For the past 15 years, multi-Grammy nominated musicians Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly have defined the sound of pop and R&B. Both together and apart, they’ve written and produced hits for artists spanning Miley Cyrus and Rihanna to Christina Aguilera and Bruno Mars, challenging the conventions of what listeners have come to expect and guiding the direction it should take. But it wasn’t until years after they met while working on a Chrisette Michele album in 2009, and officially joined forces in 2015 as Louis York, that their vision crystallized: two ingenious musicians stepping out of the studio and into the spotlight to share stories from their own perspectives, and forge a new path of what sort of spaces contemporary music can inhabit. With the release of American Griots, Louis York plans to continue to challenge what two black men making music in today’s musical climate are capable of achieving. Their Weirdo Workshop shingle, which is making waves in Nashville and diversifying Music City, will develop signees The Shindellas, all while bringing their vision as Louis York to the masses. “The goal here isn't to have a hot album; the goal here is to make history,” says Kelly. “To leave a legacy, but also make history and be known as one of the best bands to do it, and to do that, it has to be real. I think if people can feel that, they'll get that kind of mentality when they go to create, and music gets better, America gets better and the world gets better.”
VIDEO:Pro Teacher Workshop ft. Louis York
