist Jonathon Zemek and their bandmates, who continue their evolutionary quest for new sounds and arrangements with this finger-popping mélange of funk, R&B and jazz. This time, Keith says, the band eschewed horns to emphasize vocal hooks, keyboards and “more dynamic use of rhythm.”
In addition to spending time in Memphis, the band just made their performance debut in Nashville and landed a track in the Roadtrip Nation documentary, Ready to Rise. The documentary’s hopeful message — that young people can rise above troubled pasts or overcome hardship to follow their dreams — is a philosophy close to the band’s heart. When Keith moved to Austin to pursue a music career — despite having no training or experience — he struggled, but persevered. Within months after meeting Zemek, they landed a weekly residency at an East Austin speakeasy that lasted for a year and a half, allowing them to build both their chops and a dance-happy audience. With a catalog of heartfelt, groove-filled songs, they’ve since built an international fan base. And with songs like “Can’t Stop Us Now,” they’re ready to make an even bigger mark.
Soul Track Mind tour dates
April 22 – Cottonwood, Houston
April 23 – Rockit’s Whiskey Bar & Saloon, Corpus Christi, Texas
April 29 – North Door, Austin, Texas
April 30 – Yaga’s, Galveston, Texas
May 14 – Luna, San Antonio
May 15 – Taste of Addison, Addison, Texas
May 19 – Railroad Blues, Alpine, Texas
May 20 – Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, Tucson, Ariz.
May 21 – Hotel Monte Vista, Flagstaff, Ariz.
May 25 – Studio on 4th, Reno, Nev.
May 26 – The Torch Club, Sacramento, Calif.
May 27 – The Pocket, Santa Cruz, Calif.
May 29 – Biscuits and Blues, San Francisco
