Notes:
Special thanks to
Trú James for the interview.
Interview
The L.A.-based funk/soul band
and Touch the Music Records artists Stone Mecca, was hand-picked
by The RZA to back Wu-Tang on the 2007 North American Rock the
Bells Tour and co-headlined THE RZA’s Bobby Digital Digisnacks
Tour in 2008. This nine-piece ensemble is quickly building a
reputation as a versatile and dynamic live band that
effortlessly slides from funk to hip hop to soul without missing
a beat. Stone Mecca has been featured in Billboard Magazine and
USA Today Online. Stone Mecca also performed on the Repo Men, Afro Samurai
and Afro Samurai Resurrection soundtracks and Wu-Tang's 8
Diagrams.
Releasing a live album "Stone
Mecca Live On 54th" last year due
to request from fans with limited amount on CD, the group has
been voted the best live band within the Wu by our site, and
judging from what feedbacks we have had about the group from
fans and critics alike, we were right! "This CD will give those who haven't seen us play live
the opportunity to hear what it’s like at a Stone Mecca show,"
says band founder Trú James. "I truly believe we've captured the
energy and excitement of our performances with this CD."
Truly so, since The Roots, there have not been anything else
like this to grace the hip-hop, funk and soul scene.
Independently releasing their début album "First Contact" in 2008, the fans have been
waiting eagerly for another project from the group, Probably one
of the upcoming greatest live bands currently around, Stone
Mecca have returned to the studio and are half way through
recording their second album. While they might not been seen as
part of the Killa Bee Gang commonly claimed by the likes of
Black Knights and Northstar, Stone
Mecca are definitely part of the West Coast Killa Beez
collective and they have brought in something unique that has
been lacking especially within the Wu camp... that live element!
Yes Stone Mecca is a proper band, under the guidance of Tru
James the group members all play at least one or more
instruments and compose their own music. There have been
talks since Wu came into the scene of other live bands that have
played along side Wu on a number of occasions but Stone Mecca is
the first official band affiliated with Wu and they bring in
much more than just that live element as evident on their album
and live shows.
The fans are now getting
familiar with the group and it's members, while we have
interviewed one of our favourite groups on a number of
occasions, it is only right to showcase another chamber of music
and a different side and part of the West Coast Killa Beez
series with another interview with Stone Mecca. We caught up
with the group's main leader Tru James to find out what the
group has been up to, the much talked about Live album, upcoming
album tentatively titled "Dreams", assisting RZA with the Kanye
West's upcoming album, Stone Mecc's full length film featuring
songs from upcoming album and much more, Meccanism is here...
Enjoy!!
Thanks first and foremost for
taking the time to answer these interviews and I would like to
add on that nothing will be altered, edited or changed
when this is published online.
Wu-International: Peace Tru, happy New year,
how have you been? Trú James: Peace Brotha
how's everything with you on the other side of the world?
Wu-International: Great, thanks, I know you are busy
so won't be taking up your time, let's dive right in and talk
about your album “First Contact”, how well was that received
by the fans? Trú James: We had a
wonderful reception of our debut joint it was good to see
what I said before the release that people are not naive and
are hungry for music with substance.
Wu-International: Read about the release of a live
album “SM Live at 54th”, please tell us more about this CD
and where fans can get a hold of it? Trú James: We did this
but held off on the availability for a while but it's now
available on all the major digital distribution sites like
iTunes etc.
Wu-International: Was it put out on
digital or physical copies?
Trú James: We had some physical copies but sold out
fast and digital will be up within the next couple of
months. iTunes etc...
Wu-International: Thanks, was there any particularly
reason you decided to put out a live album?
Trú James: The fans wanted it after
seeing the show and the live show took the songs to a whole
other stratosphere.
Wu-International: What would be the main
difference between your live album and your studio album
apart from the live elements?
Trú James: When we do our show we're able to
let all the passion, feeling, and energy, etc. flow and you
get to see the source of where the studio album came from
with no restrictions.
Wu-International: Are there songs on there that
have never been released?
Trú James: No but we freaked them so much that
they became new songs of there own.
Wu-International:Tru,
having done solo gigs and others, do you go to a lot of gigs
yourself, and what was the gig you'd wished that was your
band up on the stage - and why?
