Static Gold

Though released in frosty November, “Keep Me in Mind” by pop funk Montreal trio Static Gold is nothing short of an ode to summer romance. The Canadian formation known for its positively charged sound and gang of musicians, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, again delivers on its promise: make you leap to your feet and groove to the rhythm of their feel-good hymns.

“Keep Me in Mind” has a retro finish to it, deliciously vintage in parts, soulful all around, candy for the ears. A pool party that ends at the flickers of dawn. Static Gold is a delight on stage as well. Lead singer/goddess Zaya Solange and her untrammeled groove and scenic presence, is a pleasure to watch. The band has been making the rounds to Montreal’s funk festivals and venues, covering songs and performing their own, with equal gusto and funkiness.

No doubt Static Gold features all the trademarks of a future hit band, not only because of their sizeable energy (that’s a word that’s been used over and over to describe them), but because they can do it all. From jazz, to pop, to funk, to electro, these guys shift from one to the other with no loss of enthusiasm. They’re musicians and performers.

The most memorable sighting, though, remains singer Zaya Solange. Looks and talent, we will be seeing much of her in the years to come. She bears all the markings of a diva in the making. - 24 Our Music

Juste à temps pour ensoleiller vos journées moroses d’automne, le groupe Static Gold dévoile leur nouveau single, « Keep Me In Mind. »

Le trio funkadelic de Montréal, composé des musiciens Samuel Chaco Kohn, Daniel Pombo et de la chanteuse Zaynab « Zaya » Solange, dévoile aujourd’hui l’extrait « Keep Me In Mind, » une chanson funky dédié à l’amour d’été. Et dans cet esprit d’amour le groupe offre les 100 premiers téléchargements de la chanson gratuitement. Dépêchez-vous ! - Lounge Urbain

Static Gold named Montreal's 2nd best Jazz Act in 2015 - Cult Montreal

Funk is a cool music genre. Swing is another cool music genre. Fuse the two together and you get a super-cool genre — Funkadelic Swing — played by Montréal-based six-piece band Static Gold.

With Daniel Pombo on the guitar, Thomas Viardot on bass, Samuel Chaco Kohn on the keys, Beth McKenna on sax, clarinet, and flute, Louis “LoudHands” Souverain on the drums, and Zaynab “Zaya” Solange on the vocals, this very talented group forms Static Gold. In 2014 they released their first eight-track album, Speaking Easy, a play on the word speakeasy, which is a prohibition-era term that describes a place where then-illegal alcoholic beverages were sold. “Fury’s Dance” is Speaking Easy’s third track, and in four minutes there’s certainly a lot that happens.

The track is split into two: The first two and a half minutes Zaya performs the vocals of the song, showing her range and power. The drums also play a role in controlling the pace of the song without changing the tempo itself. A whistle synth is also heard throughout the song to give Fury Dance a cool modern feel to the sound. The second half of the song is purely instrumental, including a saxophone solo, and pretty much the drums, guitars, bass, keyboard, and brass performing a fury of beats, notes, and rhythms to complete the song.

The music video, developed by Legato Productions and released under Static Gold’s YouTube channel, is the band’s first released music video, which appropriately captures what the group really is about. The retro-themed video begins with three traditional dancers performing in front of some of the band members who play the judges. All of a sudden the traditional jazz music stops with the sound of a needle scratch, and Fury’s Dance starts playing. The modern dancers make their way to the stage and begins their own routine. Everyone else, including the bartender played by Thomas, looks unimpressed, even with the judges scoring them as low as a two. Soon enough the traditional dancers join in and the viewer starts to see tradition and modern music and dance fuse together, much to the judges’ and the bartender’s bewilderment. The video concludes with the whole band playing together, along with the traditional and modern dancers breaking out more dance moves.

From their first album to their first music video, all professionally produced and developed by a group of very talented musicians, Montréal’s Static Gold has a very bright future ahead of them. Fury’s Dance, one of the tracks in their debut album Speaking Easy, fully captures the style of the group and what Funkadelic Swing is all about. The music video, which features a fury of musical dance and performance, also accurately portrays Static Gold’s unique and fused flair. Once they brush up on their mixing and mastering, they will be on their way to creating music of solid gold. - 24 Our Music

Just the other month I was getting my groove on at the 1st edition of Montreal Funk Soul Festival where local funkadelic swing band Static Gold closed the night with an amazing, upbeat and energetic performance. So there’s no chance I was going to miss out on the band’s release of their first music video, which they premiered last week.

