Five notes.
Five little notes on a guitar riff are all it took for listeners to pay attention to “Call Me,” the breakout radio single from “Half the City” by St. Paul and The Broken Bones. The septet, led by Paul “St. Paul” Janeway, is one of the newest soul outfits to come out of the South, specifically Birmingham, Alabama.
“Call Me,” along with songs like “Broken Bones and Pocket Change” and “I’m Torn Up,” have helped St. Paul and The Broken Bones achieve once unheard-of goals, like reaching the third spot on the iTunes “Top Albums” chart.
Before guitarist Browan Lollar’s arrival into the band, frontman Janeway and bassist Jesse Phillips collaborated in a group known as The Grenadines. Following the writing of the song “Broken Bones and Pocket Change,” the two saw the potential to make something of their musical ability.
The remaining members of what would become St. Paul and The Broken Bones, including Lollar, were brought together during the recording of the band’s first EP. “Half the City” was written in six weeks, recorded and mastered in the studio among the personal and professional lives of all seven members.
St. Paul and The Broken Bones has now begun the next chapter of its journey — a springtime tour through the United States, Canada and parts of Europe.
As expected, Lollar and the rest of the band are excited for their first large-scale tour and the opportunities it will bring. As a professional musician, Lollar is aware of the comparisons to other artists that can result from success. One of the most popular associations is to fellow Alabama soul band Alabama Shakes, fronted by the young upstart vocalist Brittany Howard.
Despite major similarities in genre and inspirations, Lollar cited Alabama Shakes as being a soul band with a heavier rock influence than St. Paul and The Broken Bones.
“We’ve always sort of looked at the two bands as both sides of the same coin,” Lollar said. “I guess it’s just an example of us being on the same page as far as inspiration goes. [Alabama Shakes] interpret the inspiration a little differently than we do. We’re all really big fans of what they do and hope it’s mutual.”
One thing the two bands share is stage presence. Where Alabama Shakes’ Howard belts out lyrics while riffing on her guitar, Janeway vocally dominates the microphone, dancing with moves like that of an evangelical pastor.
“Paul [Janeway] is just a person that does things the way that he does things,” Lollar said. “He doesn’t really put on any different identities. It’s just sort of Paul.”
Because St. Paul and The Broken Bones is primarily a soul outfit, Lollar understands his presence as a guitarist. In a band where vocals and horns make up the majority of the sound, he uses his guitar as support, stating instrumentation is written for the sake of the song rather than for technical prowess.
In the wake of the release of “Half the City,” the band has spent the last year sorting out the details of this tour and comprehending how exactly it skyrocketed into the limelight.
The album’s success has lead to multiples occasions for attention, including a performance on “Late Show with David Letterman” and an episode in National Public Radio’s “Tiny Desk Concert” series.
“It was an insane year,” Lollar said. “We went from playing 100-cap clubs to 2,500-cap theaters. It’s gotten so big, it’s hard to see where we’re at right now.”
With the tour scheduled to run until July, Lollar and his bandmates are already looking to the future of St. Paul and The Broken Bones. He said the band is currently writing new material, focusing on the process of collaboration between all seven members.
A major concern for the group is the inevitable backlash of a sophomore album. Despite the major success of “Half the City,” Lollar is reluctant to rest on his laurels. Themes for this session of recording are evolution and progress.
“We want to take a next step,” Lollar said. “We don’t want to have ‘Half the City, Part Two.’ We want it to evolve and be better.”
The “Half the City” tour is scheduled to make a stop in Baton Rouge at the Varsity Theatre. Though it is a significantly smaller space than normal for the band, Lollar said he is excited to play the venue. The closer quarters equals better show value for the fans, allowing Janeway to have more interaction with the audience.
“Since it’s a small place, it’s going to be a blast,” Lollar said. “ With this band, it’s not always about playing bigger, better places. Paul can get out in the crowd and touch people. It’s definitely going to be something to remember.”
St. Paul and The Broken Bones are scheduled to perform tonight at 9 p.m. at the Varsity Theatre. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and singer-songwriter Sean Rowe will open.
You can reach Gerald Ducote on Twitter @geraldducoteTDR.

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David McClister

St. Paul and the Broken Bones