Trú James: I don't go to many gigs because I
don't see the magic in live shows anymore like I did coming
up. That's why I'm so tough on our shows I believe the fans
deserve it. We did a couple shows with Earth, Wind, & Fire
and, even when we got off stage and they went on, I still
look at them and see us one day in the same light. Hopefully
we'll be accepted just like they are for giving the world
great music and magnificent shows.
Questions: So the group’s working on a second
album right now, can you please share with the title,
featured guests and planned release date if any?
Trú James: Yea we're in the final stages
of the tracking and mixing. We don't have a name yet but
maybe the fans can help us with that and send some
suggestions after hearing the first one. No featured guest
just the band and it's on fire but you know I got to send it
to you first to get your approval homie.
Wu-International: I have been a fan since day
one so approval is always pre album release. On one of our recent
interviews with a famous songwriter he said he was coming
off the road to write as he couldn't focus on new stuff
whilst playing the old. Are you doing any gigs whilst
recording for the new album and is this something you can
identify with?
Trú James: We have not been taking any
gigs lately because we're on the final stages of the album
not because we have those creating problems but because we
wanna prepare to come fresh and focused.
Wu-International: What decides that the time
is right to go into the studio to record an album? Or is an
ongoing process?
Trú James:
It's
a constant thing if you're an artist and, if it was up to
us, we would put out an album every other month.
Wu-International: I often think that a band
is the sum of its parts and if each individual tried to
produce music it would never be the same and more likely to
be totally different. Which influence does each of you have
that the rest of the bands don’t share and where's the
common ground?
Trú James: I've noticed that there's
always one person who knows the overall sound and feel of
the band and directs the others to bring it to fruition.
This becomes the common ground, but we all have individual
inspirations that pop up now and then in the music. From
Yngwie to Rick James from Rakim to Wu Tang you know.
Wu-International:
Have there been any changes to the
group since last interview we had as in say the structure or
anything else you might want to share with the fans?
Trú James:
A few minor
adjustments but mostly the same set up. The core is
intact...
Wu-International: Does the new album build on
the last in an organic way or do you think it leaps further
ahead or takes a different path? Trú James: Still
have the same elements that made the Mecca sound just more
free and defined.
Wu-International: What comes first for Stone
Mecca, the lyrics or the music?
Trú James:
That's up to the
universe. We're just vessels so however it's sent to us we
build it. Sometimes it's lyrics first, sometimes it's music,
sometimes it's a sound from the street.
Wu-International: Will regular contributors like
Salakida, Allen Anthony, and Wendy Marie be adding
on to this album as well?
Trú James: Not this time but they're
still part of the crew. Meccanisms forever.
Wu-International: First Contact had no outside
featured guest, will this feature outside artists
and if so who do you have in mind?
Trú James: No outside guest.
Wu-International:
Are you still under Wu Music
group and will they be responsible for putting out
the second album?
Trú James:
We weren't put out by them with the first album but
we're family so they lent their support. We have a
label (Touch the Music Records) that we used to
distribute our first album and are in discussions
about that scenario now
Wu-International: Stone Mecca can be seen as
part of the wider collective of The Westcoast Killa
Beez along side the Black Knights and Northstar, how
do you view yourselves in regards to this?
Trú James:
Those
are my dudes. They like what we do and either way it
goes it all has a soul music base.
Wu-International: What’s your current
relationship with The Knights and Northstar and have
they been any collaboration between the groups? Trú James: I work with RZA almost
every day so I see them cats all the time. We have a
bunch of work we've done but the latest released
stuff was Afro Samurai Season II.
Wu-International: Thanks very much for the
answers, you are still one of our favourite bands,
and we continue to wish you growth and progress,
anything else you might want to share with us or the
fans that has not been covered already? Trú James: Peace to you too Brotha and to
the fans I say stop accepting the watered down
version of music and help us bring the apple back
from the juice. Nothing's impossible.
Wu-International: We look forward to
seeing your group play sometime in Europe, until
then, thanks again and all the best
Upcoming Projects / Performances
* Stone Mecca's sophomore album tentatively titled
"Dreams"
* Stone Mecca's full length film
* Tru James assisted The RZA working on Kanye West's
upcoming album
* Tru James working with The RZA on the Activision
video game "DJ Hero 2"
Check Out The New Video and Single "Magic Carpet
Ride"