Fury’s Dance is a joyride of a video with amazing dancing and a great look into the energy you’d find at a Static Gold show. I got keyboard player Sam Chaco to talk a bit about the concept for the video which originated from his artistic mind:

Sam: We were originally going to do a music video for our single “Dance”. The song is about spreading good vibes and dancing, so our idea was a feel-good video where Zaynab wanders through the streets and engages with the pedestrians, eventually creating a fun street party. Although “Dance” is one of our strongest tunes, the idea for the video lacked originality. So we opted to choose a song where we could get more creative and tell a story.

The music video idea I came up with for Fury’s Dance is a dance battle occurring in the 1920’s, separating on one side a group of traditional dancers, suited for the time, and on the other, a more modern, hype group that does not “fit in”. They look like they come from the future. The judges are very snobby, traditional and very dogmatic in their approach. They do not like anything that is different, that shocks, that is out of their comfort zone.

In this case, the song of revolt [Fury’s Dance] is not about political or socio-economic revolution, but rather a cultural revolution through dance. Led by the powerful voice of the narrator (Zaynab) and the revolutionary dance moves of the modern dance crew, the revolution spreads contagiously. The traditional dancers, and eventually the judges, learn to embrace novelty. They adapt and successfully learn to blend traditional and modern elements.

All in all, the themes of the video go hand in hand with many of Static Gold’s core values: letting loose, getting rid of prejudice, the combination of traditional and modern elements as an important tool for personal development and growth, and the embracement of diversity as a true source of artistic innovation.

We also had a blast dressing up in a bunch of old costumes we found at Eva B, and testing our acting chops. I hope that through this visual collaboration comprised of many of Montreal’s talented local artists (dancers, videographers, photographers, etc.), people realize that Static Gold isn’t here just to create music – we want to participate in Montreal’s vibrant art scene and engage in all sorts of multi disciplinary projects.

You can catch Static Gold next at Divan Orange on May 17th but until then do yourself a favour and listen to their soundcloud. - IX Daily

Static Gold are known for their solid, mesmerizing performance you can’t detach your eyes from; the Montreal-based swing group does it again with the release of their first official video. ”Fury’s Dance” is cast in the 20’s, as if The Great Gatby experiences teenager angst on the set of X-Factor. Intrigued, yes ? The video, featuring a track from the band’s debut EP, ‘Speaking Easy (released a year ago) introduces the funkadelic swing signature sound while becoming a staple of local music, earning a Jazz Fest participation and opening for international major acts. Shine on! - Naked Underground Mtl

Friday March 20th at Sala Rossa did not disappoint me one bit. I was very excited to head to the venue for what would be the first edition of Montreal’s Funk Soul Festival, and holy shit was it a turnt up affair.

Opening the night was funk, jazz, hip hop and groove fusion band The Liquor Store and they definitely knew how to set the mood for the rest of the evening. The 6 piece band was an energetic and eclectic mix of sounds, and even had guest performers come up on a few of their songs.

Up next was Clay and Friends, who mix styles like hip hop, funk, jazz, soul and reggae, with both MC’ing and Beat Boxing to their sound that delivers ridiculously feel good music you cannot stand still while listening to. This band was a welcomed discovery of exceptional talent and one that is definitely worth keeping an eye out for.

Closing off the evening before the after party kicked off was the amazing funkadelic swing band Static Gold. This group’s style of music is a fusion of jazz funk and soul but with pop undertones that are complimented by the captivating vocals of their female singer Zaynab; whose energy on stage transcends into the audience and creates an amazing buzz of good vibrations. The band can be thanked for putting the festival together and have a great future ahead of them with the following they've built over the years and of course with the help of their distinctive and electric music.

What I really enjoyed about the whole night was the amount of young faces in the crowd. Pretty much 95% of the audience did not seem to go past the age of 25 and it’s great to see our generation not only appreciate funk music, but be active participants in keeping this genre alive and relevant to today’s music scene. With so much of it being synthesized, computerized and less organic these days, I love going out and seeing artists play loud and proud while engaging their audience in a night of real music. At the end of the day music helps expand our minds and I think it’s safe to say that when the time comes, you’ll definitely be seeing me at Volume 2 of Montreal’s Funk Soul Festival.

