Minor Soul

a little secret whilst producing Superheavy Joss Stone Stevie Nicks, Orianthi this year , I saw a tiny web site in Hong Kong!!! and heard these two young brothers sing some of their own songs, I was really impressed and they were completely unknown so I invited them to LA and produced their album too ! check this little film we made to one of their songs - Dave Stewart's official website

Minor Soul is a band made up of two brothers, Max and Jack Wagner, born in England, but living in Hong Kong. They were influenced by different musicians, all from Velvet Underground, Bowie, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles to Green Day. That’s why you’ll get different answers if you’re going to ask them what their particular style should be called. Jack likes Indie and Folk-Rock, while younger brother Max prefers Pop-Punk and Emo.

Jack plays guitar, drums, keys and sings with a plaintive, folky baritone. Max is largely self-taught on guitar, bass and piano. He sings with a lilting, soul-baring tenor. Together they write and sing all their own songs and harmonies. As someone wrote on YouTube: “Brilliant rebirth of Simon & Garfunkel.” And I couldn’t agree more.

When I first heard a song Beneath My Skin, I had it on repeat for days. I’m sure it’s going to be hard to get it out of your head, too. It’s quite catchy. - Entertainment Divaz

Jack Wagner, a Duke sophomore and one-half of the band Minor Soul, seems to be aware of this possibility. “When brothers [are in] a band together, it’s usually quite difficult. My brother and I don’t fight, and I think it’s because we’ve been so democratic on the songwriting and singing.”

Jack and his younger brother Max, who is still finishing school in Hong Kong, began writing songs at a young age. After recording a 4-track demo in a Shanghai studio, the boys released the songs over the Internet and found an unexpected fan.

Former Eurhythmics member and current music producer Dave Stewart discovered Minor Soul’s music and began working with them to produce a full-length album that was completed last summer. Tentatively titled Escape, the album features two songs that are co-written by Stewart, who has since been acting as a mentor and guide for the band in its attempt to sign with a record label and release the album to the public.

For now, Minor Soul relies on YouTube traffic to build up its fan base, releasing two music videos titled “Beneath My Skin” and “Alice.” When watching the videos, Jack’s self-comparison to Simon and Garfunkel is somewhat evident in both physical appearance and musical styling. Jack’s flyaway curly hair conjures up the image of Art Garfunkel’s golden afro and, almost by default, his brother Max becomes the diminutive Paul Simon. And while Minor Soul does seem to be grounded in acoustic folk melodies and harmonizing choruses, their different vocal registers and incorporation of pop elements creates a more affective, uplifting sound.

While Jack acknowledges that Minor Soul probably won’t achieve the same level of fame as fellow Duke musician-cum-douchebag Mike Posner, he hopes to reach the niche of Duke students who share his taste in acoustic and indie rock. As for current plans: Jack will be taking a leave of absence from Duke to focus on promoting the band and searching for management. “For now, our plan for next year is to really focus on becoming big in New York and going from there.” Before settling down in the United States, Minor Soul will perform at the Music Matters festival, the Southeast Asian equivalent of South by Southwest Music Festival. - Duke University Chronicle

Name: Minor Soul (Jack and Max Wagner)

Where They’re From: Hong Kong

Genre: rock folk pop

When They Started: 2010

Reminds Us Of: Extreme (Yes, that ’90s group)

Sounds Like: Sullen love songs for a perfect country outing

Jack and Max Wagner are only 20 and 18, respectively, but they’ve got enough business savvy to swim with music industry sharks three times their age. The British-French brothers, which together form the rock-folk-pop duo Minor Soul, have relocated to New York from their childhood home of Hong Kong in order to better pursue their dreams of mainstream success. These boys don’t bother with indie pretensions; last summer, they enlisted legendary rock producer and Eurythmics member Dave Stewart to record their first yet-unreleased album in L.A., featuring radio-keen ballads like “Alice” and pop love songs like “Beneath My Skin.”

In May, they recorded two more songs with hitmaker Toby Gad, the mind behind Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy.” Word is the brothers are in talks with even bigger names, although it may be too soon to mention who. —Written by Katherine Zhang
- MTV Iggy

These two brothers will soon be on your most-played list.

Meet Jack and Max Wagner.

Jack is 18, Max is 16. They live in Hong Kong, although their parents are British. They grew up raiding their dad's classic rock records, and spending summers at music schools in London and Boston.

Jack and Max call their band Minor Soul. Jack and Max call their sound "sneaker rock." (Their producer, the rock legend Dave Stewart, also wonders if they sound like a gigabyte version of Simon + Garfunkel.) And Jack and Max call this song "Beneath My Skin." Watch it and then check out this exclusive video interview with the musicians...
--FARAN KRENTCIL - Nylon Magazine