Josh Hoyer was bit by the performing bug at the tender age of four, and for over a decade he’s been making a living as a professional musician—a staple in the Nebraska music scene, as a matter of fact. But of course, life works in funny ways, and it just so happens that the band now taking him to the top is one he started with pals purely “to have fun on the weekends.”

Perhaps it’s this easy-going attitude and commitment to fun that has made funk outfit Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal one of the hottest live acts in the Midwest… and they have awards to back it up. The guys won “Best R&B/Soul Artist” at the Omaha Entertainment awards before they even released their debut, a self-titled effort dropped in January of 2014. After that, they won the accolade two more years in a row, including in February of 2015, and were even sent to represent their state in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Today, Elmore is premiering “Blood and Bone,” a song off of the band’s upcoming release, Cooked Raw, a live, six-track LP, recorded in one take as a follow up to their sophomore record,  Living by the Minute. It’s a funky, wailing tack that captures the raw and rough sound of a live performance that crackles and bursts with energy. Horns soar throughout the jam, creating a playful but fierce conversation with Hoyer. “See, the horns got soul!” Hoyer shouts in a James Brown-eqsue rasp.

Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal’s sound recalls pioneers in the genres of soul and funk, from Otis Redding to Curtis Mayfield. But with a relentless drive and mesmerizing ability to pour their heart out on stage night after night and always feel genuine, these guys are churning out something truly, uniquely their own.

Funk to “Blood and Bone” below, and keep on the lookout for Cooked Raw, out on Silver Street Records on November 6th.