As a man caught between two countries, Rob Picazo never really felt Spanish nor English, but music provided an escape into a world that felt warm, welcoming and deeply soulful. 

As he explored his father’s vast record collection, the calls of Southern Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Gospel were loud and clear, and so the explosive genius of Ray Charles, smooth Gospel tones of Sam Cooke, and the seductive preaching of Solomon Burke led to an obsession marked by listening, research, and adulation. Over time, all these influences inspired Rob to write songs with themes of vulnerability, intensity and heartache. 

His first release ‘Soothe My Soul’ is comprised of 11 songs conceived amidst a whirlwind of heartbreak, loneliness and romance, and began life in a small Battersea lockup, before Rob’s signing with the Memphis-based label Court Square Recordings saw the album’s recording completed in the home of Blues and Southern Soul, with the help of exceptional musicians like Charles Hodges, Kirk Smothers, Lannie McMillan and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ own Stewart Cole. 

Rob’s songs travel the map of US Soul, R&B and Gospel, drawing inspiration from the sounds of Chicago, New Orleans and, of course, Memphis in the 60s and 70s, as Rob’s caramel vocals sit atop a stew of boiling guitars, simmering organ, soulful horns and funky rhythms. Working closely with Rob to stay true to each song’s intention, Noah Nelson’s production brings a freshness to those familiar sounds, carving a style that will help Rob and Court Square Recordings make their way into the heart and history of Memphis Soul.