Playing to a sold-out crowd, Tempe-based band Black Carl hosted a party at the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix last Saturday, celebrating the release of their new EP, “The Fool.”
Comprised of vocalist and keyboard player Emma Pew, guitarist Matthew Noakes, drummer John Krause, guitarist Chad Leonard and bassist Ian Woodward, Black Carl has had a lot to celebrate recently.
“The Fool” marks the third and final release in their Record Club, a project the band has worked on for more than a year. Rather than purchasing the three releases separately, fans can subscribe to the Record Club at different prices. A subscription can include digital downloads, limited-edition vinyl records, a Black Carl T-shirt and even a surprise gift from the band.
Previously released albums in the series are “The Chariot” and the double-record set “The Magician”/“The Hanged Man.” Each album is named after a tarot card corresponding to a group member’s astrological sign.
Every Record Club release has been accompanied by a tour, with the band playing shows across Arizona and California. Drummer and co-songwriter Krause praised such metro-Phoenix venues as Yucca Tap Room, The Rhythm Room and The Trunk Space. But as both a concertgoer and performer, Krause has a downtown favorite.
“Crescent Ballroom is the best venue in the metro-Phoenix area,” he said. “The perfect size, the perfect sound, good atmosphere — I think Crescent really has it.”
Formed in 2007, Black Carl was brought together by a shared love of rhythm-and-blues musicians like Otis Redding and The Meters. Black Carl’s full-length debut, 2008’s soulful “Borrowed,” is a showcase of the band’s early sound, which draws from traditional soul and funk in songs like the swaggering “Hussy.” Centered on Pew’s rich, soulful vocals, the band sounds like an inventive collaboration between The Black Keys and Adele.
The Record Club marks a turning point in the band’s style.
“We weren’t really into soul throwback anymore. All these bands are always doing this soul throwback,” Krause said. “We liked that, but once you perfect that sound, where are you going to go?”
The records demonstrate a more expansive sonic and lyrical palette than the band had worked with before. Black Carl reimagines standard R&B in tracks like the raw, funky “Become My Hallucination” and the spacey, drifting “The World.” In the first song, Pew howls, “I am the apocalypse;” in the latter, she sings, “Who’s gonna take the time to save the world? You and I.”
The contrast fits what Krause refers to as “darker” lyrics.
“Maybe we’re going in a direction that some people may not like, but we’re being true as artists, you know? And that’s what’s really important to us,” he said.
The subscription model of the Record Club is a break from the standard album-release cycle.
“You have your album release, and then what do you do next? This gave us the ability to do something really awesome,” Krause said.
Black Carl is unsigned, with neither a record contract nor a manager.
“I don’t think most people realize it,” he said, “but we’re 100% independent. People say they’re indie, but they’re on like Capitol Records or something. Like, are The Shins really indie?”
Sharing the workload usually delegated to a manager, the band members maintain complete responsibility for pressing their records, distributing releases and booking shows.
Black Carl’s next album, slated for release within six months, will be titled “The Wheel,” the name of Pew’s tarot card. “The Wheel” will include tracks featured on the Record Club releases.
Looking toward the band’s future, Krause said, “We’ll probably just continue to be more awesome.”
Contact the reporter at bkutzler@asu.edu.
