By Danny Gassaway
Stefan Kallander, guitarist for The Queen’s Guard, a Charlotte funk, soul and R&B group, answered some questions ahead of the band’s headlining gig at the first annual Crown Town Get Down at Heist Brewery.
ROTW: How did The Queen’s Guard come to be?
SK: All of us had been playing together in the scene for a while and we all got called for the same gig a couple years back. We pretty much formalized the band for that and had an amazing response from the crowd that night. We knew we had something and had to keep it moving.
ROTW: What is your sound like?
SK: We’re a funk band. Period. You’ll hear elements of soul, gospel, jazz and some rock, but whatever we do, it gots to be fonky!
ROTW: Who are your musical influences?
SK: Personally, PFunk, Maze and Prince are some of my biggest, but really the whole spectrum has influenced me. R&B, Soul, Gospel, Latin, West and South African, Jazz. I grew up on Hendrix, Zeppelin, and early Chili Peppers — good music is good music. I’ve just always been attracted to rhythm and groove. The rest of the band is influenced by similar artists, which is partly why we have such a vibe. Funk, Soul, R&B, Gospel, Rock… it all connects us.
ROTW: What can someone expect who’s never seen or heard you before?
SK: Folks can expect an engaging and energetic experience. We like to play with dynamics and we’re also just trying to groove and help bring the funk into people’s lives. This Saturday we got some new tunes we’re really excited to debut that we’re also recording in the studio for release soon.
ROTW: What are you most excited for about the Crown Town Get Down event?
SK: I’m excited to see a diverse festival-style music event with lots of different genres at a Charlotte brewery. I’ll be completely honest, there are a lot of breweries here, and the brewery culture is very prevalent. They make a ton of money. I understand they have startup expenses and such and money from their investors they need to make back, but a lot of breweries want great music because they understand music is what turns a building into a community, and then they offer $300 for a whole band. That’s gotta stop. They have to understand what good music is worth. Heist gets that. So, I appreciate Heist helping take the lead in righting the ship.
ROTW: Any artists in particular you’re excited about seeing Saturday?
SK: Menastree is super dope, definitely a killer group everyone should check out.
ROTW: What’s the state of the Charlotte music scene?
SK: The Charlotte music scene is getting better. Contrary to how things seem with a lot of venues closing, there are some phenomenal musicians and bands in town and they are getting more exposure. Charlotte is always the kind of place that our artists need to get recognition elsewhere before Charlotte gets fully behind them. I’d like to see that change. That will start to change if musicians are paid what they’re worth.
ROTW: Where would you like to see the scene in 5 years?
SK: Personally I’d like to see more financial support for all genres of music. We have some amazing folks in town that tour the world that you would never know are in Charlotte. It’s because places will only throw a couple hundred bucks at some acoustic acts and think that’s what good music is and it’s all they need. There’s a time and place for that but it doesn’t define the scene. I’d also like to see more mutual events between the arts community and music community. It’s starting to happen through events at The Harvey Gantt Center and The Bechtler, but it can be further expanded.
ROTW: Any favorite beers or drinks at Heist?
SK: IPA’s always hit the spot for me on these hot days!