New Orleans’ one and only Galactic and the legendary Soul Queen of New Orleans, GRAMMY Award-winning singer Irma Thomas, have shared the second song from their all-new collaborative album, Audience With The Queen. The buoyant “Where I Belong” puts the listener squarely in Thomas’ world as she reflects on an incredible life in music. From her vocal growls to the bright and joyful tone of her rich contralto, Thomas exudes positive energy and strength against the backdrop of high-energy horn lines. During a spoken word pause sheathed in barely-there effects, Thomas assures us she still loves what she does and has no plans to stop. When she belts out, “I still got a love affair / with the sound of music in the air,” it’s hard not to feel her elation.”
“This one’s a horn-heavy New Orleans party track built around Miss Irma’s confidence and happiness in knowing she’s right where she should be at this point in her life – making music and singing songs,” says Ben Ellman. “The lyrics couldn’t be more true. Her vocal chops are still amazing and she constantly pushes us to play at a higher level.”
Audience With The Queen arrives Friday, April 11 on Galactic’s own Tchuop-Zilla Records. It was heralded in January with the release of the fiery first single, “Lady Liberty,” alongside an official music video streaming now on YouTube. Bolstered by a hooky horn riff, growling guitar line, and the unbreakably tight ensemble playing that has long been Galactic’s signature, the poignant, powerful track explores racially fueled violence and social justice, with Thomas singing, “Another black man shot down last night and they keep adding up / Is this the world that we’re living in? The one we raise our children in? / Lord save us all, Lady Liberty took a fall.” Album pre-orders are available now.
Audience With The Queen marks a landmark departure from Galactic’s 10 previous studio LPs, most of which revolved around the band’s core instrumentalists – Ellman (saxophones, harmonica), Mercurio (bass), Stanton Moore (drums), Jeff Raines (guitar) and Rich Vogel (keyboards) – accompanied by a mix of different vocalists. Here, the 83-year-old Thomas retains the spotlight across eight brand new songs written specifically for her famously warm, blues-drenched voice, as well as a reimagined take on Nancy Wilson’s classic “How Glad I Am.” Thomas worked hand in hand with producers Ellman and Mercurio to select and fine-tune the lyrics and other details, finding her own special way inside the story of each song. Audience With The Queen is heralded by today’s premiere of the fiery first single.
Known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” Irma Thomas is a pillar of American R&B and blues history, known for her soulful voice and distinctive southern twang. She immediately made a splash with her 1959 Billboard-charting debut single, “Don’t Mess With My Man,” which she followed with a string of unforgettable hits recorded with producer Allen Toussaint including “It’s Raining” and 1964’s top 20 pop hit, “Wish Someone Would Care,” a slow-burning, self-penned soul ballad based upon her life as a 17-year-old mother of three children. Recorded the same year, Thomas’ “Time Is On My Side” inspired The Rolling Stones to record an almost note-for-note rendition that proved their first top 10 single in the US. Though Thomas’ influence was firmly entrenched in New Orleans and around the globe for over five decades, she received her first-ever GRAMMY® Award in 2007 honoring her 18th studio album, the moving post-Katrina reflection After the Rain. Among her many other honors and accolades include two Blues Music Awards for “Soul Blues Female Artist,” the Americana Honors & Awards’ 2018 “Lifetime Achievement Award For Performance, and induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
