Interview: Day Soul Exquisite Releases Debut Single “Feeling You”
BY OLIVIA LEON
Seattle based six-piece band Day Soul Exquisite kicks off their recording career as a band with their recently released debut single “Feeling You.” The QTBIPOC-led band, composed of Francesca Eluhu (vocals, guitar), Zora Seboulisa (bass, guitar), Josh Pehrson (drums), Thomas Arndt (percussion), Lily Minke Tahar (keys), and Xiomara Mills (sax), takes inspiration from neo-soul, psychedelic r&b, and jazz with specific influences in the London Jazz scene and Afro-Carribean music. And we got a chance to chat with the artists about Day Soul Exquisite, their first release, and what's to come!
First off, I was just listening to your debut new single, and I absolutely love it! How was the experience of putting out your very first single as a band? What went into the process of creating and releasing it?
Thank you! We’re so happy the song has been resonating with folks.
Putting out our very first single has been so exciting! We were all eager to have our music out for people to listen to, since we’ve been performing live in various venues throughout Washington this past year. Francesca wrote the song and lyrics in the summer of 2021, and we recorded as a band back in April 2022 at Mead St Studios.
The recording session was seamless–everyone was done in like 3 takes because the song had lived in us for so long. We’ve been writing so much music since then, and can’t wait to release our other songs as well.
Putting out a debut single is such a huge step for the band, but you have also been playing live for a little while. What has that experience been like for you?
Playing live in Seattle has been amazing, especially in 2022. Music lovers are so appreciative and excited to see live performances again. The energy audiences have been giving back to us has truly blown us away. Some of our favorite performances this year were So Dreamy Fest at Cafe Racer in June (you can see vhs-footage of it on our website); Capitol Hill Block Party in July; and our single release party at Vermillion in September.
Photo By: Lily Wenbao
How has playing live influenced your writing and musical process as a band?
Everyone in the band has different music backgrounds, from metal to punk to jazz to afrobeats. We like to experiment with genres a lot and explore intersectionality. Playing together live has really taught us to improvise, listen to each other well, and soak in a moment.
“Feeling You” has such a unique style, and I saw that you take inspiration from the London Jazz Scene and Afro-Caribbean music. Are there any artists, albums, or songs in particular the single, or even or Day Soul Exquisite as a whole, takes inspiration from?
Over the past year, it’s been really fun introducing each other to new songs and getting to know where our music tastes overlap. Some band favorites include Yussef Dayes, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kokoroko, and D’Angelo.
We have a follow up single recorded called “Claire des Antilles,” inspired by Francesca’s Caribbean roots. We hope to have it out by the end of the year. Our new tracks in the works draw from funk, kompa, jazz, and metal. We can’t wait to head back to the studio to record next month!
If you had to describe what this single means to you in three words, what would they be?
Holy lustful validation.
Finally, I love to see what artists are listening to at the moment, so do you have any current music favorites? An artist, album, EP, or even just a song that's been on repeat?
Current music favorites include Ego Ella May’s album “Honey for Wounds,” “Marshmallow” by The Sweet Enoughs, Xenia Rubinos’ “Una Rosa” and Doechii’s most recent EP “she / her / black bitch”.
We also have massive local crushes on projects from Ex-Florist, Taylar Elizza Beth, Breaks and Swells, lex dye, and karinyo <3<3<3
Be sure to check out Feeling You on all streaming platforms!
