Open your textbooks ladies and gentleman! Class is in session once again as we explore the long and expansive history of the electric piano within the context of soul music. We look back at its creation amidst the ashes of World War 2, what makes it sound so special, and chart its role and evolution alongside the ever changing landscape of soul, funk, jazz and RnB - from the 1960s through to today.

Featuring music from Alfa Mist, Joe Zawinul, Michael Jackson, Mac Ayres, Billy Cobham, Alex Isley, Malia and Conducta.

We're certified FRESH this month as we showcase some of the very latest in Neo Soul, RnB and Jazz fusion. We're dusting off our crystal balls to see what soul and RnB goodies might be coming our way in 2022 - from big new mainstream releases through to smaller picks we're hoping to see more of - and we've even got a few fresh upbeat bangers to help you beat those January blues!

We're also looking at the huge cultural impact and ongoing influence of Amy Winehouse on today's current wave of artists, as we kick off a 'Modern Day Icons' season of our Root and Vine artist selections.

Featuring music from Theo Croker, Sasha Keable, Jvck James, MICHELLE, Adeline, Sophie Faith, Moonchild and Madison Ryann Ward.

Its an end of year 2 hour extravaganza as April and Steve dish out the most coveted trophies in the soul music calendar...The Roots and The Vine Awards! (well... melted Freddo bars at least)

Expect a ton of music and a ton of chat as we dive in to the year's finest collaborations, the best EPs, our favourite new discoveries, albums that captured the spirit of the year, and an in depth rundown of our favourite albums of 2021. Plus, kicking off our awards show in style we've got a barnstorming live performance from Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band as we squeeze a Root track salute in there too.

This soulful stocking is bulging at the seams so get unwrapping right now!

Featuring music from Mr Jukes and Barney Artist, Alex Isley, Jazmine Sullivan, Tems, Jerome Thomas, Marie Dahlstrom, Reliably Bad, Swindle, Dragonfruit, Joy Anonymous, Cleo Sol, Arlo Parks, Children on Zeus, Masego, Sam Wills, Sasha Keable, Yebba, Snoh Aalegra, Hiatus Kaiyote, Raquel Rodriguez, Yakul and Silk Sonic!

Another episode and another incredible special guest! This month we’re embracing the art of Hygge with one of our personal favourites - one of the leading lights of the blossoming London scene and the queen of serene soul - Marie Dahlstrøm! Join us as we talk new music, inspirations, motherhood, working with some of the most exciting new artists in the business and operating independently in today’s fluctuating musical landscape.

We’re also paying tribute to Marie’s Danish roots with some of the warmest and coziest Scandinavian soul, rnb and jazz cuts - featuring Snoh Aalegra, Quadron, Charlotte Dos Santos and LINDSJØRN, plus April goes far out with a truly leftfield Root and Vine pick!

We've decamped to Electric Lady Studios to create our own 2 hour long opus! To celebrate Roots and The Vine's 1st Birthday, we're throwing it back to the golden age to recount the epic tale of the Soulquarians crew and their era defining residence at New York's legendary studio.

Between 1997 and 2002, some of the scene's most prominent figures including D'Angelo, Questlove, J Dilla, Erykah Badu, Common and Russell Elevado - all set up shop to create some of soul music's most important albums. In this special episode we're deep diving in to this highly celebrated era - charting the players, how we got there, and some of the amazing stories that have emerged from those hallowed psychedelic walls.

We've also compiled an hour of some our own personal favourite golden age neo soul tracks - with super soulful cuts from Kindred The Family Stone, Rahsaan Patterson, Angie Stone and Ledisi - all with classic R&V geekery. So sit back, take in the music and join us in celebrating a whole year of Roots and The Vine!

We all love those classic Funk & Soul Bands of the 70s and 80s, so why exactly did they appear to die out seemingly overnight? This month soul sleuths April and Steve don their investigative hats for an extra nerdy Deep Dive, taking in classic RnB bands like Maze, uncovering some of the last survivors like Mint Condition, through to a new wave of pioneers such as The Roots. What prompted the 70s rise of the great Soul Band, what killed them off...and will we ever see the likes of them again? Dive deep with us as we attempt to answer those all important questions!

We're bringing in reinforcements this month as we tackle that funkiest of apparatus - the Talkbox! Kris and Steesh from Newcastle Funk/Hiphop/Rnb Duo PSiMiTAR drop by to tell us about their latest garage banger, and to help us dive deeper than ever in to this alien piece of kit! We get a first hand demonstration, trace the origins of the instrument all the way back to 1940, then chart its evolution right through to today - taking in Talkbox icons Roger Troutman and Teddy Riley along the way. We also take an extended look at the incomparable influence and legacy of Prince in an extra special Root and Vine segment. Steve is well and truly in his element on this extra funky edition!

Also featuring music from JMSN, Adriana Evans, Connor Reeves, Sergio Selim and Raquel Rodriguez! 

We're back! After a month off we've tried to make it up to you with a bumper sized episode! This month we're joined by yet another huge player in the UK Soul Scene - Children of Zeus vocalist Tyler Daley, to talk about the group's incredible new album 'Balance', about crafting a record in 2020, his inspirations past and present and the landscape of Neo Soul and Hiphop today.

Note: This episode was recorded in late June.

A staple of the contemporary UK soul scene, soulful songstress Sipprell joins us this month as we discuss the boom in London based Neo Soul and RnB, as well as chatting about her latest EP, the joys of collaboration and her own musical picks!

We also take a look at the global reach of soul music today, in an age of instant streaming - with artists as far reaching as Tel Aviv, Zurich and New Zealand. Plus we get extra sophisticated with our Root artist of the month - the iconic Sade!

Featuring music from Jordan Rakei, Hiatus Kaiyote, Dorj & Melodiesinfonie, Goapele, Jessie Ware and Psimitar.

We're back with an extra GROOVY edition this month! We've got the godfather of conscious soul Marvin Gaye as our Root artist, we celebrate some big anniversaries with Maxwell and Res - and we dive deep in to the realm of bass and groove with the likes of Tom Browne and Meshell Ndegeocello! (Bass faces ready!)

We also take an extended trip in the Roots and The Vine time machine back to 2001 - as we explore the halcyon days of RnB as a mainstream chart force and determine our own 'Number 1 of the Year' in a thrilling (?) game of Billboard Showdown!