Formed over two decades ago, the funk six-piece The Motet have always strived to work as an interlocking unit, with each member bolstering one another towards the best creative output. This symbiosis has led to a unique style and cohesive musical chemistry, as seen in the band’s immaculate and energy sharing live performances and their seamless blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock. With a fervent fanbase in tow, The Motet have sold out shows across the nation, performed six headlining slots at Red Rocks and sets at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Bottlerock, Electric Forest, Bumbershoot, Summer Camp, and High Sierra. But even after their 20+ years of accolades and recognition, the legendary outfit are still exploring new sonic ideas and finding new ways to showcase each other’s skill sets. The band released their 10th studio album, ‘All Day’, in January 2023 – an eclectic instrumental voyage threaded by the infectious grooves and immaculate, layered arrangements that The Motet have become known for. Now with vocal powerhouse Sarah Clarke deep in the mix, the band continues their journey with new songs and fresh arrangements of Motet classics and a new album which just dropped on November 15th of 2024.
Dave Watts / drums
Joey Porter / keys
Garrett Sayers / bass
Drew Sayers / keys & saxophone
Ryan Jalbert / guitar
Sarah Clarke / vocals
I had the opportunity to catch up with Dave Watts ahead of the November 23rd show at The Majestic Theatre with Ethno (Jeffrey James Franca). We get into what the event could shape up like since they are heading here just as the new album ‘Love Time’ drops. We dissect one of the tracks from the new album, getting into how it was created since they’ve added Sarah to the mix and how the chemistry, which seems to be one of the key facets of this group, was easily attained when she began getting her Motet on. There are clue in moments in our conversation about their set(s), how much new material they already have for the next album (maybe they’ll try one of those on for size here in Madison or wherever you catch them?), what band Dave drove seven hours to go see recently and a set-list is built. Open mind, body and sou as the Motet have a fun path into all three.
