Soulstice

July 5, 2007

"You never heard covers so funked out."

By Chris McCarthy

While summer may have started a couple of weeks ago, Soulstice is just beginning to warm up.

During those infamous heat waves that are starting to grip Worcester this summer, not everything is as entertaining as it once was, and not every genre of music fits the mood as well as it does on cooler days. Hair metal is too sweaty, country just reminds you how hot it is, and no one can move fast enough in heat to keep up with techno. But funk — well, funk is what Mother Nature listens to when she's melting tar and giving you a sunburn, so why shouldn't the rest of us?

The best way to get your dose of funk this week is to check out Soulstice, a newcomer to the Worcester music scene. The seven-member group plays a variety of cover songs, ranging from Aretha Franklin to Sublime to The Beatles to John Mayer and everything in between. With such a varied set list, Soulstice can guarantee that everyone in the audience will be able to sing along with at least one of their songs, probably more.

"We love to pay tribute to the music we love," says singer/guitarist Ethan Caouette. "We pick songs based on what we know are crowd favorites, and music that just feels right to play."

The group came together in the past few months. "Our first practice was great and we've been a band ever since," said Ken Macy, guitarist and vocalist. Soulstice recorded a recent show at The Lucky Dog and put the tracks on their Web site, and Caouette says that, "Eventually we will be writing our own material."

Having a song repertoire that dabbles in several genres, it would not be surprising if Soulstice just picked songs out of a hat to cover. "We pretty much vote within the band on what songs fit our style the best," says Macy. "We get song ideas from our friends and fans as well." Even if they don't choose at random, it's still tough to arrange a classic song into a new, funkier version.

Soulstice plays covers of the songs with inspiration, but they are not straight covers. The band resurrects classic hits with unique instrumentation, giving the songs a breath of fresh air. Part of the reason the covers turn out so well is due to powerful vocals and the use of saxophone, something that isn't present in the original version of most songs. "We just listen to the songs and bounce ideas off each other at practice," says Macy. "Within minutes, we'll come up with a new idea and put it into the song."

When a band gets to play all its favorite songs, it will obviously make for a fun live show. "Our main goal is to give New England concertgoers the best show we can, night after night," says Macy. The band hopes to build up a solid fan base while putting on these great shows, including the one on Friday. As to what you should be prepared to see at the show, Macy added, "Expect the unexpected." - Worcester Magazine