Gypsy Soulution—comprised of Arthur Ruiloba on vocals and guitar, Avery Beaudette on saxophone, and Nick Cowger on drums and percussion—released their debut four-track EP I’m Alright last March, and the band is hard at work on their next album, on track to be released this summer. Catch them locally at Cozmic Cafe and H.Art Lounge, or in Sacramento at Luna’s Cafe and Naked Lounge, and be prepared to join fellow fans on the dance floor. “The local music scene is diverse enough to inspire you, [with] its own sort of vibe and character to it,” says Ruiloba. “Audiences [here] are open and embracing to all different acts, and we've had a very supportive environment to find our place as performing artists.”

Arthur Ruiloba (guitar), 

Avery Beaudette (sax) 

and Nick Cowger (drums)

HLB: How would you describe your sound?

AB & NC: We play highly eccentric rock and tend to pull from all of our influences as a group and as individuals, which gives us a large sonic palate to work with. We've all listened to world music and classic rock, but we also have our individual influences, [thus giving] our music character. 

AR: I started playing guitar with old mariachi songs, which shaped how my hands move to play. Avery spent years becoming acquainted with jazz, which is essentially how we met. Nick played a lot of funk and jam styles and all of that together is what really makes our sound “ours.”

HLB: What’s the meaning behind your name? 

AR: By committing to music, we’re committing ourselves to a “gypsy” lifestyle. We’re going to spend arguably the best years of our lives on the road without any real roots, but we really wouldn't have it any other way. The “soul” bit represents what we put into our music and our live shows. The “soulution” is our answer to the question, “What will we do with our lives?” Music.

HLB: Describe your songwriting process.

AR: One of the best parts about writing for me is the freedom and honesty of a moment. Songs that are written from a moment aren't beholden to anyone; they are just honest and raw. As long as you’re writing from the perspective of that moment, you’re expressing your genuine and unfiltered emotions. It's freeing because you can indulge a little in that frustration, pride or elation and then let it go. 

HLB: What’s your favorite venue to perform at?

AB & NC: It always feels good playing in your hometown. One of our favorite venues is H.Art. The venue is intimate, the vibe is sort of sultry, and the people who run it are awesome. They’ve been behind us since the beginning, and are always trying to [expand] the local music scene and bring new faces into the fold. 

HLB: What are the band’s goals? 

AB & NC: We constantly try and push ourselves to play things in new ways and mix styles that don't necessarily seem like obvious mixes. We want to expand people's ears and help them soak in all of the great things they may have missed, or not had access to, and really give people a taste of everything we can find.   

By Heather L. Becker // Photo by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group