Khris Royal & Dark Matter are premiering their new song “Step Children” with OffBeat today, just one week after Royal picked up a Best of The Beat Award for Best Saxophonist. The track, a collaboration with Nigel Hall, is the second in a series of singles that Royal will be releasing over the next 12 months. These tunes mark his first new material with Dark Matter since 2011.

Royal has built up quite the resume over the past five years, including a spot as the touring saxophonist with popular reggae rockers Rebelution. He’s also appeared on stage alongside a laundry list of world class artists, the most recent being Solange on Saturday Night Life.

“‘Step Children’ is a tribute to funk night at Wally’s, the historic jazz club in Boston where I played three nights a week while attending Berklee College.,” says Royal. “The Tuesday night band was called Step Children. No one really knows how they got the name. Some people say it’s because they were treated like step children because the straight ahead band was treated better. They played on Fridays and Saturdays.” 

“When I first got to Berklee I was only 17 and Wally’s was 21 and up so I never tried to go until one day Nikki Glaspie (Dumpstaphunk, Beyonce, Nth Power) and James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band, Lettuce) told me I had to go with them because Nikki was playing there with Sam Kinninger,” Royal continues. “I had no idea Sam, the sax player from Soulive, played there every Tuesday so I went with them and Nikki got me in. I sat in and a week later Amy Bowles and Aaron Bellamy called me for the gig because Sam was leaving to tour with Soulive. Playing with them changed the way I play. Up until that point I had always looked at myself as a jazz cat. The Step Children made me realize I wanted to be able to play everything.”

“It was only natural to have Nigel Hall on this track,” he adds. “Nigel moved to Boston right as I was leaving for Los Angeles. He would come sit in with us every week so he totally understands the spirit of Wally’s and the Step Children. When I moved, Nigel took my place in the band before being picked up to tour with Soulive and Lettuce who also have roots in Wally’s Jazz Club.”

Give “Step Children” a listen, and check out Khris Royal & Dark Matter at The Maison in New Orleans on February 18 if you have the chance.