The Capitol Groove Collective, made up of various contributors from Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, just released their first collaborative effort in response to a climate of political upheaval, disagreements on basic human rights, police brutality, and a pandemic in the hopes that music will continue to be effective in delivering a message of hope and strength for the people.
Capitol Groove Collective (CGC) is a diverse community of creatives whose strength lies in the vast array of genre, gender, and ethnicity of artists involved in the mission of bringing DC music to the national stage. The collective was founded by Goddess-rocker Emma G and is co-managed by rock musician YellowTieGuy and pop-rock, singer-songwriter SOLIA. CGC consists of nine other creatives from the DC metropolitan region in total, including: Billy Mayfield (soul), Music Giff (country-soul), Jarreau Williams (R&B), Silence Echoez (rock), Jonny Grave (rock), Nick DePinto (country-rock), Stephanie Mathias (classical pop), Ting Lin (Spanish/Mandarin pop-fusion), and Josh Roberts (music producer). For more about Capitol Groove Collective, visit their website at capitolgroovecollective.com.
Joey is a Baltimore native currently living in a San Diego beach community. After years of making the rounds on hip hop forums, entering every battle rap competition he could find, Joey took his style in a very different direction. In college, he began freestyling over djembe and acoustic guitar, instruments readily available at any college house party. What started as a trio, evolved into a 6-person band, with Joey as the lead singer. The hip-hop-rock band, Breaking Reign, was often described as a more hip-hop version of Rage Against the Machine, a comparison the band did not take lightly. For years the Breaking Reign played shows across the mid-Atlantic, with notable performances with OutaSight, Wax, and N.E.R.D. In 2012, Breaking Reign dissolved. With hundreds of shows now under his belt, and years of immersion in a hybrid style behind him, Joey returned to solo hip hop, releasing his 12-track album The Illusive in 2012 and 8-track album Renaissance Baby in 2014.
Our favorite of all his tracks is called, “Chase the Sun” which dropped on August 6th 2020. This track is filled with an immense amount of liveliness, and we believe that this could be a hit at college parties in the future. We love the combination of upbeat production, and energy filled vocals. You can check out the track below.
I’ll Explain Later is a sentiment that Nico has fully embodied on his quest to design the world in which he wants to live in, all while undoing the negativity around him. This state of mind is fittingly the name of Nico’s forthcoming album. A year and a half in the making, Nico allowed himself time, space and clarity to write I’ll Explain Later, with the intent and fervor he required.
Raised in Prince George’s County, MD, a predominantly African Raised in Prince Geo American community directly adjacent to Washington, DC, Nico was a witness to the unsightly truths of the economically weakened communities. With many people never expecting to ever find a way out, Nico refused to be complacent and watch the people in his city live a life absent of hope. At age 16, Nico made a commitment to use his talent for poignant writing, in conjunction with the musical brilliance the DM conjunction with the musical brilliance the DMV-area is known for, to go find hope and opportunities to bring back to the communities that shaped him into the man he is today.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
