March will mark the sixth anniversary of the founding of the Soul Street Collective band, a local Chicago group that started playing in bars and lounges and now has made it to the opening for big-name artists and playing private parties and corporate events.
Sonja Hill, founder of the group, in an interview with the Southland Marquee, spoke about the band, its journey, and how it is currently planning to give more back to the community.
According to their Facebook page, Soul Street Collective is a band made up of three female singers based in Chicago. They perform at local venues across the city. The group was founded in Chicago and has been together since March 2017.
"Andrea Miller has been with the group since the inception who brings the sassy but with class & undeniable vocals and is a fan favorite fixture of the group," Hill said. "'Drea' has done background for some notable artists and is quite the dancer, too.
"Camisha Gardner, who has been with the group for over a year, known as "Meesha", exudes pure soul and passion and she has and extensive background in the music business, and has also shared main stages with some of the greats. Meesha has been an amazing addition to Collective with her knowledge and dedication. Meesha has a gospel CD and will be releasing her new single soon.
Before founding Soul Street Collective, Hill played at a restaurant and bar with another band, which would often call her up to be a guest singer. She recalls that one bar owner would always ask her to sing “Tyrone” by Erykah Badu, because she would frequently see Badu in concert.
The owner of the establishment asked Hill if she had a band, and Hill directed her to the leader of the band she was a part of. Hill noted that the band ended up parting ways because the members weren’t seeing eye to eye, leading to the formation of Street Soul Collective. The band covers a wide variety of music.
“We started out doing covers, and we do old school R&B and soul music. Chicago is known for house music," Hill said. "We do a Vibe House Music segment. We strike with some blues. We kind of do something for everybody, even gospel. We do steppin' music, which is, of course, big in Chicago.”
In addition to doing corporate events and birthday celebrations, the band has also opened up for notable artists, including Kenny Lattimore and Regina Belle. Hill said their music varies from show to show, depending on the venue and the audience.
In November the band opened in Houston for Tony! Toni! Tone!
The Soul Street Collective has played at a variety of venues, including the Horseshoe Casino, the Country Club Hills Theater, the Genesis Center and the Acadia Theater.
When asked how her band has been able to move on from bars to larger venues, Hill said, “We had to build a fan base and build relationships. One thing led to another and kind of got us in the space where we are now. That just enables us to be in front of more people, different people, and it’s helped us to build our brand and to showcase who we are.
"The chemistry and bond is unbreakable and it's what has brought us to higher heights in our journey," Hill said. "Not to mention, we're family."
Moving forward, Hill said the band is always looking for ways to give back to the community, either in the form of food drives or spending time with people.
“Some people are in need of some positivity and uplifting," Hill said. "We’ll make money and we’ll build a brand, but the relationships and the people that we touch is far beyond any of it."
Hill said the amount of shows Soul Street Collective performs varies week to week and month to month. Typically, they range from 12 to 15 shows a month.
The band is ready to release its first single, "Thinking Of You," in the first quarter of 2023, a remake of Tony! Toni! Tone!'s song and D'Wayne Wiggins "gave us his blessing to remake and we're forever grateful," Hill said. "Those guys are wonderful and super humble."