The five individuals behind the moniker Black Carl - Emma Pew on vocals, John Krause on drums and rhythm guitar, Chad Leonard on rhythm guitar and rums, Matthew Noakes on lead guitar and keys, and Ian Woodward on bass - make no bones about their obvious influences: old records from Tamla Motown and Stax/Volt, artists including Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers and The Meters, and musical stylings such as classic R&B, the blues, funk and of course, soul. The key to Black Carl is that they go beyond soul. They use it as their foundation and combine fifty years of influences to create something with a new, unique urgency.

Credit: Mitchell L. Hillman, Java Magazine