The Love Experiment tease a new album available via SWEET SOUL RECORDS
The Love Experiment’s latest single, “Who’s Gonna Save the World”, is a statement piece that encapsulates both the turbulence of the present moment and the enduring power of self-examination. Taken from their upcoming album “Velvet”, the track positions the New York City collective at the forefront of future-soul, balancing live instrumentation with immersive sound design in a way that feels urgent and timeless. The song is full of rich intonation, lush melodic elements and a message of passion for their music as well as their endurance through hard times.
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From the outset, the production sets the tone: a steady, groove-driven foundation is layered with rich textures, drawing the listener into a sonic landscape that is both dense and spacious. J. Hoard’s unmistakable vocals soar across this backdrop, delivering lines with equal parts vulnerability and conviction, while Karnival Kid, drummer and producer Charles Burchell’s rap alter ego, injects a sharp, uncompromising energy. The contrast between soulful melodic delivery and fierce spoken word ensures that the message lands with maximum force.
That message, as Burchell explains, lies at the heart of the track: “‘Who’s Gonna Save the World’ is a powerful reflection on global chaos and the urgent need for personal transformation, asking the timeless question: where does real change begin? … At its core, it’s an anthem of self-reflection, reminding us that true revolution starts within, and the frequency we carry can shape the world around us.”
We spoke to the band as they launched their new single.
“Who’s Gonna Save the World” carries a powerful message. Can you elaborate on how the urgency of global chaos and the need for personal transformation shaped the creation of this song?
The creation of this song took a few years, during which the world faced a series of global crises. For a long time the only lyrics I had were the chorus, “Tell me who’s gonna save the world..” The idea of always searching for an external source to fix all of the worlds’ problems was something I was wrestling with at the time of working on this song. I think many people feel that if they were the ones in a position of power they would make the “right choices” or they would know how to confront those they disagreed with in a way that caused the least amount of collateral damage. However, the reality is most of us are just doing the best we can to manage our own lives without causing too much chaos. Sometimes the magnitude of the world’s problems seem like too much for a normal civilian to fight against but I believe creating the world we want to see starts with changing how we show up in the world. I’m a big believer in the concept that your internal reality shapes your external reality, and that the only way “we” can change the world is if “we” change ourselves first. I tried to reflect this type of internal transformation in the way the lyrics and verses develop from questioning the world to affirming self, gradually building to the rap verse at the end which is all about affirming your internal power.
The song is described as an “anthem of self-reflection.” How do you hope listeners will connect with this message, and what kind of internal “revolution” do you aim to inspire?
I knew I wanted this song to feel like a call to action. I hope listeners will feel like they have the power to make effective changes in their life and the lives of others when they listen to this song. I also hope listeners will be inspired to find practices that help them connect with the inner world such as mediation, prayer, therapy, etc. The song is as much about “the state of the world” as it is about “ the state of self.” You can listen to the first and second verses as someone talking about the external world or their own body. The revolution for me is a revolution of the mind. This is the theme of our entire album. If you can shift to confronting fear with love and hate with hope then you can have a profound impact on individuals and communities.If this song can help you think differently when feeling overwhelmed by global or personal chaos then that’s a revolution.
Velvet is your forthcoming album. How does “Who’s Gonna Save the World” set the stage for the rest of the album, and what can listeners expect from this defining work?
Velvet is an album about transformation. This song, like others on the album, develops and transforms musically and lyrically. The album as a whole combines elements of hip hop production and live instrumentation which this track exemplifies. The album also features four more rap verses and three other emcees. I think WGSW is a perfect appetizer to represent the “rawer” sound on this album as compared to our earlier records. Listeners can expect an album that will take them on the musical equivalent to a walk in an enchanted forest. A journey in which you go in search of a treasure and ultimately find yourself in the process. Which is all to say that this isn’t a traditional Soul or R&B album where most of the songs are about relationships and love. This album is more about the self discovery that is necessary to really be able to love. Sonically it’s our best record to date as we find cool ways to blend the various textures of our arsenal of voices, instruments, and production techniques.
The press release mentions The Love Experiment as a “New York City’s future-soul collective.” Can you discuss how your background in the Brooklyn music scene has influenced your unique blend of raw band grooves and cosmic sound design?
The group actually got its start playing colleges, house parties and bars in Boston. In our early days we preferred performing at DIY venues than big established clubs. We even ran a monthly residency at an art gallery for a year where we can design the entire space to compliment our shows. We then migrated to New York and found that playing in clubs felt a bit stuffy and started playing less traditional venues like warehouses and lofts. As we were finding our way we were also doing shows or supporting our community which included artists such as Freelance, Nick Hakim, Big Yuki, Jaime Woods, and The Lesson. Hearing the sheer level of talent from the musicians in New York inspired us to find our own unique voice somewhere between experimental hip hop production and raw soul. We tried to push our live sound to incorporate more electronic elements while still maintaining moments where the band can really lay into grooves and even develop the music into new and unexpected territories.
Your collective has a stunning background of collaborators and artists you’ve performed with over the years. How have these experiences, particularly performing with such notable artists, influenced your own music and the direction of The Love Experiment?
Every artist you work with shapes you musically, professionally, and creatively. You learn more than music when you get the opportunity to work with top level performers. Every member of our collective has unique experiences outside of this group that shape their approach to the music. This is most felt when we started working on this album. We were no longer a group of kids fresh out of college but rather a group of seasoned musicians who were ready to create a sonic signature that could be mentioned in the same sentence as the musicians who inspired us.
How did you come to release with Sweet Soul Records, a label based in Tokyo?
We’ve been working with SSR since we released our debut album back in 2016. A Japanese music journalist heard us perform in New York and connected us to SSR back in 2015. They’ve been a wonderful supporter of our music and introduced us to a great audience in Japan. As a lifelong fan of Japanese culture, my friends and I would joke when we were young that we were “famous in Japan.” SSR is actually helping to make that dream come true.
With “Who’s Gonna Save the World” blending raw grooves with cosmic sound design, what elements do you feel are most crucial in defining The Love Experiment’s “forward-thinking artistry”?
The Love Experiment’s music is about transporting you to another dimension sonically. We don’t mind shifting tempos, textures, keys, or instrumentation to create musical worlds. This record is the first record we’ve approached more as a collective of producers rather than a band. This liberated us to be a bit more creative with the textures we were using since not everything had to be recorded live. The drums are a big element in our sound as well as the harmonic choices we use. However this record was also about shifting what a Love Experiment song could be and exploring more grooves and vibes than our previous records. Some songs may have one chord while others have many chords. The drums on this record shift from live drums to programmed drums and oftentimes feature both together.
However, what was most important is how the vibe of the music develops with the lyrics. The goal with this album was to not make music that was cool to musicians but music that felt like it had a purpose. The most forward thinking thing we did was try to write good songs without worrying if they followed any of the traditional songwriting rules.
Listen to the new single Who’s Gonna Save The World in full below..
