Imagine a sound that captures the raw energy of funk syncopation, the pure emotion of soul grooves, the freedom of jazz improvisation and the passionate elements of Latin rhythms. Throw in the growl of rock and the howl of blues, and tie it all together with a voice that emotes and ranges and tells the story the way it should be told.

You have just heard Soulganic.

Drawing upon influences as varied as their individual origins, which covers everything from the frozen tundra of the Twin Cities to the sweltering heat of the Caribbean, Soulganic’s musical landscape is at once a crisp panorama, technically sound and seamlessly united, and at the same time it is a vivid palette of earthy hues, gritty and organic. 

To hear the members of Soulganic individually is to hear them complement the whole.  According to percussionist Lucas Torres, Soulganic is "a forum for endless creativity."   McKeithan agrees.  "We are not locked into any one thing and we have the freedom and the ability to explore so many different avenues that it never gets boring."

This freedom for expression is essential, especially when one thinks on the fact that each of the members is an accomplished musician in his own right.  With Minnesotan turned Charlottean Ryan McKeithan on guitars, Washington, DC-rooted Cory McClure on drums, Bronx, NY born-and-raised Anthony Rodriguez on vocals and bass, and Son of Puerto Rico Lucas Torres on percussion, all have a chance to let their abilities individually shine.

A staple of their critically-acclaimed live show, Soulganic's trademark earthy energy is evident on their debut album All Directions Forward, as Rodriguez states: "What I think we've been able to accomplish is a very nice translation of what our live shows are, but with the balance and control of playing our music in the studio. It's a nice, open, earthy sound, with just the right amount of wild energy and crisp production values."

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Soulganic began as the brainchild of someone, somewhere, but none of its members will fess up to the credit.  The closest they’ll come is addressing who has known whom for how long, how they met each other, what brought them together.

Turns out Rodriguez and McKeithan have known each other almost a decade, and have been making music together for three-quarters of that time.  They’ve written for other up-and-comers, been in and out of various studios, lending their talents, occasionally playing out for some acoustic sets.  They write together almost automatically, and will freely push each other to greater limits. 

Torres and Rodriguez met at an on-stage jam session, and the feel was just right.  They, McKeithan and keyboardist Kevin Hughes formed Organic Soul, the stem cell donor for Soulganic, and as they evolved, keyboardist ML Caldwell was called upon to flesh out the sound. After the acrimonious departure of Hughes, the band settled as a quartet. 

That is, until talented multi-instrumentalist McClure agreed to handle the wood and skins duties, proving to be, as Rodriguez confesses, "the missing link. Exactly what we needed to push our creations to the next level."

And although ML eventually amicably parted ways with the band, the foursome of McClure, McKeithan, Rodriguez and Torres feels a completion in its present lineup.

They know it’s the current bliss they share that really makes them who they are.

"Although it can go anywhere from here," concludes Rodriguez, "the moment is where we belong.  Our passion, our desire is this thing we’re in, this expression.  And we’re loving what we’re living."