You’ve heard him
on “The Voice.” Now get ready to hear the true voice of Geoff McBride as he
takes a deeper, more expansive Journey To The Soul on his new independent full
length recording.
Two years after
the powerhouse singer blew away millions of viewers – and judges Christina
Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, who quickly swiveled around - with his explosive
twist on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” during the blind auditions phase of
NBC’s mega-hit talent competition, McBride delivers on the promise and praise
while taking listeners on an adventure that goes beyond strict genre boundaries
and showcases the depth of his artistry.
“With this
album, I want to convey the essence of who I am as a vocalist and an artist,” the
singer says, “and my love for a variety of different kinds of music, from pop
and R&B to gospel and rock. I connect deeply with each of these songs
because they convey true life facts about love, happiness and human
relationships. Though my foundation is in soul music, I am not just a soul
singer. I believe that all music transcends together.”
McBride, whose
rough video demo of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” got him in the door and who
sealed the deal singing “Drift Away” for the show’s executive producers, never
viewed his time on the show as a competition - but rather an opportunity to
share his gift. Having only returned to singing live professionally a few years
ago after some years away from the industry, McBride’s rekindled passion
inspired his exciting decision to become a recording artist once again. A key
part of this was the on-screen encouragement of Aguilera, who snagged McBride
for her team in the Battle Rounds after a mini-battle for him with Green, and
guest mentor Lionel Richie, who helped him master “Chain of Fools.”
Immediately
after the singer wrapped “Higher Ground,” Aguilera enthused, “The very first
note you hit blew me away!” She also emphasized her amazement at his “amazing
level of energy” that brought the audience to its feet. Richie was also dazzled
by McBride’s incredible vocal abilities. “When Geoff walked in…BOOM!” Richie
exclaimed excitedly. “His delivery was unbelievable. It was not coming out of a
microphone. There was no speaker. I love it.” Judges Blake Shelton and Adam
Levine echoed their colleagues with admiration for McBride after each of his
appearances.
With a rich
vocal palette that taps as deeply into the church music traditions of his youth
as it does the romantic power of legends like Seal, Luther Vandross, Marvin
Gaye and Al Green, the North Carolina raised, Florida based singer brings his
uncanny storytelling ability – in the tradition of another of his heroes, James
Taylor – to a collection of ten hand-chosen songs that convey where his musical
heart thrives in 2014.
Showcasing a
multi-layered sense of artistry that McBride only hinted at on “The Voice,” these
songs speak to the heart as celebrations of life, love, the human spirit while
exploring the inner complexities of our relationships. In addition to creative
re-imaginings of the Todd Rundgren penned “Love Is The Answer”
(currently a rising sensation on urban jazz radio), “At Last”
(which sneaks in a cool segue to Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me”)
and “Feelin’ Alright” (originally by Traffic, later popularized
by Joe Cocker), Journey To The Soul features a sparkling batch of originals
penned by Grammy winning songwriter Jerry Peters (the inspirational ballad “Wipe
Away Your Tears”) and two time Dove Award winner Sam Mizell, who wrote “My
Angel”, “You Got Lips”, “When You Got Love”, “Walk Away”, and “Need”.
McBride, who
lives with his wife Lisa and four children in Santa Rosa Beach on Florida’s
Panhandle, has been working with the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center
for a number of years, performing at various benefits, including two with Oscar
winning actor Morgan Freeman. Founded in 1998, the Center – whose mission is to
prevent child abuse and neglect, protect children and restore the lives of
child abuse and neglect victims – is using “Wipe Away Your Tears” as a call to
action song, posting McBride’s video on its website; proceeds from the track
will benefit the organization. McBride will also be giving away copies of
Journey To the Soul and T-shirts to those who donate $35 or more – with a goal
towards getting a million people to donate in 2014.
Journey To The
Soul was produced by renowned music industry studio veteran, keyboardist and
recording artist Trammell Starks, owner of Studiomagic Recording Studios in
Alpharetta, Georgia. Nearly two decades after they had last worked together,
Starks reached out to McBride to sing on his cover version of “Summer Breeze.” Their work on the track, which was
released as a single in 2013, led to a deeper collaboration that accelerated
with the singer’s appearances on “The Voice.” When the two decided to start a
new album for McBride, the singer originally wanted to record some material he
had written. Ultimately, in the service of choosing the best potential hit
songs, he opted to “step out of the way” of his own ego to choose a group of
songs that would best highlight the depth of his talents.
If McBride seems
very confident, self-assured and seasoned for an emerging talent, it’s because
he brings a unique history as a onetime Arista recording artist to the mix.
After spending his teens in his small town near Lexington, North Carolina as
front man for the popular Top 40 band Whisper Wind, he was inspired by a
performance by the legendary Al Jarreau at a local venue called The Mosque to
forgo college (and his initial dreams of being a pediatric surgeon) and head to
Atlanta to pursue a musical career.
A demo he worked
on found its way to the brass at numerous labels, and McBride soon had offers
for recording deals from Motown, Atlantic and Arista. Signing with Clive Davis’
label, he soon found himself mingling with a roster that included Whitney
Houston, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Teddy Pendergrass and Lisa Stansfield.
He also appeared on the competition juggernaut of its time, “Star Search.” The
lone album he recorded for the label, Do You Still Remember Love? was produced
by the late Gerald Levert and spawned the Billboard R&B chart hit “No Sweeter Love.” The singer later began recording a
second project in the studio at Eddie Murphy’s Bubble Hill mansion. Ultimately,
however, McBride chose to leave Arista when he realized his vision for where he
wanted to go as an artist wasn’t matching up to the label’s commitment.
During a handful
of years outside the industry, McBride worked at an Ace Hardware store, then
started his own construction business. As if a talent like his could ever be on
the sidelines for long, he eventually found his way back to music and started
doing jingle work while performing regularly at Café 290 in Atlanta – a venue
that was frequented often by member of Earth, Wind & Fire and jazz/gospel
singer Jonathan Butler.
The most
important change in his life was meeting and marrying Lisa (in 2001) and
starting a family. An opportunity for McBride to sing with the youth group
BigStuf led him to move his family to the Panhandle in 2006. Since then, he’s
performed for locals and tourists alike at popular elite restaurants and clubs,
including regular gigs at the The Vue, La Playa, The Ocean Club, 723 Whiskey
Bravo, and many others.
“Looking back on
those early career experimentations,” McBride says, “I was probably more
interested in finding myself than the type of music I would eventually claim as
my own. Although I didn’t understand it at the time, those years of personal
and professional discovery were a necessary part of my growth as an artist
that, only now, I find paying off in this season of my career.
My
dad passed away when I was very young, and he was a gentle soul who used to
sing to my mom in the kitchen. I learned from them about the power of music to
heal and inspire as the universal language. With Journey To The Soul, I want to
get back out there and tell the world that there is still real music sung by
real singers. We’re still around and still have the chops – so brace
yourselves!”
