Rock legend and Kiss frontman Paul Stanley formed Soul Station in the late 2010s as an homage to the classic R&B and soul music he'd grown up loving. The large 15-member group began touring internationally, playing modern updates of vintage soul covers; in 2021, they recorded their debut album, Now and Then, which also included several Stanley-penned originals in a retro style.

Growing up in the 1960s in Queens, New York, Stanley was drawn to the sounds of Motown, Philly Soul, and classic R&B artists like Solomon Burke and Otis Redding, both of whom he saw live. While he ultimately made his career fronting one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, his affection for those classic soul songs remained and in the late 2010s he formed a new project that focused on the more sensitive side of his musical palette. He gathered a tight group of musical veterans including backup singers, horns, and strings, and began touring as Paul Stanley's Soul Station, covering old Motown hits and various soul and R&B staples from the '60s. After several successful tours, he decided to bring the project into the studio and record highlights from their well-honed set list. In addition to classics like Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" and Smokey Robinson the Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears," the band's 2021 debut also included five original songs written in a similar vein. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi