Alanna Quinn-Broadus has built Alanna Royale into one of the Southeast’s fastest-rising retro-soul acts, and the band was set to bring its latest release, ‘Achilles,’ to Mobile’s Oakleigh Garden District on Dec. 13.
The Nashville-based singer, whose deep, soulful voice anchors the group, sat down ahead of the show to talk about the album and the road that produced it.
‘Achilles’ arrived after Quinn-Broadus recovered from a vocal injury that nearly silenced her. She named the record for the vulnerability she confronted, calling her voice her Achilles’ heel. After the setback, she committed to regular work with a vocal coach who, she said, changed her voice and changed her life.
The album collects some of the first songs the band ever wrote, pared down from 14 to 10. Quinn-Broadus described the relief of finally finishing a full record after years of near-constant touring, and said the experience sent the group ‘straight to the moon’ about a follow-up that is already in the works.
The band’s sound grew out of chance as much as design. Quinn-Broadus and her bandmates barely knew one another when they started gigging, and she recalled meeting trombonist Diego only as he walked on stage for their first show together. Two years on, she said, they are a stronger and better live act than ever.
Songwriting is collaborative, usually starting with a groove from Quinn-Broadus or guitarist Jarred before the rest of the band layers on its parts. ‘It wouldn’t be an Alanna Royale song’ if just one person shaped it, she said.
With the Southeast in the middle of a retro-soul resurgence led by acts such as Alabama Shakes and St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Alanna Royale has become a local favorite built on musicianship and Quinn-Broadus’s commanding vocals.