Paul Reed Smith

Interview with internationally-known guitar maker and musician Paul Reed Smith. 2024

 

Paul Reed Smith - Eightlock is a band of high-level musicians who are friends and have “locked” together recording and performing a new kind of groove with its roots in Baltimore funk, DC go-go and New Orleans swing. The band’s sound is a heady brew of blues, soul, rock, funk and other roots sounds, all stirred-up into a groove-alicious gumbo. The line-up is three drummers, a bass player, a female singer and three guitar players, and the excitement around their three drummer groove is infectious. The band’s three drummers are: Dennis Chambers (John Scofield, George Duke, Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin) who was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2001; Gregory Grainger (Whitney Houston, Acoustic Alchemy); and Ju Ju House the legendary DC Go-Go drummer (Roberta Flack, Trevor Horn and The Chuck Brown Band). Bassist Gary Grainger has performed with John Scofield, Nancy Wilson, George Duke and Bill Evans. Vocalist Mia Samone Davis has a beautiful multifaceted voice that got its start in gospel music at a very young age. Guitarist Mike Ault regularly performs with high caliber artists including Rachelle Ferrell David Grissom, and Davy Knowles. Guitarist Bill Nelson is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center where he was introduced and invited to join the band in their efforts to raise money for cancer patients and families. “This group of highly respected and world-renowned musicians have a lot to say musically and spiritually,” Paul Reed Smith says. “It’s been an absolute joy to be the catalyst for their gifts resulting in the music found in Lions Roaring in Quicksand.” Added guitarist/vocalist Dr. Bill Nelson: “The musicianship in Eightlock is extraordinary, but what amazes me most is that the music - both the recordings and live performances - just keep getting better and better. Locking into an Eightlock groove is a dream." And dynamic lead singer Mia Samone summed it up by saying, "Creating this CD reminded me that, ‘Peace is the price when the mind is at war’......inner peace is priceless."

 

In addition to performing and recording with his own band, Paul Reed Smith has played with artists such as Santana, Alter Bridge and the Doobie Brothers. He was honored by Vintage Guitar Magazine as a Hall of Fame inductee in 2011. Paul has countless industry connections through all of the artists that endorse his guitars, plus invaluable marketing opportunities through his guitar company and all of the music stores around the world that sell his guitars. Grammy-award winning Mexican rock band Manaì had him open their residency at the LA Forum this year, John Mayer and Santana have taken him on tour. In addition to 10 powerful original songs on Lions Roaring in Quicksand, the new album features a cover of a Manaì song in English, “Ay, Doctor,” that the band has agreed to share on their social media to their millions of fans, as well as scintillating versions of the Al Green soul classic, “Love and Happiness,” the legendary Edwin Starr song, “War,” and “99,” a chart hit for the original version in France.

 

Paul Reed Smith Eightlock Social Media

Links: https://eightlockband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063641798882

https://twitter.com/PEightlock

https://www.instagram.com/eightlockband_official/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv-7c7kNFEo0nfpvsim2Gsg