CJ Solar & the Old Souls
CJ Solar and The Old Souls is CJ Solar’s new artistic endeavor. the project fuses Southern Rock, Delta Blues, Nashville Country and Louisiana swampy grooves, putting a fresh twist on a vintage sound. Led by singer songwriter CJ Solar, the band marks Solar’s reentry into life as a recording artist after putting his artistry on pause following the pandemic. Now flanked by his longtime bandmates (some dating back to his Belmont days), Solar isn’t just returning—he’s arriving with a renewed sense of purpose, passion and identity.
Leaning into his Baton Rouge roots and appreciation for bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Allman Brothers, the music breathes an air of authenticity for the vintage guitar collector. Kicking off his reintroduction with the title track from his forthcoming album (due later this year), “Black Label Blues” offers the first taste of an artist fully in his element, embracing the road that led him here and the music that continues to move him forward. The 14 song album, “Black Label Blues” is set for release this fall after a sprinkling of singles digitally from the forthcoming album over the summer including the title track, “Black Label Blues”, “Dizzy”, and “Why You Gotta”. “First Time Caller” will make its way to country radio in late July. In deciding which songs to record for the project, CJ answered the question “what songs have I written that I just love?” “I’m taking the chains off, not answering to anyone for this stuff, and recording the songs that feel like me.”
CJ has always loved the classics...classic rock and the songs that he grew up listening to and playing. The songs of Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival and he wanted this album to pay homage to those that came before him and the “real” music that they made. After choosing the songs, he wanted to give those songs “the dream treatment with a dream band”. They were able to give the project that “dream treatment” recorded live with no click tracks or autotune - just real music recorded the way it used to be. And for the “dream team” of players an amazing group was assembled to play on the project which included Steve Gorman, drummer for the Black Crowes; legendary blues guitarists, JD Simo and Jared James Nichols, Steve Mackey on bass (has played with Peter Frampton, Dolly Parton, & Joe Bonamasso), Billy Justineau on keyes (played with Eric Church), and friend and frequent collaborator, Rick Huckaby on acoustic and background vocals. The players holed up in the studio for 3 days to knock out the 14 song project. “Black Label Blues” was chosen as the album title track as it set the tone for the full project. CJ’s longtime drummer, Nick Gibbens, produced, engineered, and mixed the project.
Most of the songs that made the album were written by CJ in the year prior to recording the album; but some were favorites from the past. The band was so great that they got charged an “efficiency tax” the last day and added that 14th song to the project - “Blue Bandana” - one that CJ had always loved and wanted to record as it was his first cut as a songwriter when it was recorded by Jerrod Niemann in 2014.
CJ is releasing the project under his new band name, CJ Solar and The Old Souls, as it signifies a new era for his original music, creates focus on the “live show” aspect, pays tribute to his long time band members (drummer Nick Gibbens has been with him 16 years and guitarist Stevie Campos 8 years), and to the listeners who are “old souls” and love the nostalgia of country storytelling, soulful vocals, and a lot of guitar!