Hi there, Simon and Brian here, welcoming you to Soda Jerker on songwriting, episode 313.

Joining us today is an Uber-talented Grammy-nominated American guitarist, songwriter, composer, producer and band leader,

who first rose to prominence via his work with acclaimed funk collective, Wolfpec.

In fact, they even named a song

in his honour. A prolific recording artist and inexhaustible and quite unmissable live performer,

his past collaborators include John Battiste, Victor Wooten, Bruce Hornsby, Lewis Cole,

Cromio and Dave Matthews band. His brand new solo album Lost in the Wonder sees him embrace his poppier sensibilities

and features contributions from the likes of Wolfpack Bandmate and former Soderjika guest Theo Katzman,

Lewis Cato, Stephen Day and Taylor Hanson.

It's our tremendous Corey Wong to the show.

Corey was born in Pekipsey, upstate New York, but moved with his family to Minneapolis

when he was very young. Obsessed with music from an early age, he started out on piano, then played

clarinet at school before his discovery of bands like Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus

around the age of 12, inspired him to pick up the bass, then the guitar and later drums, and eventually put his own

bands together. He initially studied architecture at college, then switched to science, before

transferring to the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, where Corey also began to develop

his production skills. He later spent time as a session player in Nashville and L.A., and during the

same period, was making a name for himself on the vibrant Twin Cities' R&B, funk and soul scene, where he shared stages with legendary figures like bassist Sonny Thompson and drummer Michael Bland, who some of our listeners might be familiar with as former members of Prince's new power generation. And who both appear on the new record, incidentally? That's right. I believe Prince himself was an admirer of Corey's playing too.

He certainly was.

And told him as much?

Yes, he was anointed by the goat.

One of Corey's regular hometown gigs was at the Minneapolis venue Bunkers,

...