Italian Soul-Funk Band West Riviera Releases Self-Titled Debut Album | LISTEN!

Italian Soul-Funk Band
West Riviera Releases
Self-Titled Debut Album

Liguria, Italy – Northwestern Italian soul-funk band West Riviera has released their debut album via California-based label Sleep Walk Sounds. Blending the groove of soul, funk, and jazz with a uniquely Italian sensibility, the five-piece ensemble brings a fresh voice to the genre while paying deep homage to its roots.

The LP features the singles “Italian Traffic,” “Everything is Everything,” and “Curtis Coorey” –which showcases the unmistakable B3 organ stylings of Adam Scone (Stone Cash Players, Daptone Records, Parlor Greens), and also boasts appearances by Parlor Greens / True Loves guitarist Jimmy James.

In the words of drummer Nicola Arecco,

“This record is the result of a continuous exchange — between who we are and what we love. A bridge built from the Ligurian coast to the American soundscape that shaped us. A conversation between deep devotion to soul music and the taste, atmosphere, and melodic instinct of our homeland.

Can soul-funk be made in Italy? Can it come from the Riviera di Ponente? Our answer is yes — but only if every ingredient is strong: the fascination with America, the countless hours spent listening to Black American music, the melodic tradition that runs through Italian song, and a love for focaccia that equals our love for groove.

The album’s artwork captures the essence of this movement. The cover shows a fisherman in Celle Ligure, standing on the rocks, hand-throwing a net into the sea. On the back cover, the moment before: the body tensed, the net still in hand. Action and intention. Rhythm and release.

West Riviera is our name, our home, and our sound. This is just the beginning.”

The debut album is available now on all major streaming platforms and on limited 12” vinyl via Sleep Walk Sounds.

Earshot Media