The Grand Alliance - album release
The Grand Alliance’s self-titled debut brings future funk to your ears
In late June of 2020, I linked up with Carl Carrell to see what he had been working on. He told me that his future-funk project - The Grand Alliance, which features three Denver-based artists Kayla Marque, SUR ELLZ, and Carrell himself, were ready to release their self-titled debut album via FASOR Records (available now on all digital service providers). The band dropped “Chakra Kahn” as a single out of nowhere in late 2019, so when he told me their plans - I asked if I could help. Quickly, the trio’s working relationship transformed from admiring musical acquaintances into a tight-knit creative family. Together, The Grand Alliance has produced a stunning debut, chock full of tales steeped in old-school cosmic funk yet fine-tuned to the soul. Afro-futuristic vibes mix the perfect amount of hazy existential science fiction alongside social justice stories, forging a sound like no other. It’s a testament to each member’s maturation, respectively, and a tribute to a new type of beat dubbed future-funk by the trio. Carrell, the producing captain behind the project, explains the unique bond they discovered, “It’s a very special thing when a producer finds an artist who they really click with, where it just makes sense. When you find that good energy - it’s rare, and it’s something we found we have as The Grand Alliance. The more Kayla Marque, SUR ELLZ, and I have done together as The Grand Alliance. It’s only gotten better. The connection and the sound we’ve made has really become something special.” Carrell continues, “We have a story to tell, and there’s some magic behind it.”
No Coast Projects came in an help project manage the album release campaign, working with Thomas “DETOUR” Evans, and world-renowned photographer Blake Jackson to drive the creative vision of the look, feel, and finished product. Along the way, we were able to land some solid media coverage along the way:
Westword Cover Story
303 Article - my personal favorite, and one of the best pieces of music-journalism I’ve read in a while
Ultra5280
Stay tuned for more from The Grand Alliance . . .
light years outside of virtual earth . . . ( L.O.V.E )