Hopefully next time I won’t be as drunk. But that’s a story for another day, ta-ta for now! - IX Daily

A couple weeks ago, Static Gold celebrated a major milestone: the launch party for their first album Speaking Easy at the Cabaret Lion d’Or. Static Gold was founded by Samuel Chaco Kohn (piano), Daniel Pombo (guitar), and Zaynab Solange (vocals) less than two years ago. Growing from the remains of their university band, Galvao, Static Gold have now come to define their sound as “funkadelic swing” and added an impressive ensemble of talented musicians: Tom Pasto (bass), Beth Mckenna (alto saxophone), and Louis Souverain (drums). Following their launch party, we sat down with Static Gold founders, Zaynab, Sam, and Dan to talk about their journey from choosing their band name in 2012 to launching their debut album, Speaking Easy, on May 31st.

“I went to McGill for college, and that’s where the whole musical journey began in Montreal,” says Daniel. In the fall of 2008 both Sam and Dan, who had met in high school in Washington, D.C., moved to Montréal and started their first band, Galvao. The first band was made of musicians from their university community, and was a phase of learning and a period of trial and error for them.

“During the final break up of the band, we decided to form Static Gold,” says Sam. “You have a choice at that point, either you give up or you make something out of it… and we decide to reflect on the last four years and try to improve”.

Nearing the end of Galvao, Sam and Dan met Zaynab, when they went in search of a new singer on craigslist. With Zaynab’s addition, the band wanted to start fresh and move in a more focused direction. The trio then embarked on a new musical project that is now Static Gold. From their past experience with their band name Galvao, which many people could not even pronounce, they knew that, this time, the band name needed to be more thoughtful.

“We wanted it to be catchy and to have some sort of meaning,” explains Sam.

They explained that the name actually defines their music and what music means to them.

“Music is Golden, it has been with us our whole lives and will keep on being with us,” says Zaynab. “Static has two definitions,” Sam continues. “First, electrifying, highly and positively charged, but then also constant.”

Static Gold is definitely living up to its name; their live performances are beyond electrifying and their energy surges into the crowd. Zaynab’s powerful vocals and personality add another energy boost to the audience. At Cabaret Lion d’Or during their album launch, the venue was near its full capacity with everyone dancing and jumping to Static Gold’s high-energy music. Their album name, Speaking Easy, also references funk and swing, reflecting the bands music.

Dan tells us proudly, “they didn’t think we could bring in 300 people, I hustled them [the venue] until I got us a spot, and in the end it was great.”

Static Gold has had strong support even before the launch party, they used a Kickstarter campaign to produce the album and host the party in the first place. All three of them told us that they wouldn’t have been able to do everything they did without the Kickstarter campaign.

Their diversity of musicians and sound reflects the true essence of the city of Montreal and the band has a strong rapport with the city. They explained that being in Montreal has allowed them to meet different people from varied musical spheres and different musical backgrounds. There are very few cities where such a diverse group of people can come together.

“We are all from different backgrounds, originally and musically,” explains Sam. “It is not just because we met in Montreal [that we are a true Montreal band], but also because we are representative of what Montreal is, which is a diverse cultural mixing pot.”

“The music scene in Montreal is pretty open in terms of meeting new musicians and is very multicultural,” says Zaynab.

Being in Montreal has provided the band with flexibility in defining their sound. They attribute a lot of their ease to experiment and create their unique sound due to the open-mindedness of the city.

Dan explains, “It is relatively easy for bands to experience more instead of trying to do what is à la mode. We really just write the music we want to write, we don’t want to try and fit into whatever else is going on.”

Members of Static Gold are obviously musically talented but having spoken with them, they are a group of passionate, dedicated and meticulous musicians. In reflection of their first album Dan says, “I am not 100% satisfied with it, but I am definitely proud, it is a strong first effort”.

“We spent over 50 hours at the studio, we were all very new at it and we realized it pretty quickly too” he continues.

Nonetheless, the album came together beautifully and they delivered a spectacular performance on Friday. Their album Speaking Easy is now available on iTunes.

To end the interview, we asked the three of them to describe each other for me. Sam describes Zaynab as genuine and loud, and Dan as sharp and badass. Dan continues without much hesitation and says Zaynab is fun and outspoken while Sam is driven and reserved. Zaynab takes her time to reflect on the boys and settles with “G” as in gangsta for Sam and ends with “Dan is slick and beautiful.”

After performing and launching Speaking Easy, at the Cabaret Lion d’Or, it was back to reality for the musicians on Monday morning. Sam and Dan both work as researchers at an economic development consulting firm and the life of a musician is still a novel idea to them.

