St. Paul & The Broken Bones will perform at Jannus Live on Dec. 6 featuring new music off of their latest album “Young Sick Camelia.” Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at here. Courtesy of AllEyesMedia
By Dillon Mastromarino
Music can sometimes be difficult to describe. With so many genres and cross-blends of sound in modern music, we tend to pigeonhole what sounds familiar in order to explain new-found favorites to others.
Paul Janeway, lead vocalist and founder of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, says it best when talking about his newest experimental work, “Young Sick Camellia.”
“The music is more than the label,” Janeway said about being labeled ‘retro-soul.’ “We just wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before and expand the borders of self and genre.”
St. Paul & The Broken Bones is a southern soul rock ‘n’ roll band based in Birmingham, Alabama. The octet is scheduled to perform Dec. 6th at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N.
The band has received acclaim over its newest album, “Young Sick Camellia,” released Sept. 7. The band has performed on late night talk shows, such as “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Conan.” The band has also been selected to open for The Rolling Stones.
“Young Sick Camellia” is a new take on the band’s original southern rock sound. Instrumentally, the album is soaked with funky basslines and disco-style rhythm guitar, with underlying elements of Baroque pop. But lyrically, Janeway belts with a heavy and soulful voice his wicked turns of phrase that explore the complexities of familial relationships.
Janeway, being somewhat the ‘black sheep’ of his family, describes his perspective and philosophies as different compared to others living in America’s deep south.
“Blood is what I can’t escape,” he sings in the album’s concluding song, “Bruised Fruit.”
“Writing is just editing of the subconscious,” Janeway said. “The key is being vulnerable.”
Like a preacher in front of his congregation, Janeway will address the audience clad in a black robe designed by Any Old Iron, a Nashville fashion boutique that has designed for artists like Lady Gaga and Kesha. Janeway describes wardrobe as a ‘package deal’ when it comes to performance art.
The band’s shows have been described as powerful and vibrant displays of religious energy. The spiritual connection is no coincidence; after abandoning a career in ministry, Janeway took up a different calling that he believes brings about a different spiritual awakening.
“This life chose me,” Janeway said. “Singing in church and listening to Motown, I had to play a lot of ‘catch up’ due to my religious background. But I listen to artists like Frank Ocean and Kendrick (Lamar); they’re great. But as you get older, you start to branch away from what you believed.”
