MUSIC

Seratones songstress opens up about new album, empowerment, Shreveport

Shreveport Times

The Seratones are in a season of change and new beginnings that’s catapulting the Shreveport-based gritty soul-meets-rock band further into the national spotlight.

On Aug. 23, the Seratones will release their sophomore album, “Power.”

"Power" will be available on major streaming sites, including iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more. Album pre-sale is available at geni.us/spower. You can watch the Seratones' official music videos on YouTube.

The Seratones are made up of A.J. Haynes (vocals/guitar), Jesse Gabriel (drums), Adam Davis (bass), Travis Stewart (guitar), and Tyran Coker (keyboard).

The new album features a new band lineup: Seratones’ frontwoman A.J. Haynes (vocals/guitar), Jesse Gabriel (drums), Adam Davis (bass), Travis Stewart (guitar), and Tyran Coker (keyboard). With a new guitarist and the addition of keys, the band was headed into the studio to launch the next phase of their musical journey.

Brad Shultz, a founding member of Cage the Elephant, joined them as the producer of “Power.” It was a collaboration made possible under the Seratones’ new recording label, New West.

The Seratones have continued to gain mainstream attention and reach new audiences across the United States. They’ve performed at major music festivals, such as SXSW in Austin, and have appeared on the national programs, including “CBS This Morning” and performed an NPR Music Tiny Desk concert.

A.J. Haynes is the lead singer for the Seratones.

Music critics from Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Billboard, Paste, and other publications continue to give the band glowing reviews.

On the eve of the album release, the Seratones will take their music back on the road to kick off their U.S. tour in Dallas with stops including Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Nashville, plus playing Voodoo Fest in New Orleans. From there, the band will head overseas for a tour stretch including the U.K., Germany, Spain, and France.

Before setting off, A.J. Haynes talked to The Times about the new album, "Power," and the inspirations and messages and lessons within.

A.J. Haynes on…the beginning.

The songstress recalls her love for singing beginning with attempts to mimic her mother, who also was a singer. Haynes’ days of singing for an audience developed at her home church, Brownsville Baptist Church in Columbia, Louisiana.

In 2002, Haynes moved to Shreveport. Later, she would attend C.E. Byrd High School where she was a member of the choir and band. In the transition period between graduating high school and beginning her freshman year at Centenary College, Haynes and current bandmate, drummer Jesse Gabriel, and two other friends formed a cover band. This would inspire Haynes to flex her songwriting skills and create original material.

“From there I decided to write my own songs because it was cool learning a lot from playing covers,” Haynes said. “But I’ve always wanted to be a songwriter and what better way to do it than to have a band?”

…the sound.

Seratones is difficult to peg into one genre — any given song may have essences of garage punk, rock, funk, and rhythm and blues.

In 2016, the Seratones released their debut album, “Get Gone,” under Fat Possum Records. The sound was more of what Haynes describes as “raw power.”

“Power” was created to be more of a “soul power” album that speaks a universal language, she said.

“(There’s) a global understanding,” Haynes said. “Soul is in everything from music in Mali to the ghazel of India to the church congregational hymns. There’s a lineage that’s really cool and worth exploring.”

…the collaborations.

In the three years since the debut album’s release, Seratones signed with the recording label, New West.

“They’re like family. I love working with them,” Haynes said. “Overall, they understand my vision and they understand the message of hope and the message of being able to talk about difficult things with nuisance and with empathy. They’re into it. The right people find you when it’s time and this has been a great meeting of the minds.”

The new partnership brought forth the opportunity for the Seratones to record their new album in Nashville at Battle Tapes with producer Brad Shultz, of Cage the Elephant.

“He’s so much fun to work with. He’s like the embodiment of electricity,” Haynes said. “It was amazing getting to work with one of the founding members of one of my favorite bands. Not every day you get to do that. He pushed us in a lot of ways. He’s always trying to push for something more than what’s in front of him. It’s that kind of curiosity that helped me get even more excited about these songs.”

…the lyrics.

This summer, Seratones released several single tracks and official music videos ahead of the full album release.

The 10-track album taps into a wide range of subjects inspired by Haynes’ personal life and “real things” she sees in her community and the world, she said.

“Lie to My Face,” co-written with Shultz, is inspired by Haynes’ past romantic relationships.

“Fear” is a homage to the 1960s all-female group, The Ronettes, and to the soulful ''doo-wop'' sound. The lyrics address struggles with depression.

“‘Fear’ is a really personal song about not feeling OK and having to deal with not wanting to get out of bed and being depressed and feeling as if the things you are doing aren’t worth it,” Haynes said.

On “Gotta Get to Know Ya” — the first single and music video to drop — Haynes sings, “Feel the heat of my fire.”

