Since we first told you about soul duo Myron & E back in May, they’ve been busy. They released their outstanding debut LP Broadway on Stones Throw, dropped a pair of videos that flat-out exude coolness in every shot, and are currently on the road with the Stones Throw Soul Tour, which stops at the New Parish in Oakland on Tuesday, August 27.
Both members have had some success in different musical ventures in the past. Myron Glasper, who now lives in LA, sang with Blackalicious (and several other acts) in addition to spending time as a dancer on In Living Color. “E”, aka Eric “E da Boss” Cooke also toured with Blackalicious as a DJ, has toured as E da Boss, and has his own label, Slept On Records. Last week, I chatted with Myron and E about their recent past while they were between dates in Tuscon and Denver. A portion of our conversation is below.
TBB: Can you explain how you first got hooked up with The Soul Investigators?
E: I had actually had met them on a tour when I was out in Helsinki in 2005 doing a hip-hop hour and that was when we first connected with them. During that time when I was out there I was just in an impromptu jam session with them and I sang at that session, and then they liked it and wanted to try to get me singing then…but at the time I was doing the hip-hop project, and then for the hip-hop project I was working on a few years later, I needed to have some sample-free music, so I thought about the Soul Investigators, and I called them, and that’s when they agreed to supply me with some music for the hip-hop project, but they also sent me a track to sing on, as well.
TBB: What made you bring Myron into the fold?
E: It was just all real happenstance, actually. Myron just showed up at my place one day, and when he showed up, I had the track from the Soul Investigators, and I was like, “Oh yeah, I have this track that these guys want me to sing on it with me.” And so on that day we wrote and recorded “Cold Game”.
TBB: You’ve played with quite a few backing bands (The Park, The Soul Investigators, and The Stepkids, among others) Does this change your appoach to shows?
Myron: It’s different because they
TBB: How much input did you have on your videos?
E: The first video we shot [for “If I Gave you My Love” –RJ] we had a lot of input on that video as far as the setting and everything, because in San Jose, we went there a couple years ago and did a show with the Souleros Ball crew out of San Jose. Peanut Butter Wolf saw…a YouTube video that somebody shot of us at this place performing live, and when Peanut Butter Wolf saw that, he agreed and thought it would be a really good setting for a video, and I also happened to be friends with the Southern Soul Spinners from Los Angeles. We knew they had a similar party to what he had seen on that earlier video…so we just called in a few favors from some friends, and that’s how we got that one rolling. [I believe this is the video Peanut Butter Wolf saw. Notice the people *gasp* dancing! –RJ]
TBB: Did you ever plan on making this type of music?
E: Um…no, but one of the huge driving forces behind it for me is not having fear, and just pushing forward. I love music, so it’s a great thing to be able to express yourself musically in a lot of different ways.
Myron: I’ve been making music similar to this prior to, but I’ve never done it this way, you know with the Soul Investigators and flying over to Helsinki, Finland to actually record the bulk of the album, but you know. I’ve been doing music for over twenty years…it’s been a long time comin’.
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For their show in Oakland, The Stepkids will be backing Myron & E, as they will for the entire Stones Throw Soul Tour. Later this year, Myron & E will travel to Europe for a tour with The Soul Investigators. Details of the Oakland show are below.
Peanut Butter Wolf, Dam-Funk, The Stepkids, Myron & E
New Parish
August 27, 2013
9pm, $22–25
