All his life, Eddie 9V (9-volt) has acted on instinct. At the age of 15, this old-soul artist turned away from the path of college and jobs to burst - all guns blazing - onto the roots and blues club circuit of his native Atlanta. Flash forward to 2019, and for his debut album, Left My Soul In Memphis, the prodigious multi-instrumentalist simply powered up the amps in his mobile trailer and with his brother/co-writer/producer, Lane Kelly, laid down one of the year's breakout releases, acclaimed as "fresh and life-affirming" by Rock & Blues Muse. "Memphis was a total side project," shrugs Eddie, "that ended up taking off."
Now, released in 2021 on Ruf Records, Little Black Flies is the 25-year-old's most impulsive move to date. Tracked live in Atlanta's Echo Deco Studios through November 2020, once again with Lane turning the knobs, plus a who's who of the state's best musicians, it's an album that Eddie planned to feel like it's unfolding right in front of you – right down to the clink of bottles and loose studio banter. "I've seen a trend in modern recording," he says. "There's no soul. I took inspiration from Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Mike Bloomfield. All those great records were done live with their buddies and no overdubs. I wanted the playing to be spot-on, but even if we made a mistake, we kept going." This record catches everything that went down at a session that felt more like a party, as Eddie leads the lineup through nine new songs - plus three classic covers – that retool the soul-blues genre on his own terms, reminding a new generation why this music hits so hard. Horns blast, drums rattle, slide guitars howl and at the heart of it all is Eddie's stinging guitar and unmistakable vocal, the bandleader thrilling us one minute with his soul-man holler, then spinning story songs like he's sitting on the next barstool.
Riverside Sounds concerts are produced by the City of Roswell's Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department in partnership with Lee J. Howard Entertainment and generously supported through community sponsorships.
Roswell Riverside Sounds is Roswell's longest-running, free, outdoor concert series, highlighting up-and-coming original artists and focusing on bringing diverse genres to the community. Beer, wine and sangria is available for purchase at each concert courtesy of sponsors Top Job Beverages and Events and Gate City Brewing Company. Food trucks are also on-site.
See Eddie 9V live this month at Roswell Riverside Sounds.
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