“I see how the life [of a musician] can be tough. You go, you play, you do the same thing…I am down to do it, but I think I’ll only know I want to do it once I am doing it,” reflects Dan. To which Zaynab replies, “I know I want to do it.”

The group knows that there is still work to be done for them to grow and improve. Zaynab tells me laughing, “you know you haven’t made it big when you get to the venue you are performing and the bouncer says to you, ‘where’s your ticket?’”

For now Static Gold returns to their day jobs and continue to pursue their passion in anticipation for their next show, which will be on July 4th at Les Bobards! - The Main

Not possible to copy-paste the article, click on the URL to read it. - Kreyolicious

Pictures from Static Gold's Album launch "Speaking Easy" - Camuz

24OurMusic managed to snag an interview with up-and-coming energetic jazz group Static Gold, hailing from Montreal, about to release their first album Speaking Easy. Here they are talking about their music, their influences, and their upcoming release show and concert on May the 30th.

–

I guess we’ll start off with a basic question. Who are you, where you from, and why should the world know about y’all?

We are a Montreal-based band founded in 2012 by Zaya Solange (Vocals), Sam Kohn (Keys) and Daniel Pombo (Guitar). With the additions of Beth McKenna (Saxophone), Louis Souverain (Drums), and Thomas Viardot (Bass), we have developed an eclectic sound that can only come to fruition in a city like Montreal. Our band members are comprised of a diversity of nationalities, ages, experience, and musical influences that, when blended together, allowed us to find an original style like no other.

What are your main influences? You can answer this as a group or individually. Or both.

To name just a few, Jamiroquai, Parliament, Snarky Puppy, Caravan Palace, and Daft Punk! The list goes on, but these are some of our biggest influences.

Montreal is a beautiful city. I’m from Toronto, and I always envy this very distinct vibe that seems to surround your lovely city. Was there any influence from Montreal, either in its culture or music scene, that really influenced your music?

Montreal absolutely influenced our music in many ways! First off, there is a parallel between Montreal’s cosmopolite composition and Static Gold. This city is very multicultural and embraces people from all over the world. In our band we represent five different countries­: Canada, Colombia, France, Haiti and the United States. Montreal’s warmth and communal vibe was the perfect place for us and our music to come together.

Similarly, the music scene is very diverse as well. This has also had an impact in our music and compositions. In some way, people’s acceptance of different sounds has encouraged us to really experiment with the fusion of different genres.

You guys have this very energetic vibe about you, which can be seen in your music, your performances, and even the way you guys look. Can you comment on how integral ‘energy’ may or may not be to your image, and how much of this energy will translate into your upcoming album Speaking Easy?

Energy is definitely an integral part of the band. In many ways, our name, Static Gold, refers to constant energy in a very metaphorical way.

It all starts with the music. We play music because it gives us positive energy. It makes us happy. In turn, we want our music to do the same for our listeners. That’s why most of our songs talk about letting go of your inhibitions, letting loose, and being yourself. Our main strength lies in our live performances, where the energy level is amplified by the music, the musicians, and the crowd feeding off of one another. The whole concept behind the album was to transfer our live energy into the recordings, so that you can have that same electrifying experience when you are listening to our music at home, or on your iPods. Hopefully we did a good job!

I understand that Speaking Easy will be your very first album. How was the recording process for this record? Was it truly ‘easy?’

Due to a Kickstarter campaign, and the generosity of our awesome fans, families and friends, we were able to begin recording in an amazing studio in the outskirts of Montreal with renown engineer and producer George Doxas. The entire process lasted 5-6 months, from pre-production to mastering and manufacturing of the album.

It was a collaborative effort since about ten musicians featured in this album. It was not “easy,” but definitely fun and rewarding.

On that note, what can listeners expect from Speaking Easy?

Listeners can expect a diverse, exciting, and energetic musical experience. Although there is an overarching Static Gold sound, we tackle many different genres including Funk, Swing, Soul and Jazz. We have coined our style as Funkadelic Swing! There is something for everyone in this album and we encourage everyone to check it out.

On May the 30th, you guys are going to be holding a launch party and show at Lion d’Or. How excited are you guys for this night and what does it mean to you all, individually and as a group?

This night is extremely exciting and important for us, not only because we have family and friends that are traveling from close and far to see us release our album, but also because we feel it is a stepping stone towards bigger and greater things. This is our first album release, so we are pulling out the big guns for this show to make sure it is a memorable one for our fans. What we’ve been working on for the past 6 months will finally be presented at this show, and that feels great!

