Alanna Royale Fights Sound Issues to Soothe the Soul

Technical difficulties suck, man. Saturday night’s Alanna Royale livestream on Sessions, her first stream with a full band, was one more example of why this godforsaken pandemic needs to end.

Royale and her band — guitarist Jared Colby, keyboardist Kent Toalson and bassist Gabe Golden — were performing live together for the first time in more than a year, and they were coming in hot from Royale’s guest room. While the vocals were on point (as Royale’s soulful pipes always are), the instruments were almost entirely lost in the mix.

“We’re gonna play a new song for you, but I want you to be able to hear the fucking instruments,” the singer said while attempting to fix the glitch after the first two songs. “Everything was good in sound check, I don’t know what the hell is going on!”

But after some knob twisting and plug checking, the show had to go on, and while the mix was less than ideal, there was still plenty of good to take away. The band did play those new songs, giving us a peek into what their upcoming record holds. It’s a record that Royale worked on while getting lost in her own head during a mid-pandemic road trip.

“I took some time in the trash pandemic and drove from Nashville to San Francisco Bay to finish my record,” she said before debuting the new song, “Why Won’t You Let Me Love You?”

Royale wrote the song “Imagination” — a tune she hopes “shakes Isaac Hayes out of his grave” — while “driving through the desert in Arizona and New Mexico just contemplating some shit.”

“If you’re out there right now and you’re dealing with some serious shit up here,” said Royale while pointing to her head, “it’s OK. It’s gonna be OK.” 

The band covered “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” (the Gerry and the Pacemakers song, not the Ray Charles song) and Millie Jackson’s “A Child of God (It’s Hard to Believe).” “I dedicate it to all you fucking racists out there,” said Royale. “It’s 2021, you need to get your mind right.” The band also threw in a less psychedelic and more R&B version of The Doors’ “Light My Fire.”

An hour later — with the instruments still just whispers in the room but Royale’s captivating stage guest-room presence keeping folks entertained — the show was over. The band deserved a better-sounding set; Royale fans deserved a better-sounding set. Knowing this, the singer left us all with parting words that would ensure the future is brighter: “Wash your hands, wear the mask, and get your fucking shot so we can all get on with our lives.” Hell yes.