What do you get when you combine a guitar-wielding rock goddess with the funkiest R&B diva this side of "Free Your Mind"-era En Vogue? The answer is Roadcase Royale, a cross-generational rock 'n' soul band fronted by two women well-versed in the art of badassery: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nancy Wilson (co-founder of Heart with sister Ann Wilson) and SoulBounce fave Liv Warfield (maker of The Unexpected and former backing vocalist for Prince). Rounding out the group are Warfield’s lead guitarist Ryan Waters (from her band Blackbird) and Heart veterans Dan Rothchild (bass), Ben Smith (drums) and Chris Joyner (keys).
Their initial meeting was sparked by Liv's show-stopping performance of "Why Do You Lie" during an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2014. Heart was so impressed that they reached out to Warfield and asked if she (along with her band Blackbird and the infamous NPG Hornz) would open for their upcoming stint at the Hollywood Bowl. It was during that time that Liv and Nancy struck up a friendship and remained in touch over the following years.
For Wilson, Roadcase is a welcome distraction from the publicized family drama that sparked a hiatus for Heart (sister Ann also has a side project, btw). In a recent Billboard interview, Nancy expressed, "It's really a cool new band for me. With Liv Warfield at the front and center, there's a whole different rock power that is refreshingly different than Heart; It's still got the rock ethic but there's a flavor of the R&B that comes through Liv, the way she sings, and her power's just flattening." In a personal blog post, Warfield echoes the sentiment, adding, "What I absolutely love most about this unit is that we have respect for each other as musicians. We all come from various backgrounds and that's what makes this unit unique....And the chemistry is unreal! This is meant to be!"
Get familiar with Roadcase Royale by watching the performance visuals and lyric video for their debut single "Get Loud." The song itself, an empowering women's anthem, was initially premiered during a concert appearance around the time of the Women's March on Washington. Purchase the single via iTunes ahead of their forthcoming album release. Afterwards, visit the website to learn more about the group and connect with them on SoundCloud, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for new music and updates on their soon-to-be-announced tour.
