'Black Travolta': Doug Locke's second foray into music reaffirms his country pride and skills as musician
Actor and musician Doug Locke's second EP 'Black Travolta' dropped on May 8 and if you're in the mood to discover an underrated artiste, this is definitely a release you should consider. With over a decade in the industry, Locke has already made a name for himself. As an actor, Locke got his start playing a young Jimi Hendrix in the short film 'A Technicolor Dream'. Some of his other TV and film credits include roles in 'Jane The Virgin', 'Bones', 'House MD' and the Reese Witherspoon film 'Home Again'.
His work as a musician, however, is a little less recognized, though it really deserves to be. Locke's musical career had its start with his first EP, 2015's 'Blue Heart', which was a blend of pop, R&B and dance, which gave us a glimpse into a promising new talent. The lead single, 'The Could Be Us', proved to be a standout on the album, hitting number 32 on the iTunes Hot 100 charts and garnering over 1.2 million views on the music video, while the video for the track 'In or Out' earned a Queerty nomination for 'Best Indie Music Video' in 2018.
He would later head back to his hometown of Houston, Texas, to film the video for 'KING', a song that takes a firm stance against bullying and promotes self-empowerment and love.
As an artiste, Locke's influences include Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna and Madonna, and these influences were quite evident in his debut effort. With his latest endeavor, Locke hones his sound further. And 'Black Travolta' is a perfect representation of Locke's range as an artiste, with the opening title track being the perfect culmination of all the styles that helped shape Locke's own unique sound.
Featuring some stunning '80s style dance-pop paired with country themes and guitar riffs and a bass toned voice that'll reverberate through your whole body, this song gives us everything from Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive' to Boney M's 'Daddy Cool'. 'Black Travolta' brings disco into the 2020s, while also giving Locke the chance to shout out his Texan roots once again, this time putting his pride in where he comes from at the forefront.
In 'Temptation', Locke explores pop more closely, giving us an upbeat song that you could easily hear playing on the radio, while in 'Roll Dem Windows', he takes a stab at trap music and expands his repertoire to include more elements of rap, hip-hop and R&B.
'Black Travolta' is a beautiful mix of genres that truly showcases what Locke is capable of as a musician. And if this EP seems all-too-short, there's a good reason for that. Locke is releasing his latest project in chapters and 'Black Travolta' is but a mere taste of what is to come.
Order 'Black Travlota' via DougLockeMusic.com. Stream the EP via Spotify. Follow Doug Locke on Instagram for more.
