Chicago band Ascendant to bring its uplifting sound to City Winery Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

 

With the release of its latest single, "Love Saved My Life," Chicago band Ascendant continues to make music that lifts your soul.

Those who come to the band's show at 7:30 p.m. June 11 at City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, will hear that for themselves. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at City Winery Chicago's website, citywinery.com/chicago.

I had the chance to talk to Ascendant frontman Kael Mboya about the band and the new single.

Q – Congratulations on the release of your new single, “Love Saved My Life.” What were your goals in sitting down to make the song and does it meet or exceed your expectations?

"Love Saved My Life" was an idea I've had since around 1999. I had the bass line, beat and chorus. 

 

Sometimes, I'd go through the unfinished songs we had and remember it was there: "Oh, man. Maybe we should finish this." We never got around to fleshing it out until about 10 years ago but still didn't get to record it until a few years later. 

 

 

With that being said, the goals were to finally lay that recording down. The idea kept coming back so it was meant to be.

 

Any time the band gets hold of my ideas they take them places I wouldn't expect. They bring so much life and musicianship to the songs.

Q – The song is from your forthcoming album, "Illuminate: RED,” which I understand will be released in the fall. What should people expect from the rest of the album?

They can expect songs about love...many aspects of love, romantic and personal. "Love Saved My Life" is both the first single from the album and the first track.

 

It sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is also on the album (but further down in the track listing) as an echo or a whisper of what was initially stated. 

 

It will make sense when you hear the album. 

Q – As I understand, "Illuminate: RED” is the fourth chapter in the four-album “Illuminate” concept. How did you come up with the concept?

After our first release, "Where You Are Now," our lives started to go through some transitions (band mates leaving, parents passing away, children born). We wanted to shine some light on those transitions. 

 

Many of the songs from "Illuminate" are taken from our own personal life lessons. We went with "Illuminate" to present that idea. 

 

Once we landed on that concept, it became clear very quickly that we could give focus to different aspects of life we were living at the time. So as light can be fractured/separated into different colors by a prism, each color would then set a theme. 

 

BLUE represents wisdom...from mistakes; GREEN represents rebirth...for the band; YELLOW represents joy/reminiscing of life; RED represents love.  

 

Initially, I thought of "Illuminate" as being a double album. Unfortunately, I forgot that you can only fit so much music on a side (vinyl). If we come out with a vinyl record for the Illuminate series, it might have to be a quadruple LP.

 

Q – After “Illuminate: RED” is released in the fall, what’s next for the band? 

We're working on setting up a tour after the RED release. That tour will comprise most of the songs in the 'Illuminate' series and we'll take the live versions to some new places like we always do live. 

 

After that is another album for which there are already song ideas.

Q – The band is composed of some of your musical friends from over the years. I would imagine that creates a closeness that other bands might not have.

There is a trust, musically, that I have in these individuals. It happens in studio as well as on stage. All you have to do is tell them where we're going...where we want to land...then allow the water...the journey, to take you there.

 

"Brand New Me" from "Illuminate: GREEN" is a great example of that. "Love Saved...(Reprise)" is another good example. We set the groove and then allowed it to breathe. This happens when you know each other and trust that we'll all get to where we intend to be (musically) together.
 

Q – It seems like the band wants to release songs that carry a positive message, such as your song “Power” from your debut album “Where You Are Now.” What are you trying to do with your music?

Really, I'm just trying to uplift people...starting with myself. These songs are for me as much as they are for anyone else.

 

When we started, I didn't fully believe in myself. It was easier to believe in US than just myself alone. "I've got all this power in me" is a mantra.

 

I wanted to believe it. I wanted to become it but I needed to get that self-doubt out of the way. 

 

I figured if I'm getting something from these songs, there must be more people who could use it too. It has been helpful to me and to the people who have become fans over the years. 

 

The more Ascendant performs, the more I rise in myself and we hope the audience rises with us.

Q – Soul music has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. I personally am a fan of the Black Pumas and Thee Sacred Souls. What do you think it is about soul music that draws people in? 

When it's authentic, it takes you to some place inside yourself; your core being, for lack of a better concept. It's a place where you don't feel wrong, or right or short or tall. 

 

It's a place of BE-ing where feeling, being, and doing are one and the same. This is because, I think, that is where the music is originating from...that same place.

 

It is music that is meant to be truly listened to and not skimmed over. If you take a moment and really listen, it can transform that moment, your mood and your mind. That is an authentic purpose...soul music.