Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators (FIN)
© Diana Djeddi
The hardcore funky soul of Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators’ debut album Keep Reachin’ Up hit like a million volts when it was first released in 2006. The idea that soul music this raw and authentic-sounding came out in Finland seemed damn near impossible.
Yet, the soulful vocals of the Brooklyn-born Nicole Willis and the raw backing of the Finland’s premiere funk instrumentalists The Soul Investigators are a perfect match. Their often uptempo, inspired and deceivingly simple tracks bring to mind 1960’s Motown classics and current music by the likes of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.
The listeners of Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide radio show nominated the album’s lead single If This Ain’t Love (Don’t Know What Is) as the best song of 2006, leaving behind an impressive array of artists. Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators have since toured around Europe and the UK and their live shows are known to be razor sharp.
www.nicolewillis.com
www.myspace.com/nicolewillisandthesoulinvestigators
