Sound Of 2023: Soul Group Earthquaking Gabriels Are On The Way To Success

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Whenever Jacob Lusk m When on stage with his band Gabriels, you'll always find him in a tuxedo and bow tie.

May he serenade Glastonbury on a balmy Saturday afternoon or supporting Harry Styles on his US tour, the outfit remains the same. And for a very special reason.

"If you remember, there was a time when waiters wore black ties," says the singer. "So when I put on the tuxedo, it's almost a kind of bondage.

"I'm here because you bought a ticket and I'm here because that you spent your money, so this is my way of giving you the utmost respect and honor.

"It puts the show on a different level. "

Evening dress or not, the band is captivating to watch. Lusk's vocals are unreal, simmering just below the burning point until he leans back and unleashes all his regrets, passions and furies in an otherworldly falsetto.

The band, completed by violinist Ari Balouzian and keyboardist Ryan Hope, supports him with a sound that mixes 60s soul, ghetto funk, black baptist church tradition and the spectral trip-hop of Massive Attack and Wu Tang Clan.

Their music has impressed enough people to earn them fifth place on BBC Radio 1's Sound Of 2023 - with reviews, DJs and submissions...