MOTOR CITY HUSTLE: PURE Detroit Soul

Laura Rain and George Friend

Detroit Originals

A tough, hard-working American city is reinventing itself as a vibrant incubator of ideas and creation. Back from decades of neglect, Detroit has returned to the forefront on the world stage. Adventurers, investors, artists, and young entrepreneurs are flocking to the Motor City, bringing with them energy, creativity and innovation. The city and its people are inspired again.

Laura Rain is a product of that environment, a hard driving soul singer who uses the power and finesse of her own voice to inspire and electrify your spirit. Born and raised in Detroit, where her father engineered conveyer systems for the auto plants, she delivers her original music with fearless emotion and excitement. Along with her creative partner George Friend, the pair have released four albums with a unique blend of contemporary funky soul, blues and r&b worthy of Detroit’s rich history of musical innovators.

It is the Motor City where Aretha Franklin, Parliament-Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye all lived and created. A town where singers are continually influencing and defining the world around themselves. Laura Rain creates her own environment of expression through her music. Having released four albums of all original music since 2013, the band blends their favorite elements of funky ‘60s organ jazz, lowdown blues, dance music, old-school R&B, and soul. Laura and producer-songwriter George Friend have created a unique style, winning a prestigious Detroit Music Award for “Outstanding Blues Songwriters” and touring the U.S. Canada and Europe. Laura Rain’s voice soars as she weaves her own path through a classic, but thoroughly modern, funky sound, reimagining the r&b, gospel, blues, and soul that the city made famous.

In 2020, Laura Rain is poised to release a large collection of new music (written over the last two years) and rebuild, renew and reinvent herself once again.

Detroit has returned: strong, creative, inspiring, and always funky.

BIO

LAURA RAIN AND THE CAESARS

TRANSFORMING SOUL

Detroit’s Laura Rain and the Caesars transform funky soul and r&b into their own unique vision. Inspired by the spirit of classic recordings of a bygone era, Laura Rain creates her own environment of expression with a powerful and soulful voice.

Formed in the Motor City in 2012 with her husband George Friend, the pair set off on a creative journey writing and recording their own music. The two garnered many accolades within the music press and radio with their debut release “Electrified” in 2013. Performing with a stripped down lineup of organ, guitar and drums the band developed it’s signature sound, and cultivated a vintage toned energetic foundation. The second release “Closer” (2014) expanded the sound exposing the bands’ love for Memphis soul, juke-joint blues and tough Detroit funk and r&b.

Starting in 2014, the band began touring heavily within the U.S. and Canada. Starting in Chicago with regular appearances at the House of Blues and Buddy Guy’s Legends, Laura Rain has stunned audiences with her intensity and powerful voice. Performing in over 25 states from California to New York, the band has delighted audiences with their dynamic performances. Featured at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Marquette Area Blues Festival, Edmonton Blues Festival, the Legendary Blues Cruise and many other top tier clubs and festivals, Laura Rain and the Caesars continue to grow making new friends and fans along the way. 

In October 2015, the release of the third album “Gold” broadened their audience considerably thanks to substantial Triple A airplay of the single “Work so Hard” (a pounding homage to Motown). “Gold” also propelled Laura Rain onto the national radio charts making the top 50 on Roots Music Report for numerous months, and holding at #1 in the state of Michigan for over a year! 2016 highlights also included a tour of France and winning a prestigious Detroit Music Award for “Outstanding Blues Songwriters.”

In 2018, with the release of her fourth album “Walk with Me”, Laura Rain once again pushed the envelope of her unique soul music. Touring in support of the latest single “Pleasure Zone”, and channeling inspiration from Detroit’s incredible musical history, Laura Rain gives modern music a raw, yet sophisticated shot of much needed authenticity and heart.

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