You guys are going to have quite the theatrics at this show. A handful of artists, a full brass section, …dancers?! This sounds like something incredible! How on earth did you guys draw up something like this?

We are excited to collaborate with a talented group during the night. We will be playing with a talented brass section, we will have some beautiful dancers accompanying us on stage, and some solid DJs to start and close the night. The perfect recipe for a night full of movement and dance.

How did we pull it off? We are very open to all sorts of collaborations, and not just with other bands or musicians, but dancers, painters, videographers, photographers, and the list goes on. Our network of artists with whom we collaborate with has been growing exponentially ever since the band was founded, and we expect this trend to continue. At its core, Static Gold is comprised of six musicians, but if you take a step back, it feels like we are becoming a multidisciplinary artistic collective.

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24OurMusic managed to snag an interview with up-and-coming energetic jazz group Static Gold, hailing from Montreal, about to release their first album Speaking Easy. Here they are talking about their music, their influences, and their upcoming release show and concert on May the 30th.

–

I guess we’ll start off with a basic question. Who are you, where you from, and why should the world know about y’all?

We are a Montreal-based band founded in 2012 by Zaya Solange (Vocals), Sam Kohn (Keys) and Daniel Pombo (Guitar). With the additions of Beth McKenna (Saxophone), Louis Souverain (Drums), and Thomas Viardot (Bass), we have developed an eclectic sound that can only come to fruition in a city like Montreal. Our band members are comprised of a diversity of nationalities, ages, experience, and musical influences that, when blended together, allowed us to find an original style like no other.

What are your main influences? You can answer this as a group or individually. Or both.

To name just a few, Jamiroquai, Parliament, Snarky Puppy, Caravan Palace, and Daft Punk! The list goes on, but these are some of our biggest influences.

Montreal is a beautiful city. I’m from Toronto, and I always envy this very distinct vibe that seems to surround your lovely city. Was there any influence from Montreal, either in its culture or music scene, that really influenced your music?

Montreal absolutely influenced our music in many ways! First off, there is a parallel between Montreal’s cosmopolite composition and Static Gold. This city is very multicultural and embraces people from all over the world. In our band we represent five different countries­: Canada, Colombia, France, Haiti and the United States. Montreal’s warmth and communal vibe was the perfect place for us and our music to come together.

Similarly, the music scene is very diverse as well. This has also had an impact in our music and compositions. In some way, people’s acceptance of different sounds has encouraged us to really experiment with the fusion of different genres.

You guys have this very energetic vibe about you, which can be seen in your music, your performances, and even the way you guys look. Can you comment on how integral ‘energy’ may or may not be to your image, and how much of this energy will translate into your upcoming album Speaking Easy?

Energy is definitely an integral part of the band. In many ways, our name, Static Gold, refers to constant energy in a very metaphorical way.

It all starts with the music. We play music because it gives us positive energy. It makes us happy. In turn, we want our music to do the same for our listeners. That’s why most of our songs talk about letting go of your inhibitions, letting loose, and being yourself. Our main strength lies in our live performances, where the energy level is amplified by the music, the musicians, and the crowd feeding off of one another. The whole concept behind the album was to transfer our live energy into the recordings, so that you can have that same electrifying experience when you are listening to our music at home, or on your iPods. Hopefully we did a good job!

I understand that Speaking Easy will be your very first album. How was the recording process for this record? Was it truly ‘easy?’

Due to a Kickstarter campaign, and the generosity of our awesome fans, families and friends, we were able to begin recording in an amazing studio in the outskirts of Montreal with renown engineer and producer George Doxas. The entire process lasted 5-6 months, from pre-production to mastering and manufacturing of the album.

It was a collaborative effort since about ten musicians featured in this album. It was not “easy,” but definitely fun and rewarding.

On that note, what can listeners expect from Speaking Easy?

Listeners can expect a diverse, exciting, and energetic musical experience. Although there is an overarching Static Gold sound, we tackle many different genres including Funk, Swing, Soul and Jazz. We have coined our style as Funkadelic Swing! There is something for everyone in this album and we encourage everyone to check it out.

On May the 30th, you guys are going to be holding a launch party and show at Lion d’Or. How excited are you guys for this night and what does it mean to you all, individually and as a group?

This night is extremely exciting and important for us, not only because we have family and friends that are traveling from close and far to see us release our album, but also because we feel it is a stepping stone towards bigger and greater things. This is our first album release, so we are pulling out the big guns for this show to make sure it is a memorable one for our fans. What we’ve been working on for the past 6 months will finally be presented at this show, and that feels great!

You guys are going to have quite the theatrics at this show. A handful of artists, a full brass section, …dancers?! This sounds like something incredible! How on earth did you guys draw up something like this?

We are excited to collaborate with a talented group during the night. We will be playing with a talented brass section, we will have some beautiful dancers accompanying us on stage, and some solid DJs to start and close the night. The perfect recipe for a night full of movement and dance.

How did we pull it off? We are very open to all sorts of collaborations, and not just with other bands or musicians, but dancers, painters, videographers, photographers, and the list goes on. Our network of artists with whom we collaborate with has been growing exponentially ever since the band was founded, and we expect this trend to continue. At its core, Static Gold is comprised of six musicians, but if you take a step back, it feels like we are becoming a multidisciplinary artistic collective.

Are there any artists, past or present, that you guys would like to collaborate with, either as a group or maybe individually?

As a band, we would love to collaborate with present artists such as Snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu and Jamiroquai. Also, doing a couple of tracks with Daft Punk would not be bad at all, noting their current inclinations towards Dance and Funk.

From past artists, it would have been great to have a jam with Parliament Funkadelic. You can’t get funkier than them!

Finally, this is probably a difficult question to answer, but are there any future plans over the next year? Perhaps over the next two or three years?

Over the next year we plan to make our first music video, play some festivals and collaborate more with other bands. Summer 2015 feels like the right time do to our first tour.

Ultimately, over the course of the next 2-3 years, we want to play in front of as many people and take our music to as many places as possible. And of course, keep growing as musicians, performers and recording artists.

Oh, and also, if you each could each be a flavour of ice cream, what would you all be?

Dan: Dulce de Leche
Sam: White Chocolate
Zaya: Biscotti Gelato
Beth: Neapolitan
Louis: Caramel Explosion
Tom: Coffee

–

Static Gold’s album Speaking Easy comes out on May the 30th, where the band will also host a release party and concert at Le Lion d’Or in Montreal. - 24 Our Music

Static Gold c’est Samuel Chaco (clavier), Daniel Pombo (guitare) et Zaya Solange (voix), un ensemble tout simplement explosif! Issus des quatre coins du monde et ayant des influences musicales toutes aussi variées, les membres du groupe représentent à la perfection la diversité montréalaise. Ils nous offrent un son aux influences jazz, funk et soul, le tout dans un format pop familier que le groupe nomme Funkadelic Swing.C’est avec une énergie sans limite et des rythmes rassembleurs que Static Gold nous présente leur tout premier album Speaking Easy.

Suite au succès rencontré depuis leur création en 2012, Static Gold a parcouru les scènes de la métropole, jouant au National, au Club Soda, aux Bobards et bien plus encore. Le soutient de leurs fans a encore une fois frappé, permettant au groupe d’enregistrer ce premier album grâce à une campagne de financement. Ils s’entourent de leurs acolytes de toujours, les musiciens de talent Louis Souverain (batterie), Thomas Viardot (basse) et Beth Mckenna (saxophone tenor, flûte, clarinette) ainsi que de l’ingénieur de son George Doxas et des musiciens Christopher Vincent (Trombone), Kaz Takasugi (Trompette), Chris Maskell (Saxophone Alto) et Michael Hsu (Violon) de l’école de musique Schulich de McGill afin de réaliser ce premier disque.

C’est avec rien de moins que 11 musiciens sur scène que Static Gold présentera Speaking Easy le 30 mai prochain dans la mythique salle du Lion d’Or. Une ambiance à tout casser assurée!

Écoutez leur premier extrait Dance par ici : http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/Static-Gold - Québec Spot Média

L'union des membres fondateurs du groupe Static Gold témoigne bien de la façon particulière dont Montréal amène les gens des tous milieux à se rassembler.

La base de fans du groupe est en constante évolution et le support de ceux-ci a permis à Static Gold d'enregistrer de façon professionnelle leur premier album 'Speaking Easy'. C'est en effet les fans qui ont amassés une grande partie des fonds nécessaires à l'aide d'une campagne de financement Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1608061433/static-golds-funkadelic-swing-debut-album ). Le groupe s'est entouré de l'ingénieur de son George Doxas et des musiciens Christopher Vincent (Trombone), Kaz Takasugi (Trompette), Chris Maskell (Saxophone Alto) et Michael Hsu (Violon) de l'école de musique Schulich de McGill afin de réaliser ce premier disque.

Static Gold s'efforce maintenant de faire voyager cette atmosphère de communauté et cette énergie qui leur est propre à travers le Canada et au-delà des frontières, puisque des fans du monde entier anticipent l'arrivée du groupe. - La Presse

Static Gold is listed as the number 5 best Jazz act in Montreal (2014) - Cult Montreal

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with the three founding members from Montreal-based Funk/Swing outfit Static Gold, Zaynab Solange (vocals), Daniel Pombo (guitar), Samuel Chaco Kohn (keys). The group, composed of the founders, with Tom Pasto on bass, Owen Nelson playing the alto sax, and Louis “LoudHands” Souverain on the drums, is going to be working on a whole slew of new collaborations this summer, with potentials being rock band Alexei Martov on top of competing in the final rounds of Le National’s Battle of the Bands at Club Soda. Like them on Facebook (and us too) to hear more of their chiller electro gypsy swing vibes.

GRAPHITE: When did you guys form Static Gold?

Samuel: I would say we started last semester, our first official show was in November at le National, but we started Static Gold the summer of 2012. Our previous band disbanded, essentially. When we were with Galvao, the style was similar, but less focused, less polished. We played for four years with different lineups. We see it as figuring our sound out and getting to know each other, kind of like a bootcamp to get to this project that is much more serious.

How did you guys meet?

S: Daniel and I, we’ve known each other since high school. Zayneb, we met her on Craigslist. Actually, most of the musicians we’ve met were on Craigslist. It’s kind of the luck of the draw, I don’t know why she was roaming on Craigslists looking for like weird posts or something (laughs), but she found us and so did the bassist.

Daniel: There were auditions and man, there were some weird, weird people that came to the auditions. We had one girl that was a dominatrix, but she was really cool though. We had another girl, she hated gypsies and gypsy music but she still auditioned for our band even though there’s a gypsy-swing vibe to it (laughs). We met the Sax player at a party, he lived downstairs. He does Jazz performance at McGill, Owen Nelson. He was actually voted student of the year this year (for the Tribune).

Reppin’. What’s your creative process like?

Zaynab: The way we’ve done it most of the time is, you know, someone comes up with an idea either instrumentally and/or with lyrics/vocal melodies and we just work on it from there.

S: We used to write the music first. The lyrics would come after. We’d associate the lyrics with the vibe or the atmosphere that comes out of the music. But now, Zaynab also comes to us with her vocals and lyrics and we come up with the music from there.

How do you go about writing your lyrics?

Z: I have no clue. It just comes out of nowhere. A lot of songs end up being about love, even if it isn’t necessarily actually about love. Love and having a good time.

D: Her/our lyrics just describe what we’re going through right now. We’re young, having a good time. You hook up with people, fall in love with people.

S: We try to switch it up. It’s different stories. A lot of songs follow stories. It’s never really about us, but how we feel about something through a person. We play high energy shows. A motto for the band, picked by the sax player and also a song, is ‘Get Sum’. That’s what we do in the band. You could think it’s a sexual reference, and it could be. It’s more general, whatever your passion is, go with your inhibition and you know, get some. It’s about being yourself. The lyrics just follow.

How many original songs does Static Gold have?

S: Right now we have about 14. We’ve been writing a lot, we’re currently working on two more.

So is it exclusively your voice on the tracks?

Z: Yeah. They smoke.

D: Also cause we suck man! I mean I would love to sing, but I just suck man.

S: For me, the piano’s my voice, you know. I’m satisfied with that. I’m trying to whup out the accordeon on a song in the future. I just bought one. I’m not very good.

D: Can you please put that, ‘my piano is my voice’? So cheesy!

Z: I want to learn how to play bass, man. For me, my voice is my voice!

What’s on your iPod right now?

S: Static Gold. No, I’m kidding! I have a heavy Jazz background. One of my main influences is this Jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson. I listen to a lot of Caravan Palace, a French band, I think they’re the first ones to do this genre called ‘Electro Swing’, a mix of gypsy-jazz with electronic elements. I dig their style and sometimes try to reproduce that in the music that we play.

D: I have the new Steven Wilson album, that guy’s pretty cool. I have the new Justin Timberlake album (it’s not bad!), and this band called Snorky Puppy, some crazy fusion shit.

