Greg Loiacono & Stingray have released “Nothing Can Come Between Us,” (below) a reimagining of the classic Sade song. Over the last two years, the Northern California–based collective has been steadily building a following throughout the region, fine-tuning a retro soul sound that makes reinterpreting Sade a natural extension of their musical identity. A lone conga opens the track before the band falls into a magnetic groove, setting the stage for Loiacono’s falsetto vocal, which delivers the song’s themes of faith and trust with a palpable conviction.
“I’ve been in love with Sade since hearing her for the first time as a kid in the backseat of my mom’s Chrysler Cordoba,” says Loiacono. “Something about hearing her voice and the band moved me deeply then and still does today. So when our drummer Michael Urbano brought ‘Nothing Can Come Between Us’ to the table as a cover for Stingray, I was delighted.”
Urbano adds: “When we first tried playing ‘Nothing Can Come Between Us,’ I jumped into the same groove and tempo from Sade’s recording. The band’s percussionist Vicki Randle immediately stopped and said, ‘Don’t play it like that, do something different.’ So I slowed it down, went quarter notes on the hat, and swung the kick feel. She smiled and said, ‘There ya go.’ Once she jumped in on congas over that beat, it felt like we had our own thing goin’ for the song. Greg’s falsetto performance, run through producer Damien Lewis’ tripped-out effect, is its own thing as well. I love playing this song live; it’s like casting a spell that slowly gets a hold of the crowd. It’s not immediate. It’s one of those things that brings them to us, rather than us going to them.”
Stingray’s take on the song is true to the original groove while they simultaneously expand and make the song their own. The track has depth and a softness that is irresistible. It’s the kind of song you want to sit back with your significant other and feel together. And while listening to the track is one thing, seeing this band live is a completely different experience and well worth seeking them out on a stage whenever they come near your hood.
While Greg is best known for his work as co-frontman in The Mother Hips with his musical brother Tim Bluhm, Stingray shows a side of Loiacono that we always knew was there. He digs into his soulful side effortlessly while crushing guitar leads fronting a band of inimitable Bay Area allstars.
In Stingray Loiacono is joined by drummer Michael Urbano, percussionist/vocalist Vicki Randle, bassist/vocalist Kofy Brown, keyboardist Danny Eisenberg, and guitarist Tom Ayres. The six-piece is currently headlining shows throughout California.
Upcoming Shows:
1/31 – Sebastopol, CA – Hopmonk Tavern
2/6 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Crepe Place
3/21 – Templeton, CA – Club Car Bar
5/17 – Big Sur, CA – Hipnic
6/20 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Live Oak Music Festival
