The Revivalists

A group of roots rock loyalists who call New Orleans home, the Revivalists formed in 2007 and gained traction in the early years of the next decade. Their music is most strongly rooted in the deep soul and blues of the American South, with a modernist undercurrent that makes room for funk and contemporary dance grooves while maintaining an organic sound. Their second album, City of Sound, appeared on the Billboard charts in the spring of 2014 upon its re-release from Wind-Up Records, and their breakout arrived a year later with the hit single “Wish I Knew You.” They jumped to Loma Vista for 2018′s Take Good Care, and delivered a passionate, life-affirming message with 2023′s Pour It Out Into the Night, their first album for Concord. Vocalist David Shaw, guitarist Zack Feinberg, pedal steel player Ed Williams, bassist George Gekas, drummer Andrew Campanelli, saxophonist Rob Ingraham, and keyboardist/trumpeter Michael Girardot became known for their amalgam of rock, R&B, soul, country, and funk in New Orleans in the closing days of the 2000s, releasing an eponymous EP in 2008. Two years later, the full-length Vital Signs appeared, and they started earning good reviews for their opening sets for the Rebirth Brass Band, along with their constant touring and festival appearances. A second album produced by Ben Ellman, City of Sound, appeared independently in 2012. In 2013, the band signed with Wind-Up Records and set out to record their third album. In the meantime, Wind-Up reissued City of Sound in the spring of 2014 and it hit the lower reaches of the Billboard 200. Recorded straight to tape, Men Amongst Mountains, the band’s third studio long-player, arrived in July 2015 yielding the hit single “Wish I Knew You.” With their profile significantly raised and a new deal in place with Loma Vista, the Revivalists returned in 2018 with “All My Friends,” the first single from their third album, Take Good Care. The same year, the band released a limited-edition vinyl single, “Shoot You Down” b/w “You and I,” benefiting Everytown for Gun Safety. The Revivalists rolled into Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where many of the most popular and influential soul singles of the ’60s were recorded, and cut a seven-song EP, Made in Muscle Shoals, released in January 2020. The disc featured six new songs as well as a cover of the Bee Gees classic “To Love Somebody.” After a hiatus from touring imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Revivalists hit the road hard again in 2022 and booked another session in Muscle Shoals, which produced the 2022 EP Made in Muscle Shoals, Vol. 2, this time featuring six original compositions from the group. After another round of touring, they started mapping out plans for their next full-length studio effort, Pour It Out Into the Night. Released in June 2023, it was their first album for Concord Records and was previewed with the single “Kid,” an upbeat anthem about survival and perseverance. By this time, the Revivalists had expanded from seven to eight members with the addition of percussionist P.J. Howard. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Mark Deming