There is so much to 7 Sons of Soul, an incredible group of young men who deftly merge contemporary and urban sensibilities with the traditional and straightforwardness of the quartet sound.   The self-titled debut album, 7 Sons of Soul, works because of its simplicity.  It’s everyday music speaking to everyday problems.  It’s a lifeboat … a plain reminder that we are not alone in our daily struggle or in our pursuit to be closer to God.  

The band comprised of six men all from Washington DC, are lead singers Cliff Jones, Dave “DaveyBoy” Lindsey, Deonte Gray and band mates drummer Paul “Buggy” Edwards, keyboardist Sam Kendrick and bassist Nathaniel Fields.

Jones, who made his mark as the lead singer on the smash cross-over hit “Be Encouraged” with William Becton, describes the ministry’s vision as trying to change hearts and minds. “We want people to know that our ministry goes outside the church,” he said. “We want to reach out to the people on the street; to those that are lost … we want the people who are not in church to hear our message.” 

The first question is always, why is the group called 7 Sons of Soul? Dave Lindsey, who also plays keyboard and produces and writes much of the group’s music answers “God represents both the first and last ‘son’.  He is the alpha & the omega … our beginning and our end.  The name of the group really represents both the number of completion – 7 … it is God’s favorite number and the ‘sons of soul’ part because we are guided by Him, the Father … we are all His sons.”

Fully rooted in the church, 7 Sons of Soul opens the album up with the tried & true standard “Amazing Grace,” from there the album goes smoothly from modern to traditional without skipping a beat. Their music pays tribute to yesterday, is an indication of tomorrow and the combination is a perfect for today. 

Stand-outs include “Prayer Changes” the old-school, jam ensconced in tradition that makes you feel like it’s a Sunday morning at church and “Need You,” a nearly R&B sounding song from the opposite end of the musical spectrum that features Cliff Jones’ silky vocals & Lindsey’s contemporary instrumentation. “I just fell in love with the record when I first heard it,” said Lindsey.  “I did the piano solo on it and the song speaks to the person out of touch with God and wants to find their way back.”  Singer, Gray concurs saying “It’s a humbling song … a way to let people know, you don’t have to be ashamed to need God.”

The first single off the project is the encouraging number “Run On.”  The lyrics are traditional by nature and the flow is all today.  Co-written by Jones, Lindsey and his brother Michael, the song actually marks a pivotal turning point for the group.  Jones remembers vividly how the song came about.  “We were all at Dave’s house eating and he was down in the basement working and all of a sudden, I heard this track … I knew instantly it was a smash,” he said. “Dave came up with the hook … ‘you gotta run on,’ and we just started coming up with the verses and the song was born. It inspired us to really come together, be a group and do the album.”