Whosoever South Blends Country and Hip Hop with a Gospel Message on Debut Album “Goin’ Home”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2013
March 18, 2013
Whosoever South combines street savvy influences like TobyMac and Lecrae with country and bluegrass styles similar to the T Bone Burnett-produced O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack, for an unconventional but infectious bass-thumping sound that serves as the catalyst for a dynamic ministry already making a major impact throughout the south.
Husband and wife Rowdy Eunice and Sarah Eunice along with longtime musical partner Mike Mitchell make up Whosoever South. While the group is firmly rooted in ministry, their beginnings were not as well-intentioned. A decade ago, the trio was involved in a regionally successful mainstream act known as Solid Ground, and they were opening for major artists such as Kanye West, Outkast, Ciara and Goodie Mob. Major record labels were interested in moving forward, but the group’s personal lives were spiraling out of control.
“It was so close to breaking big that it was scary,” Rowdy says of Solid Ground. “But many of the people we were in business with wound up dead or in prison and all of that fell apart, which wound up saving our lives in more ways than one.”
As everyone was separately sobering up from the world of parties, drugs and music industry excesses, Rowdy and Sarah found themselves in church by 2006, where they dedicated their lives to Christ. Mike eventually found his way there as well. Despite being on the verge of stardom prior to becoming born again, music was the furthest thing from their minds as they dug deep into the word and simply strove to get their lives on track. But God had other goals for the longtime collaborators.
In 2008, the trio reunited as Whosoever South, which was inspired by John 3:16 and Romans 10:13, coupled with a nod to their southern roots. After hundreds of concerts and a large regional fan base, the group is finally stepping into the national spotlight with their full-length album, Goin’ Home.
“It’s like a genre all its own because we don’t fit into any one genre,” says Rowdy of the group’s sound. “It’s not really been done before, but it’s not all that complicated either. It’s just a combination of good music: country, bluegrass, gospel and rap music all mixed together.”
A perfect example is the lead single “Where We From,” which talks about the group’s unceasing work ethic amidst a simple southern lifestyle filled with dirt roads, farms and good old-fashioned food. On a more evangelistic note, “All The Time” is a bluegrass/gospel/country stomper encouraging believers to let their light shine, while the title track is a down home jam with an equally assertive message.
“When we wrote Goin’ Home, we wanted to get that old bluesy type of feel from back in the day,” says Rowdy. “We wanted to remind listeners that this world is not our home and that one day we’ll leave here and go to our final destination. Hopefully it will be a reminder to not get caught up in the stresses of daily living, but a reminder that we’re just passing through.”
www.whosoeversouth.com
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