Aaron Ross, lead singer for Vancouver indie soul band The Boom Booms, sounds really stoked about a series of gigs his band recently played.
However, the shows weren’t for executives from high-profile record companies, industry players, music critics or even fans. The band actually rolled out its infectious funk-tinged roots and soul sounds to a bunch of preschoolers and school-aged kids… and then talked about the environment.
“We’ve been working with something called the Jellyfish Project,” Ross said. “We’ve been going to schools all over the Lower Mainland and playing a concert and then talking about climate change.”
He said the idea behind the project is to have discussions outside of an educational setting about the environment with kids.
“We do a PowerPoint presentation after the music,” he said. “The concept is that being a band, we are considered ‘cool’ enough that we can raise that awareness and show that being a part of taking action on climate change is ‘cool,’ too.”
Formed in 2008 from a group of childhood friends who liked the music of soul legends like Bill Withers and Otis Redding, The Boom Booms have also toured in other countries including Brazil, Spain and the U.S.
In 2011, the band released its debut album, The Boom Booms, ¡Hot Rum!, which earned them a spot in Vancouver’s prestigious PEAK Performance Project. The Boom Booms won second place, picking up a cash prize of $75,000. They used that cash to produce and release a travel documentary, Boom Boom Brazil, which explores the “unpredictable adventures of the band” as they tour Brazil, and follows them as they raise awareness of the Belo Monte Dam’s impact with candid discussions with locals.
“Originally, we wanted that to be the pilot for a reality television show,” Ross said. “We wanted to travel the world, play music in different countries and draw attention to different important issues each week.”
The television show hasn’t happened yet, but the band will release a sophomore album in two weeks titled Love is Overdue, produced by Grammy Award winner Chin Injeti (Eminem, Dr. Dre, Pink, SonReal) and renowned L.A.-based producer DJ Khalil (Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent).
“It was exciting to work with someone who knew what we intended to do,” said Ross. “And it was different than working on our previous album, because Chin really works closely with his bands and helps out with the songwriting. I picked up a few new tricks for vocals.”
You can hear all the songs from the new album — and Ross’s new vocal tricks — Friday (July 25) at 8:30 p.m. in O’Siyam Pavilion Park when they kick off the Squamish Wind Festival.
