THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As its title proudly and clearly proclaims, free-wheelin’ rock ’n’ soul trio DeWolff’s new studio album Muscle Shoals was indeed recorded at the legendary FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama.
Nestled on the banks of the Tennessee River, just south of Nashville and east of Memphis, sits the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In the 1960s, with the help of these two recording studios, Muscle Shoals became home to the soul of America. FAME hosted landmark sessions for Aretha Franklin, who sat at a piano and laid down I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) and other classics. Other clients at the time included Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Clarence Carter and Solomon Burke. A little more than two miles up the road MSSS saw Cher, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan and more come through the doors.
When the opportunity for Dutch trio DeWolff to record in Muscle Shoals, it was a dream come true. “Even before we were into southern rock, as a kid, Luka got an album of southern soul, and most of it was recorded at FAME,” says singer-guitarist Pablo van de Poel of his drumming brother. “Our introduction to soul didn’t start with James Brown; we started with Wilson Pickett.”
In May 2024, they travelled to Muscle Shoals to record their 10th studio album with Grammy-winning producer Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes). “You can really feel some kind of rock ’n’ roll magic in the air there,” Pablo adds. “Right when we played our first notes there, I got goosebumps. This definitely was one of the best recording experiences we’ve ever had. Even the grand piano Leon Russell used was still there, just like the electric Wurlitzer piano that was used on I Never Loved A Man.”
The album kicks off with In Love, a swirling funky soul ode to cheating. “It’s about if you’re with someone for a long time and you meet someone else and they really turn your world upside down by challenging the promises you make to your partner when you have a long term relationship. There’s all these things that you want to do. There’s a line that goes ‘Tell me babe why can’t we meet, at the dark end of the street,’ which is a reference to Dark End Of The Street, written by Muscle Shoals songwriter Dan Penn.
Muscle Shoals follows their previous No. 1 studio album Love Death & In Between (2023). Since then they have been nominated for an Edison Award (Dutch Grammy), released Live & Outta Sight III, and received the live music award known as the Gouden Notekraker. In June 2023, they produced the world’s fastest studio-to-store record — two hours, 59 minutes and 38 seconds — for Rosita Rápida, beating the record previously held by Jack White.
Over the past 18 months, the enchanting psychedelic soul ’n’ rollers have also preached their electric gospel on a cruise and in a castle, sold out countless headline tours across Europe and transformed festival crowds into their own disciples. They’ve toured with The Black Crowes and have played shows with Blues Pills, Deep Purple, Toto, and count Seasick Steve as a fan.
Formed in the Netherlands’ Deep South of Geleen as teenagers, the van de Poel and keyboardist Robin Piso have carved out a place for themselves as carefree adventurers; prolific in the studio and well-worn road rovers. “It sounds like a fantasy story,” Pablo reflects. “Seventeen years ago, my mind would have never dared to go there to think of all the things we’ve done and places we’ve seen.”
