There are a lot of groups that claim “diverse” and “eclectic”, but very few of them really deliver. Most musicians these days are so derivative of something that’s been done a thousand times already, so easily labeled, and so easily pigeonholed, that it is breathtakingly refreshing when a group comes along that really does break down barriers, stomps across genres, and creates music that is truly unique. The Color 8 is one of those rare bands. And lucky for me, they hail from my own backyard, right here in Phoenix, Arizona.
LeeWater, Vocals
“To someone who has never heard our music, we don’t limit ourselves to any genre of music; instead, we constantly expose our listeners to completely new experiences.”
– Jeremy (Jerm), The Color 8 bassist
Like so many great things that I’ve discovered lately, I found The Color 8 by getting my ass off of my couch… just kidding, I don’t even own a couch… stepping out into the world, and doing a little bit of adventuring. I was walking around the First Friday block-party festivities when I first heard their music. You know the kind of sounds; the ones that make your ears perk up, stand tall and fuzzy, and beg the question, “What in the hell is that sonic excellence, and where in the world is it coming from…?!” I followed the sounds and the vibes over to a grassy courtyard surrounded by graffiti-bombed concrete-block walls, and there they were. The Color 8, in all their live-performance glory, keeping the crowd bouncing, bopping, and hopping to their infinitely immersive blasts and beats.
Emmett Nash, Drummer
“Color represents diversity, and 8 represents infinity, because we like to play different genres of different music for different people to bring everybody together.”
– Jeremy (Jerm), The Color 8 bassist
Kal The Guitarist (Mikal Benion), Guitar
The name stands for creativity, diversity, and inclusion; “Color” is the diversity, and “8” represents infinite inclusion. Their music draws from a whole host of varying styles and influences: everything from rap and hip-hop, to heavy metal, to hard and/or classic rock, to funk, to R&B and soul, to classic jazz and jazz fusion are represented here, with shades of anything and everything in between thrown into the mix. It’s actually hard to describe their sound, because there’s no “wrong” answer in terms of describing it; just watch the videos, that’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Ashton Vaughn Charles (The Dapper Rapper), Raps/Saxophone
For most bands, this everything-inspiration would be an open invitation for unrestrained sonic chaos, and a sloppy-sauce set list. The Color 8, however, somehow manages to morph all these opposing tastes and notes into a tight, concise, superbly balanced and executed performance. It gets the party jumping, that’s for sure; it also takes the listener on a long and entertaining journey through a beautiful palette of sonic experiences. The Color 8, live, is an event that shalt not be missed under any circumstance. Take it from me, because I know. I’ve been there. And it’s a great, great place to spend an evening.
That’s CleV Pro on the Vocals
“We have a lot of musical influences: Andre 3000, Party Next Door, Led Zeppelin , Jimi Hendrix , Intervals , Polyphia, Eminem, Floetry, Joshua Redman, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Res Hot Chili Peppers, Snarky Puppy, Victor Wooten, J. Cole, Kirk Franklin, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye et cetera…”
– Jeremy (Jerm), The Color 8 bassist
Jerm (Jeremy Smith), Bass
The Color 8 has an album dropping soon. That’s great news; finally, the party doesn’t have to come to an abrupt end at 10 pm sharp every First Friday. That album might well end up being the indie-music-disc buy of the year. We’ll keep you in the loop on that, because that’ll definitely be an album worth owning. You’re welcome.
If you want to hear more of The Color 8, you can search them out under “The Color 8 band” on a whole host of social media platforms, music channels, and video- and music-streaming services. I would obviously recommend it.
