By Steph Rodriguez

The Gold Souls have a lot to say — and now, as a full eight-piece band, they’re channeling their message through feel-good funk music and driven by undeniable soul power. 

Featuring a sharp, all-women horn section, The Gold Souls are ready to celebrate the arrival of their new full-length album, “Something In The Air,” debuting on April 24, with a release party hosted at the Torch Club on Saturday, April 26.

The addition of brass — saxophone, trumpet and trombone — and the occasional woodwind amplifies the band’s dynamic sound. For lead vocalist Juniper Waller, expanding the lineup with more women wasn’t just about instrumentation, but also intention: Representation matters, especially in the funk and jam band scenes, which she says is largely dominated by men both on and off stage.

“I just wanted to get more women up on stage,” Waller says. “Now, when we show up, and we have half women, half men in this big-ass band, it really sends a message to everyone involved that there’s no reason it should be this way.”

Waller says that the horn section, which includes Madison Armstrong (saxophone, flute, vocals), Liliana Celesia Moore (trumpet, vocals) and Kari Anne Estrada (trombone, vocals) really advances the storytelling aspects of The Gold Souls’ music.

“I’m just trying to add a level of harmonics to what’s already there.The horns are really playing a fully orchestrated part that adds to the music, not necessarily just repeated lines,” says saxophonist Armstrong. “It’s different from other bands that have horns in them. That’s how we contribute to the lineage of funk music, is that the horns have a different, more orchestral approach.”

Formed in 2017, and known for their deep grooves, powerhouse vocals and vintage-meets-modern sound, The Gold Souls took a more hands-on approach with this new record by self-producing each track at their home studio, Warm & Fuzzy Music. The result? A collection of songs that feel personal, sincere and uplifting. 

“It’s kind of the beautiful thing about being a band this long with this many people in it, is that we can explore a lot of different aspects of the genres that we enjoy, and try to do them the honor of continuing that theme to the best of our abilities — and having as much fun with it as we can,” says keyboardist, Alex Severson.

In an era of uncertainty, “Something In The Air” offers messages of hope, resilience and unity through irresistibly funky rhythms and lush musical arrangements that only accentuate the core talent that’s been the backbone of The Gold Souls sound for nearly a decade. 

Empowering anthems such as “Now & Again” and “Don’t Give Up” encourage listeners to push forward through hard times, gently reminding us that even during the most challenging moments, “everything goes right every now and again.” Waller’s lyrical range stretches further on tracks like “Fix Me Up” and “Good As Gold,” as they explore themes of love’s complexities from cautious longing to deep commitment. 

Waller says that during the writing and recording process, it was important for the album to have a strong sense of purpose — rather than feel like a mix of songs that happened to be finished at the time.

“This record is a little bit smoother, soulful. It’s definitely still funky. But it’s the more soulful side of the songs,” Waller says. “We wanted this record to be a blessing with hopeful songs that acknowledge the hardship of our present time, but also to give meaning to what’s going on and offer encouragement to keep going and finding joy in what you love.” 

But it’s the title track that is truly the heart of the album both in its message and musicality. It’s a song drummer Billy D. Thompson says most of the band, including Chris Paisley (guitar, vocals) and Avery Jeffry (bass, vocals), co-wrote together and encapsulates their tailored blend of “mind-bending, soul-soothing, booty-shakin’ boogie music.”

“It’s such a good message for right now,” Thompson says. “It was really a big push to get it there. And then, we were so happy with it and thought that it encapsulated what we were trying to say on this album so well, that it ended up being the title track, even though it was like the last one to get done and make it onto the album.”

As artists, Thompson says they’re constantly reflecting on the historical moments unfolding around them — and what their roles as musicians can add to the conversation. Through their music, The Gold Souls say they can challenge any number of injustices in today’s political landscape, while drawing inspiration from the resilience of people who manage to hold fast to joy. At the same time, they’re grounded in friendship and as bandmates, still finding the fun within the funk and soul music that brought them all together. 

“I really wanted this album to reflect that part of the human spirit. It’s really easy to look at everything going on and observe a lot of the unfortunate and hard-to-look-at things about this hard version of society,” Thompson says. “I really wanted this album to be a reminder of the other part, too, of how we do good and be good to each other, and for each other, and how much strength and hope that can give us. I hope people get that from it because that’s what we really tried to put into it.”

See The Gold Souls live at the Torch Club, 901 15th St., for their album release party on Saturday, April 26, featuring Jay Si Proof from Portland. 9 p.m.; $20 tickets at the door; 21 and over. The Gold Souls will also perform on April 25 at Sudwerk Brewing, 2001 2nd St., in Davis, with Güero. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m; $15 tickets in advance, $20 at the door.

This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19.