The line may be interpreted as a referral to Haynes’ sex appeal or strong, feminine confidence. It could even reference the fire in the singer’s soulful and powerful vocals and the band’s energizing rhythms and driving bass-line arrangement.

However, the deeper meaning behind the lyric and song refers to a greater world issue.

“’Gotta Get to Know Ya’" is dealing with perpetual dread due to climate change because things are literally getting hotter,” Haynes said. “That’s why the fire metaphor is there.”

The subject of global warming is approached by an upbeat, catchy tune because: “Whenever you feel a lot of dread you need to dance it out,” Haynes said.

…the ”Power” album, song, and music video.

The music video for the title-track “Power” was filmed in Shreveport and showcases the city and community Haynes still calls home — no matter how far away the touring life takes her.

The female-centric cast features friends of the band. The young dancers are from Shreveport's Style of Life Dance Company.

“My community is amazing. I wanted to showcase how beautiful the women I know are,” Haynes said. “The things I miss most about home is the food and the people. I wanted people to see how beautiful my friends are.”

The "Power" song and video broach themes of female empowerment and civil rights. Lacing taboo and hot button issues within the lyrics and using music as a platform to shed light on a situation is commonplace for the singer-songwriter.

Seratones album "Power" will be released Aug. 23.

On “Power,” Haynes belts out: “Cause this grind is so damn real / Trying to break that same bad deal / With the devil that I know and the devil that I don’t...Two steps forward / They take one step backward / We take each step cause We Have The Power.”

The song is dedicated to Hope Medical Group for Women in Shreveport — one of Louisiana’s last abortion clinics. It’s where Haynes has worked intermittently since 2008.

The video was dedicated to civil rights activist Sadie Roberts-Joseph, who was murdered in July in Baton Rouge, Haynes said.

"Power" is an anthem Haynes wrote to address ongoing social and political turmoil.

“It’s about the push and pull of the struggle and how difficult progress actually is,” Haynes said. “It’s not always a very straightforward trajectory. It’s one step forward, two steps back.”

The music video highlights the clinic, as well as two historic sites in downtown Shreveport — the Calanthean Temple on Texas Avenue and the Confederate Monument at the Caddo Parish Courthouse on Texas Street.

“I chose the Calanthean because it’s an integral part of our history in Shreveport,” Haynes said. “It’s underrepresented and not given enough credit. It’s a building that was founded by women and was the epicenter for black culture in Shreveport during the Reconstruction Era.”

The Confederate Monument was included to juxtapose the Calanthean Temple, she said.

“(It’s) something that has a completely rhetorical function as opposed to a building that’s housing things and developing growth in the community,” Haynes said.

Constructed in 1923, Calanthean Temple was the hub for thriving black businesses and social life. The now-defunct building once was occupied by doctors, lawyers, oil and gas companies, and other professional offices. Its rooftop was transformed into a garden entertainment venue where acts such as Duke Ellington performed.

In comparison, Calanthean Temple brought a community together, as opposed to creating division, such as the controversial monument.

“It’s a divisive thing. It’s divisive because it’s rooted in oppression and the Confederacy isn’t talked about in that way," Haynes said, "It was founded by Daughters of the Confederacy during a time when these monuments were being mass-produced as ways to ‘keep people in their place’ — to keep black people in their place. What more of a reminder of your recent freedom than something looking down on you and telling you that you’re not supposed to be there?

“I’m not making a statement about anything — I’m just showing parts of our city as they are," Haynes continued. "Our city is beautiful, it really is. It was such a joy to be here and see my city for what it was."

More:2019 Shreveport-Bossier visitor's guide features rising music star

…the tour.

The Seratones begin their nationwide tour on Aug. 22 with concerts dates announced through October. Shreveport fans — a hometown show will be announced soon.

For those who haven’t yet experienced a Seratones concert, be prepared for a high-energy, dance-provoking performance.

“I always walk into things with no expectations, so I can’t tell anyone else what to expect,” Haynes said. “But we love what we do, we love that we’re able to share our gifts with other people — and that love is explosive and expansive and it’s giving. I hope that people are ready to receive the love.”

To purchase tickets, visit seratones.band/tour.

Seratones 2019 “Power” tour dates:

8/22 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links
8/23 - Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Jr.
8/24 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
8/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
8/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
8/29 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
8/31 - McMinnville, OR @ Walnut City Music Festival
9/1 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
9/3 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
9/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
9/7 - Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
9/9 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel
9/10 - Montreal, QC @ Quai Des Brumes
9/11 - North Adams, MA @ Hilo
9/12 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott
9/13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
9/14 - Washington, D.C. @ Pearl Street Warehouse
9/15 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
9/18 - Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
9/19 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
9/20 - Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
9/21 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
10/25-10/27 - New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Festival