Who’s That Dude? It’s Anderson East

By Ryan O'Connell on 06/03/2015 • ( 2 )

I have to say that I’m very much enjoying this neo-soul ressurgance that has been building some momentum over the past couple years- one that may have started when Mayer Hawthrone first hit the scene, but who knows. It could be attributed to Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings or maybe just Daptone Records in general. I’m not sure, the specifics are for another time.

Our latest entrant onto the increasingly crowded bus that is the Bringing Back Old School Soul Revolution is Mr. Anderson East.

And I don’t know much about him unfortunately.

Google Machine: “Anderson East.” Engage.

Who is he?

Well he’s Anderson East, who despite having a name that sounds like a clothing store or more accurately, an outlet mall, is an Athens, Alabama native who currently lives in Nashville.

What’s his deal?

He’s a soul singer- complete with a gritty, rough and hard voice that’s completely void of polish, but completely chalk full of piss and vinegar. East started out strumming an acoustic guitar and partaking in songwriter’s round robins near Music Row in Nashville. After hooking up with Dave Cobb, a producer who has worked with Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell, East headed south and towards the funky, soulful sounds of Muscle Shoals.

What does he sound like?

A tougher and less buttoned up version of St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

Has he released anything yet?

Only two things, a single (“Find ‘Em, Fool ‘Em and Forget ‘Em”) and The Muscle Shoals Sessions – Live From Fame, which is a five track live recording he did at Muscle Shoals.

His first full length album, Delilah, is set to be released on July 10.

Muscle Shoals is pretty legit.

It is. Other people who have recorded there include the Black Keys (their 2010 album, Brothers,) Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Wilson Pickett, who recorded “In the Midnight Hour” there.