Electronic Press Kit

EPK

"They are known for their soulful swagger, moody vocals and timeless songwriting with a bit of an edge."

-Chandra Gore, medium

"If art is a reflection of current attitudes and issues, then Herbal Tea serves as a wonderful reminder of how to prioritize self-care in an increasingly connected world. Bubbly and jazzy, it puts forward a very necessary mantra: just sip tea and let it be."

-Piper Anderson, Sounds So Beautiful

"The trumpets into the vocal cuts?  Yo, that's fire.  Wow."

-Ivan Jackson, Brasstracks

Genre

Neo-Soul / R&B

Sounds Like

Hiatus Kaiyote, Moonchild, Knower

Bio

Nashville-based group Oracle Blue blends elements of Neo-Soul, electronic music and #BAM (Black American Music) to create a newfangled soundscape with a sullen danceability.  The group is fronted by producer Liz Kelley on guitar and effected vocals, supported by playback engineer Zach Douglas on trumpet and electronic sampling, and rounded out by a rotating cast in the rhythm section.  Influences include artists ranging from Hiatus Kaiyote to Sylvan Esso, while creating a sonic culture that is uniquely their own.  

The group began as a student jazz combo that met for class credit at Coastal Carolina University.  During their time as students, the group received a DownBeat Student Music Award, shared the stage with artists Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones), Jeff Coffin (The Dave Matthews Band), and often worked with Steve Bailey (Bass Department Chair, Berklee School of Music).  In the summer of 2016 this group performed at Montreux, Umbria and Vienne jazz festivals in Europe.

Now performing and creating full-time, the group has released their debut album Gilded Kingdoms, which included several original tracks, as well as reimaginings of jazz standards “Don’t Explain” (Billie Holiday) and “On Green Dolphin Street” (Kaper).  Bandleaders Douglas and Kelley self-manage and produce the band’s music, hiring various members for the rhythm section.  Since 2018, they have held a residency and Nashville jazz club Rudy’s, and have toured between 26-48 weeks out of the year.  Between the group’s improvisational jazz background and a varying talent pool behind them, this creates a unique experience for every performance.

Occasions of note include multiple opening performances for five-time GRAMMY Award winning artist Lalah Hathaway, endorsements from Traveler Guitar and Aston Microphones, a performance at NAMM, and a recent listing on DownBeat's "What to Stream This Week".   The group has spent recent months collaborating on music with producer Justin Trout and Grammy-Winning bassist MonoNeon (Prince, Mac Miller, Ne-Yo), which released in March, 2021.