We're so excited and honored to have on Mateo's Magic Bus and in the KFFR 88.3FM booth, Ifedayo Gatling, co-founder, singer, writer musician and producer with The Harlem Gospel Travelers. We have been playing The Harlem Gospel Travelers for few years here on Mateo’s Magic Bus & we had Eli "Paperboy" Reed in the studio for an interview a few months ago who has had a hand in the beginnings and trajectory of the band.
In preparing for this interview, I was amazed at the depth and breadth of the band’s story - so we had to cover a lot of ground in a short time, but starting here with a quote from Ifedayo: “Gospel’s at the root of everything. Country, folk, rock, soul, blues; we love it all, and it’s all in there. That’s what The Harlem Gospel Travelers are all about. They’re here to move you, to lift you up, to free you from your burdens and take you someplace higher. Because even when the world seems its darkest and everything else gets stripped away, the music still remains. It always does."
In the interview, we cover Ifedayo's beginnings and inspiration for The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Ifedayo growing up a preacher's kid, and the church's influence on his music and in general the background, beginnings and inspiration(s) for the band. We then cover the band's beginnings with their early mentor Eli "Paperboy" Reed, starting on the Colemine Music Label, and their first full album a few years ago, Look Up.
They have a new single out, an impeccable cover of The Mighty Walker Brothers' "God's Been Good To Me." Specially selected from the Numero Group catalog, this heater of a track highlights the immense talent and power of the NYC-based three piece. Ifedayo notes, "It's a song that represents a time in music that not many people recognize. A time in which gospel funk took over and was burning up radios, TVs and dance floors."
We finish things off discussing their current U.S. and European tour that goes through the end of the year and what's next for The Harlem Gospel Travelers. An amazing interview, Ifedayo is so dynamic and authentic, one of my favorite interviews to date, hope you enjoy!
Rock on,
DJ Mateo
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