Kelly Finnigan B-Sides, Singles & Forgotten Gems

• 1. Prove My Love
• 2. Be Your Own Shelter
• 3. Cold World
• 4. His Love Ain't Real
• 5. Get A Hold Of Yourself
• 6. All That's Left
• 7. Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)
• 8. Let Me Count The Reasons
• 9. Chosen Few
• 10. Walk Away From Me
• 11. Count Me Out

There is something to be said about being both popular and prolific enough to be anthologized—it’s a space that soul music stalwart Kelly Finnigan and his latest release, B-Sides, Singles & Forgotten Gems, occupies with intent and fire. Serving as a mile marker pacing the fifteen-year collaboration between Finnigan and Colemine Records, B-Sides, Singles & Forgotten Gems is an easter egg moment for new and long-time fans to collect rare takes and flip sides in one spot, while unearthing Finnigan’s evolution as an artist, producer, and vocalist.

From his earliest explorations to one of the first tracks cut at his new studio in Ohio, this travelogue in sound both brings the listener forward to the present while laying out Kelly Finnigan’s road ahead.

“It's nice to reintroduce material that really was the beginning of my relationship with Terry and Colemine,” says Finnigan. “And so, it made perfect sense to look at a B-side by my group called Destruments and a song called ‘Freedom’… There's so much focus on [the early work of] Monophonics that [Destruments] gets overshadowed and forgotten about, so I'm happy to reintroduce it.” With its wide-open experimentation and tight-but-loose feel, “Freedom” plants the flag for psychedelic soul while serving as an early vocal for Finnigan. The power and soulfulness are finding their way to hold court within the mix.

Songs like “Trouble” and “Keep Me In Mind” are unshackled from the 45, given room to move and breathe, extending the groove beyond the physical limits of a single. “Keep Me in Mind” is also a nod to the classic B-side playbook, the cover song. Deep cuts like the Samson & Delilah track, along with “It’s Not That Easy” (Reuben Bell with The Cassenovas) and “It Hurts Me So Much” (Barbara & the Browns) strengthen that connective tissue between inspiration and elevation.

Conversely, the collection’s closing track, “The Hurting Truth,” features another longtime Colemine comrade, Jimmy James (Parlor Greens). This previously unreleased track serves as a fitting close to this collection. “I had just gotten into my new space in Cincinnati,” recalls Finnigan. “The day before Jimmy came, Terry (Cole, Colemine’s label head) had come over and played bass on a different song…so when Jimmy came early, and Terry wasn't here, I was like, ‘Yo, Jimmy, I want you to play on this song I'm working on.’ Jimmy's always down…and so he played the bass… doing his thing, and then he played the guitar part…and he helped finish the song, and then I finished the words and melodies… it came together fast.”

Ultimately, B-Sides, Singles & Forgotten Gems is a love letter to Finnigan’s relationship with his longtime label, Colemine Records, and their fans. It’s a partnership that started in the label’s early days and continues to be a fruitful collaboration.

“Colemine has grown so much, I've grown so much… I think [this collection is a chance to] take a little look back and share that with the people, the fans, the music lovers, the Colemine lovers,” says Finnigan.