The Right Stuff

The band’s slogan says it all: “An ass-shaking good time.” That’s what the Asheville, N.C.-based group The Get Right Band intends to give us when it performs in St. Augustine.

Guitarist Silas Durocher, bassist and vocalist Jesse Gentry and percussionist Chris Pyle described the band as a funk-rock-boogie trio, warning the audience to prepare for a dance party.

Before forming in 2011, the three played with another group out of Asheville — Soulgrass Rebellion. Durocher and Gentry had performed in various groups while growing up in Maryland; they joined Soulgrass Rebellion and welcomed Pyle a little later. After the lead singer decided he wanted to tour less, the band broke up, but Durocher, Gentry and Pyle decided to move forward with a different band.

“We had a great chemistry and wanted to keep it going,” Gentry said. “We really believe in this band.”

They played together for about six months, trying to create a sound and identity different from the roots and reggae of Soulgrass Rebellion.

“It developed very organically,” Gentry said.

It took a little while, but eventually they evolved into a funk- and boogey-infused band also inspired by rock ‘n’ roll, said Pyle, the son of Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Artimus Pyle.

“We are very inspired by my dad’s music,” Pyle said, who toured with Skynyrd when he was young. The band has even played with The Artimus Pyle Band.

“He loves us,” Pyle said of his dad, whose advice and encouragement are priceless to him and the band. “His love of music is as strong as ever. That’s why we do it.”

Along with the Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band cited Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin as inspirations.

“We’re really open to letting ourselves be influenced by everything that’s going on,” Durocher said.

Once the band developed a sound, which they said is ever-changing, they needed a name.

The name gets right to the point of what the band is all about: “getting right,” Durocher said, which means letting go of some of the stress of everyday life.

“We want [the audience] to cut loose and enjoy themselves,” Durocher said.

That’s one of the reasons the band doesn’t create a set list before a performance. Instead, they feed off the crowd’s energy.

“It creates a much more honest and exciting night,” Durocher said.

It also means that no two shows are the same. The way they play a song can also vary from show to show. One night, a song may feature more of a slow reggae sound, and the next time it’s played, it will be fast and funky, Durocher said.

“If we’re not honestly expressing ourselves and not having fun doing it, there’s no real reason to do it,” Durocher said.

At their upcoming shows, the band will play original songs from its debut mini-album, “Shake,” which was released in February.

The five songs chosen for the album showcase the band’s range. “Voodoo Doll” is bluesy, while “Chromatize” has more of a club feel. “Touch the Holy” has a Caribbean vibe, perhaps inspired by a two-week tour in the Virgin Islands. The album also features “Fingernails” and “Compliments.”

“A lot of deliberation went on,” Gentry said. “There is some cohesion, as well as diversity.”

Durocher said he is proud of their creation, but there may be a few things he would have done differently. “It’s a constant learning process,” he said. “It’s not like you ever master anything in music, and that’s what makes it exciting.”

While Pyle has connections to Northeast Florida through his father, this is not the first time the band has played in the area. They decided to come back because of how much they enjoyed it.

“People are really willing to get down,” Durocher said. “The people are right there with us.”