Thee Sinseers have played the Bay Area regularly since pre-Covid with another much-anticipated, upcoming tour stop at this year’s San Jose Jazz Fest.
The East L.A. troupe is led by singer-songwriter Joey Quiñones, with regular members who also populate, in part, another recent South Bay favorite, The Altons (who’ll also appear at this year’s festival). Their sound is a modern take on soul that draws from tenets of Lowrider oldies, a slower balladry style that has resurged in recent years.
Quiñones describes the current infatuation with “Souldies” movement, and labels like Penrose or Mango Hill Records, as such: “I like to think our music is like an old photograph you hang on your wall or have at your bedside. It’s familiar, it makes you feel good, but every time you look at it you find something more to love about it. Just like a timeless Brenton Wood song.”
Wood, of course, was the legendary singer whose records shaped a particular strain of California soul and who played countless times in San Jose, including one of his final live performances just a few years ago. For the band, he was both a musical reference and a personal connection. On the topic of Wood, who was behind beloved classics like “The Oogum Boogum Song” and “Gimme Little Sign,” Quiñones lamented: “He was also our friend and we miss him.”
Quiñones’ exposure to the culture and music began early. Car clubs and oldies were a part of his father’s life and therefore his. “It’s really what exposed me to so much music at a young age,” he said. The cars, the gatherings and the records formed a practical education, leading to where Quiñones and Thee Sinseers are today.
In 2019, Thee Sinseers released their first singles, “It Was Only a Dream” and “I Don’t Mind,” on Colemine Records, an Ohio-based label known for projects that tap into the aesthetics of soul of funk from yesteryear, but with modern flourishes.
Their 2024 album, Sinseerly Yours, extended the approach with fuller arrangements and wider vocal ranges. The album’s lead single, “Did Ya Know?” continues with the same melodic, mid-tempo direction built around emotive vocals and pops of brass. Their live show, with horns punctuating layered vocal harmonies and steady, unrushed grooves, is now also tethered to their growing reputation.
San Jose, with its Latine population and Lowrider tradition, has been a frequent stop for the band. “We’ve been performing in San Jose pretty frequently as of 2019,” Quiñones noted. The response there has been consistent. “It’s a great feeling. I don’t think it ever left the Bay Area though, it’s always been whole-heartedly into the scene.” Northern California’s sustained interest in Chicano soul and its adjacent styles continues to give the band a reliable audience outside the LA area.
On the various terminology that surrounds the music—Chicano soul, Lowrider soul, modern soul, retro soul—Quiñones has a practical view. “Personally, I’ve grown to accept all definitions as it only expands the reach and spreads the culture further.” Different labels, in this reading, simply open different doors for listeners. Quiñones and the Sinseers present soul music not as a fixated, recreation of yesteryear, but as a continuous cultural practice.
The band, however, does fixate on the role of the audience, often with the warmest and most grateful regard. “We just wanna say thank you each and every chance we get,” Quiñones said. “It’s a cliché to say but it’s the most sincere answer, we are nothing without your support and friendship. We don’t ever take that for granted.”
Thee Sinseers will perform on Fri, Aug. 7 at 9:30pm at the PG&E Latin Tropical Stage. summerfest.sanjosejazz.org
