After three years of captivating audiences with their unique blend of soul, jazz, and undertones of hip-hop, Minneapolis-based Nooky Jones have finally released their debut self-titled album back on July 28, 2017 via Young And Foolish Records. A truly cohesive collection of love stories and music that takes listeners to beautiful places alongside deeply provocative characters, the album is a much needed artistic expression of self for vocalist/frontman Cameron Kinghorn. Produced over the course of fifteen months at RiverRock Studios and The Hideaway in Northeast Minneapolis, the band’s debut album relies on each musician’s unique style as a critical part of the overall sound. Atop airtight yet comfortably loose drum and bass grooves often reminiscent of 90s R&B and Hip-Hop, layers of harmonically complex piano, organ, and Fender Rhodes create a lushness associated with jazz that rarely integrates into neo-soul-pop music so tastefully.
I had the opportunity to chat with Cameron about what a Madison crowd can look forward to expecting from the upcoming show on Friday, January 26th at the High Noon Saloon. We dove into the flow of the debut release and how it moves like the night of a shared first meeting moment and how the evolution of the album came to surface and reward listeners and music sharers alike. Take a listen to the above conversation to find out which two bands Nooky Jones will be playing with shortly after leaving the Madison area, (Oh Purple comes to mind) as well as what would Cam and the band choose to spin for you, if they had control of the board of greenarrowradio if I stepped out for a bit and left them in charge.