Z: What I’m listening to has nothing to do with our music, right now I’m listening to Lil’ Kim’s first and second albums. But at the same time it’s interesting to hear the lyrics that she wrote back in the day, they’re kind of rough. She was Biggie’s protege. And then he died. That, if not like Erykah Badu, then I’m listening to Raphael Saadiq, maybe Kendrick Lamar.

How has your sound evolved through the Montreal?

D: Being in the scene and talking to people who actually make a living out of music; since things have taken a more professional turn, you start seeing things differently. At the same time, there’s the business aspect of it. I just have a more realistic view of what being a musician is. And that it’s fucking tough.

S: I think Montreal is a great to be as a musician. There’s definitely a strong cultural and musical scene here; and contrary to New York for example, because it’s smaller it’s easier to stand out and know what’s going on around you, check out a bunch of bands. Under Static Gold, we’re trying to branch out of that and cater to as many people as we can. Cater to the diversity of Montreal.

What’s the most memorable gig you’ve had here so far?

S: We did a show at Absinthe bar in february for Valentine’s day. The sound wasn’t that great, but the energy was. It was an intimate space so we were close to the public, even took some shots with some people in the crowd.

Z: That was a significant moment for me because the people we saw in the crowd weren’t people we saw before, so it’s like new fans. It was interesting to see new faces and see that we could really create that awesome vibe anyway.

S: We’re planning to collaborate with other musicians, like Alexei Martov, we’re planning to play with them this summer. We also did Battle of the Bands at le National in March and we passed to the final round, so that’s gonna be Club Soda in May and it’s gonna be big. The prizes are big: free recording, promotion. We only have one recorded song and we don’t feel it’s representative of our music. We really want to record.

D: Once we release our first EP, before the end of the year, we’re gonna try to do a small tour on the east coast. The thing is, it’s only been 5 months.

What’s the dream gig?

D: Something like Madison Square Garden, or playing Burning Man would be fucking crazy. I’d love to play SXSW.

Z: Coachella. Fuck yeah.

S: What I’d really like to do is go on tour in a foreign country, like go play in Brazil, Tokyo. Rocking some foreign country. At that moment it’s like “yes, I really am doing what I want to do”: play music and travel.

What’s your favorite cereal?

S: I love that question. I’m the cereal man. I will eat cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You know the cereal is good when it’s the most artificial. It needs sugar and artificialness man, that’s my type of cereal.

D: I have some muesli banana nut crunch…

S: The Fruit Loops, the Reeses Puffs, the Count Chocula, all that crap. Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Who’s the biggest joker in the group?

S: By far, the sax player. Owen is a ridiculous person.

D: Our bass player and our drum player, they’re like 40 man. They have families, and sons and shit. But it’s cool, it gives us a mature look when we play (laughs). Dude, old people are reliable -

S: We went for the older people because we had too many flaky musicians.

Z: Can we stop talking about ‘old people’, please!

We’re all young’uns at heart. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, guys! - Graphite Publications

If you're a regular reader of Indecent Xposure (who are we kidding, 'if'?), then you'll know we're throwing a soirée for the ages on April 19th. High Society is the theme, so get dolled up, boys and girls! Just be ready to loosen those ties and break in those stilettos, because Static Gold will be there to move your hips.

If the name sounds familiar, don't be surprised. Static Gold burst onto the Montreal music scene late last year. You may already know members Zaynab (vocals), Samuel Chaco Khon (keys) and Daniel Pombo (guitar), as they have been lighting up the city with Galvao for the past few years. With the additions of Owen Nelson (sax), Thomas Viardot (bass) and Louis “Loud Hands” Souverain (drums), the group was reborn as Static Gold.

How exactly do you label a blend of styles so unique? Sure, there are elements of soul, funk jazz and swing, it all comes together to create an aural experience that transcends all of those genres. The guys of the band call it “Funkadelic Swing”. Zaynab calls it “Ecletic Jive”. Whatever you want to call it, it's hard to keep from moving with their beat.

It shouldn't be a surprise that their music borrows from so many styles – the band is all about diversity. The members all grow from different roots and all bring something unique to the table. No one plays in the background in this act – everyone's individual talent is on display, and it all comes together seamlessly. It is Static Gold's mission to bring this same sense of community found in their sound to each and every venue they play. As they put it, “it's all about letting go of your inhibitions, getting down to the music and sharing each others energy.”

I could sit here all night trying to sell you on these guys, but they really need to be experienced live to be believed. Take a sneak peek below at their sound and join us at High Society for the full monty! - Indecent Xposure