the suffers

Kam Franklin: “Byrd And Shepard”

Admirers of modern Texas soul-funk-R&B ought to already be well acquainted with Houston outfit The Suffers. And if you’re hip to that group, you’re also aware that part of what makes them so special is frontwoman Kam Franklin.

This powerhouse can make just about any subject matter sound groovy as hell, so as a performance artist, orator, and activist, it’s no surprise that Kam’s comfortable broaching some tough topics as well. Within her solo saga that really started picking up steam at the turn of the 2020s, Franklin’s recently tackled two notorious United States hate crimes, that of James Byrd, Jr. and Matthew Shepard on her aptly titled latest single “Byrd And Shepard”.

The weight and pain of all-too-real bigotry history doesn’t stop Franklin from soaring on “Byrd And Shepard”, in which a simple percussive pulse and tortured key-and-six-string pairings support Kam’s championing of checking facts and protecting poignant books that policymakers want to ban. Behold Kam Franklin as she joins the star-studded lineup that wraps up KUTX’s 10th Birthday Concert Series with Walker Lukens’ The Last Walt tomorrow night at The Paramount, and give “Byrd And Shepard” a few extra spins not only in the name of preserving our painful-yet-important past, but also because it’s a powerful ballad that could’ve been a Whitney Houston/Tina Turner-Highwaymen collaboration.

The Vapor Caves: “Sacrifice”

Happy Women’s History Month! If you weren’t already aware, over the past year Spoon drummer/Public Hi-Fi producer Jim Eno has been helping to write a new chapter in Women’s History through Project Traction. By opening the doors to Public Hi-Fi and offering a seat behind the board, Eno’s given female and non-binary musicians the skills and know-how to advance their careers and improve representation for their marginalized demographic in the production world. Since finding its footing, this admirable experiment has also provided some unexpected pairings with remarkable results. And from the variety of sounds you can tell Jim’s mainly there to facilitate things rather than steer collaborations in any particular direction, which is awesome in terms of women’s autonomy in this male-dominated realm. But like mud-stuck tires, you simply can’t go full speed ahead to gain any real ground, which is why Project Traction’s singles have trickled out one at a time up until now. At the end of next month, PT receives its first formal compilation, appropriately titled Project Traction Volume 1. It hits wax on April 25th, and limited vinyl copies will be available at Waterloo Records. Rounding out the first edition is a real retro-inspired dirty-disco/tech-house banger that takes cues from Teddy Pendergrass’ “You Can’t Hide From Yourself”, and was co-produced by The Suffers’ brilliant frontwoman Kam Franklin. Performed by the sensuously eccentric Austin funk-R&B duo The Vapor Caves, “Sacrifice” shoots you straight to the other side of the millennium at the crank of an LFO knob. The style is classic, but the mixing is modern, making “Sacrifice” a must-spin for your favorite funk-house playlist. Huge bonus points for live brass on behalf of The Suffers, minor 2nd chord modulations, clever clavinet, and some seriously commanding vocal phrases.

The Suffers: “Don’t Bother Me”

Without traumatizing yourself too much, try to tally up how many major moments of turmoil our society’s experienced over the past half decade. It’s a lot. And without trying to sound too hippie-dippie, we’re not going to heal with more hatred. Although she primarily applies it to the constant grind of songwriting, recording, and touring, Kam Franklin of The Suffers shares a similar philosophy, that “it starts and ends with love”.

Tomorrow this one-of-a-kind Houston soul octet drops their third studio full-length It Starts With Love. This record reinvents The Suffers’ sound by exploring the retro synths and drum programming of the 1980s, like a modern day take on the Miami Vice soundtrack. But thanks to mixing from Grammy winner Adrian Quesada and mastering from Chris Longwood (who’s worked with both Khruangbin and Parliament-Funkadelic), It Starts With Love rounds out nicely with the group’s existing catalogue. It Starts With Love comes out tomorrow, and The Suffers play this Saturday at The Mohawk with fellow Houstonian Fat Tony. Between Franklin’s fierce vocals, lyrics grounded in America’s afflictions, and Latin-inspired percussion and horns (all of which can be heard – and seen – in “Don’t Bother Me”), the unbeatable energy of It Starts With Love absolutely demands a comfy set of dancing shoes.

Love In Quarantine – Kam Franklin “I Can’t Wait”

Love In Quarantine Episode 2 features Kam Franklin, lead singer of Gulf Coast Soul band The Suffers who you might recognize from performances on Late Night with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah or basically every major music festival in North America. Throughout her career, Kam has been a vocal opponent of sexism and racism in the music industry. Walker and Kam discuss this at length as well the French-themed confession that inspired “I Can’t Wait” in the interview. Now available wherever you stream and download music.

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Love In Quarantine – 1. Announcement

The Song Confessional Podcast returns after many months in quarantine. Back in March, the SC put out the call for confessions about people’s pandemic experiences. Turns out people are still falling in and out of love while staying inside. The Love In Quarantine mini-season features original songs from Kam Franklin (The Suffers), GGOOLLDD, Esme Patterson, and Royal Teeth as well as a brand new theme song from Walker & the crew.

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