Alanna Royale is celebrating the release of their first EP this week – which is impressive, considering they’ve only played six shows so far!
Lead singer Alanna Quinn-Broadus and guitar player Jared Colby moved to Nashville only a year ago. Shortly after moving here, they met up with drummer Matt Snow, who Quinn-Broadus had known in college. Colby originally played the bass, so all they needed was a guitar player. However, bass player Gabe Golden had more experience in the soul genre, so they brought him in as a bassist and moved Colby over to guitar.
Alanna Royale didn’t stop there, though, and also sought good horn players for their entourage. By networking, and following up on other people’s recommendations, they eventually added Kirk Donovan on trumpet, Diego Vasquez on trombone, and Braxton Nicholas on sax.
The band as a whole has played six shows together, and initially they thought an EP would come further down the road. But audiences at their shows have been asking where they can buy Alanna Royale music, so they hit the studio. Unlike most bands working on a new album, they didn’t have an extensive catalog of tunes yet to choose from, so they recorded what originals they had! Jared Colby, who has always been interested in recording, had moved to Music City to run his own studio, called Trapdoor, in East Nashville. The band recorded all four songs for their EP at Trapdoor studios.
The name of the EP, Bless Her Heart, is a common Southern phrase that could be taken sincerely, or as a snippy comment. Alanna Quinn-Broadus, a native Northerner, loves the phrase and feels that it sums up her first year of being in the South.
The EP release show this Friday at The Basement will also feature sets from Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes, Maureen Murphy, and Golden Spurs. While Alanna Royale will be performing mostly original songs, they do promise one special surprise cover song they’ve been working on.
What: Alanna Royale EP release show
When: Friday, January 25 at 8p.m.
Where: The Basement
Cover: $7
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