ROADCASE ROYALE Feat. HEART's NANCY WILSON: 'First Things First' Album Due In September

Nancy Wilson, one of the founding members of the legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group HEART, has teamed up with former Prince's NEW POWER GENERATION band member and R&B singer Liv Warfield to form the soulful, rock supergroup ROADCASE ROYALE. The band recently signed with Loud & Proud Records and plan to release their debut album, "First Things First", on September 22. The album was produced by fellow ROADCASE ROYALE band member Dan Rothchild (HEART) along with the band.

"Nancy and Liv are magic together, and the musicianship is outstanding," said Tom Lipsky, president Loud & Proud Records. "The interesting blend of talents and influences is what makes ROADCASE ROYALE special. Most importantly, there is a fire within this group to do something original, to feed off each other and explore new creative directions. It is exciting to see that kind of passion and drive in artists that have already accomplished so much. We are proud to be their label partners."

"ROADCASE ROYALE is a band I've always wanted to be in," says Nancy Wilson. "We all write and create songs as a unit. It's an inspired democracy. Liv and Ryan both bring a whole new level of magic to our new sound. I'm amazed after devoting my life to rock music how it now feels so brand new. That's why our first album is called 'First Things First'."

Earlier this year, Rolling Stone premiered the live performance video of ROADCASE ROYALE's debut single, "Get Loud", saying, "The band builds a funky, nimble groove, led by Warfield's soulful belting and the acoustic/electric guitar attack of Wilson and Prince protégé Ryan Waters." The video was shot by celebrated photographer Neal Preston. "Get Loud", with its laid-back groove, provides a solid acoustic and electric foundation for Warfield's vocals — all about getting loud and standing up for women's equality. "Get Loud" blends this important message with the group's R&B and rock influences, resulting in a uniquely powerful track.

The name of the band, ROADCASE ROYALE came to the group during a backstage meeting they had last year. Wilson said: "When I came up with the name ROADCASE ROYALE, it was an interesting symbol to me since the big heavy-duty road cases that our amps drums and guitars travel in are much like the musicians they accompany on the road. Strong and regal looking yet all scuffed up and dented, covered in funny stickers that tell the story of a crazy traveling circus."

In addition to Wilson (guitar) and Warfield (vocals),ROADCASE ROYALE features Ryan Waters (lead guitarist) along with HEART members Chris Joyner (keys),Dan Rothchild (bass),and Ben Smith (drums). The sextet made its live debut March 25 at the fifth annual Rock Against MS benefit concert in Los Angeles.

The band will play several headline dates beginning September 10 at The Gramercy Theatre in New York and will embark on a major U.S. tour this fall.

Photo credit: Jeremy Dange