A meeting of two uniquely abstract, yet smoothly mixed talents, Those Acoustic Kats bring a new dynamic to multiple genres at once. Ranging from soul/R&B, to alternative folk styling, there’s very little left unexplored from the pair from one track to the next. When combined with their direct acoustic approach, there’s a flare for a new, yet familiar, direction in every groove. Hailing from opposite corners of the state of Missouri, Erick Richardson & Erron Jay have travelled the country east to west, leaving their mark with an eclectic and crowd-involving live show. Richardson, a guitarist in the style of John Mayer, featuring a vocal formed directly from the Motown sound, guides the groove, while Jay is the force that drives it home with a powerful soul vocal and a unique bass groove guided by his Cajon play.

These elements combined have formed as inimitable of a sound as there is currently, as their backgrounds would suggest. Jay, who hails from Kansas City, Missouri, is a jack of all trades. Personality drives his talent and comes out in his boisterous lyrics and performance. An actor by trait, he provides a strong character to every song. Richardson, better known as eRich, combines expressive lyrics and rhythm guitar grooves into his own unique style titled “Soulful Folk”. He showcased this style to the world on his debut extended play offering the “Singing In The Shower EP”, which grew him a considerable following in his home town due to success of songs such as “Save A Little For Rain” and “Invitation to Love”.

However, their roots were not enough for either of the group. Their calling as performers pulled them out of the Midwest and to the Los Angeles, California area. Richardson, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla, quit his full-time engineering job and moved west with little more than his equipment and a car to further his craft. Jay completed his time at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and made the natural move west to more fruitful acting opportunities. Once both met up in the area, their natural chemistry combined and burst outwards, and what came of it was a diverse mix of the backgrounds of both. Soon they were playing small venues in LA, and began to create a buzz with the versatility and energy they put into their performance. Whether they were performing original songs or put new spins on well-known popular songs from all eras, their gravity became undeniable.

After establishing a strong foundation in LA, the duo turned its sights to the road and a traveling tour through the Midwest, playing venues in both their hometowns and Chicago amongst other locales. On the tour, they covered everything from originals written by Richardson, to Marvin Gaye standards, to Coldplay, all with nothing more than their voices, a guitar and the Cajon. It became clear, based on the reaction along the road; it was time to turn their combined effort into a studio project.

By channeling the creativity of their live act into a kamikaze studio effort, 2012’s “Bacon and Potassium”, Those Acoustic Kats are giving the world a chance to step into their zone, while still straddling within their own. And while there’s nothing quite like seeing and participating in the live experience, this is a more than suitable first step into spreading a bit of that joy to the world at large.

~ Matthew Whitener
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