Bringing the Roaring ‘20s into the 2020s is the first live electro swing band from the United States, Good Co. A genre that mixes the music of the swing era with the dance music of today, electro swing combines the era of jitterbug flappers and underground speakeasies with the funky beats and electric sounds of today’s dance music.
Since 2013, the group has performed concerts, music festivals and outreach programs all over the world and their music can be heard on radio, label compilations, independent films and on television. Whether it’s performing their music 10,000 feet up in the Australian Alps, underwater at the Bad Sulza Spa, at a community theater, neighborhood performance center or local school, Good Co is thrilled to play anywhere there’s a crowd ready for a good time.
Good Co’s performance on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7 pm is part of our 10x10 Arts Series, an innovative and intriguing showcase of art forms curated specifically for the Northwest Arkansas community. We asked the bandleader Corey Rayburn to answer 10 questions to help audiences better understand who Good Co is and what to expect with an electro swing show.
What can audiences expect when they come see this performance?
Simply put, audiences will see a whole lot of fun happening on stage. We bring a lot of energy to our performances because we really love getting to share our unique sound with audiences. We get our inspiration from the music of the 1920s and that music was all about having a roaring good time.
What drew you to this performance field? Why electro-swing?
Originally, Good Co was my solo project, created after a friend introduced me to the new sound of electro swing coming from Europe. I’ve always been a big fan of early jazz and since college have been a fan of electronic dance music as well. This new genre combined them both together. It was irresistible to me and I couldn’t wait to start writing songs of my own. Both genres work surprisingly well together because they are both centered around dancing, having a good time and personal expression. I decided to name the band Good Co because so many of my friends were involved in the first album. After the album came out, there were a lot of folks asking, “When can we see the band perform?” so I realized I’d better actually put together a band and start performing live.
What are some memorable experiences you’ve had while sharing this performance with others?
A couple memorable experiences in Europe include performing in a German spa where they pumped our performance through the water and the audience listened by lying in the water and submerging their ears, performing on the roof of a ski lodge in the Australian alps for a festival and performing for thousands of inebriated Italians at the Wine and Love festival in Rome (they loudly sang along and several joyfully joined us on stage to dance with us at different points before being encouraged to depart by security). Here in the states, some of our most memorable experiences have been getting to do outreach at local schools and working with music students to teach them jazz history, how to improvise and how to swing dance. We once had a teenage boy in Montana launch another through the air when we taught the class an aerial. Luckily kids are made of rubber and after a hard landing the second kid bounced up laughing and ready to go again.
Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm-ups? If so, what are they?
Honestly, not really. The members of the band have all been full-time musicians since college and we’ve all played in a million different groups over the years (salsa, pop, metal, funk, classical). Because of this we really don’t have anything we need to do to get in the zone, we’re really ready to go at the drop of the hat. Our singer Katrina does do vocal warm ups though!
What have been your favorite musical collaborations or projects to work on?
During the pandemic we were going a bit crazy and recorded a new song, “Quarantine”, and then invited other musicians to collaborate and make their own versions. Some people sent in remixes, some recorded new parts or solos and some did new covers. We called it The Quarantine Challenge, made a choose-your-own-adventure style music video out of it and raised $5,000+ for Sweet Relief, a charity for musicians. You can see the music video here. There’s even a secret salsa ending you can find!
Pick 5 words that best describe your work.
Fun, energetic, unique, dapper, party.
What are some ways you incorporate traditional jazz music into performances?
Traditional jazz and blues music is the foundation for a lot of genres of music that exist today. Funk, disco, EDM, pop, country, all of the genres build off the groundwork laid by traditional jazz and blues. Our music specifically samples vintage songs, frequently uses traditional jazz forms and puts a big emphasis on improvisational soloing. When not playing our original electro swing, we also play a big selection of traditional jazz songs and we even have an unreleased album, “From The Top” which is only available at live shows.
What songs, podcasts, artists or comedians are you currently listening to?
One great thing about the musicians in our band is we all have a huge amount of artists we listen to and we’re all interested in finding new good music. On band trips we’ll listen to everything from The Yellowjackets to Bjork, to Boz Scaggs, to Rage Against The Machine. We’ve all found there is great music in every genre (as well as bad music), you just have to be open to finding the good stuff that’s out there. That being said, we do listen to a lot of jazz and Steely Dan when we’re on the road.
Whom do you define as a visionary; and why?
For us, we see visionary musicians all around us. Anyone who is creating something new, something that hasn’t been heard before and something that is connecting emotionally with their audience is visionary to us. We see this in artists like David Bowie, Dolly Parton, Prince, The Clash, Ella Fitzgerald and other past heroes, but also folks that are in our community and creating new music that is exciting and fresh! Every time someone plays they have a chance to connect with another person and that’s what’s so amazing about being an artist.
What is the best advice you have been given?
Don’t play music for a living unless it’s something you HAVE to do. None of the people in this band really have a choice, we wouldn’t be happy if music wasn’t our full-time job. Now, this does not mean not to do music. There are lots of ways to make music for yourself, for your community, for the world and we fully believe everyone should have the chance to make music and enjoy being a musician – because there’s nothing like it! There’s way too much emphasis on being ‘good’ at something; forget that! Music is for everyone and if it makes you happy, go for it. Whether that’s playing at home, in a group, or even just singing along in the shower, music is fun and a great thing to do. When you make it your sole source of income though ... well, that can complicate things. It takes a certain crazy type of person to want to do the things we do to make it work because being a musician can be tough both mentally and financially. But, if you find yourself antsy when on vacation because you haven’t had a chance to play music in a week, if you aren’t able to focus because you’ve just got to get out your instrument to play, if you can drive for 12 hours in a day to play a gig and still be beaming at the end of the night, well you just might be as crazy as we are!