When guitarist/singer Kris Barras set out to reconnect with his blues-rock roots, he didn’t just retrace old steps, he lit a fresh fuse. The result is Hollow Souls, with a new line-up fronted by rising star Phoebe Jane and featuring supercharged guest performances, and built to be a band as spontaneous as it is soulful.
The idea for the Devon-based group took hold when Barras and his long-time producer (“and best friend”) Josiah J Manning gathered with musician friends for a jam at Momentum Studios in Plymouth.
“I’ve been edging towards heavier territory with the Kris Barras Band,” says Barras, “but I missed the rawness of the early bluesier material. I didn’t want it to affect what I was doing with KBB, so I started something separate.”
With bassist Leighton Allen and drummer Joe Harris on board, Barras and Manning worked and jammed through riffs and melodies, capturing everything as live. Typical of the process was Bad Things, which became the band’s third single.
“That was literally the fourth time we’d ever played that song,” Barras says. But he didn’t want to sing lead. Instead he turned to a familiar but underused talent.
“I’ve known Phoebe Jane for over a decade; she sang backing vocals for us on the Light It Up [2019] tour,” Barras says. “But she was too good to be doing BVs for ever.”
Jane, who is a big fan of Steven Tyler, recalls: “Kris called me up and said do I want to try something. I wasn’t sure at first. I’ve sung my whole life, but never like this. Our first show was the Maid Of Stone festival in July in front of thousands.”
"She was like a caged animal let loose,” Barras says, grinning. “She commanded the stage like she’d been doing it for ever.”
The Hollow Souls EP also features a series of guest appearances including Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey (formerly of Monster Truck), Chris Tapp of The Cold Stares, Jared James Nichols and Elles Bailey. Most of the collaborations were remote and fast. “We sent them rough demos, let them put their stamp on it.”
Live, the line-up is just the core band, with Barras and Jane covering their own and the guest parts.
“It’s still full-on,” Jane says. “Nothing feels missing. It’s loud, loose, and a lot of fun.”
Touring kicked off in October with a run of UK dates accompanied by Troy Redfern. Further plans are open-ended, but Hollow Souls might offer a way for Barras to return to festivals and venues that no longer fit KBB’s heavier direction.
“We’ve had to turn down a lot of blues-based bookings,” he says. “This gives us a way back.”
As for Jane?
“I feel supported – and pushed – in all the right ways. It’s exciting. I’m just ready to see where it all goes.”
The Hollow Souls EP is out now (self-released).
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