By Brent Johnson, JerseyArts.com
originally published: 02/23/2017
Ask Kam Franklin what kind of music she plays with her band, The Suffers, and she’ll first give you a three-word answer: “Gulf Coast soul.”
Then, if you don’t quite understand what that means, she turns to a trusty food comparison.
“I refer to it as a stew or a soup,” Franklin, the group’s singer, explains. “What’s ‘Gulf Coast soul’? I like to say that traditional soul music would be like your stock — your chicken stock or your beef stock that you start out with. If you have a good foundation, it doesn’t really matter what you add in there. So in our case, jazz would be like your onions, salsa and reggae would be like your garlic and your celery.”
Those ingredients seem to be working. The 10-piece, horn-infused outfit became sensations in their native Houston by melding numerous musical genres heard around their hometown, one of the cities along Texas’ Gulf Coast.
And in recent years, you might have seen them on David Letterman or Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk shows. Or maybe you caught them on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” New Jerseyans got a glimpse of them last year at WXPN’s XPoNential Music Festival in Camden.
Now, The Suffers — who released their self-titled debut album last year — will return to the Garden State, playing the Luciani Theatre at the Guaracini Performing Arts Center at Cumberland County College in Vineland at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Franklin — who commands attention with her booming voice, energetic presence, curly black hair, and floral print dresses — has a quick response when asked what she likes most about the group’s music.
“How it makes people feel,” the 29-year-old says. “It makes them feel happy, for the most part. There are certain songs that we have that definitely have that force you to kind of reflect on certain things in your life — be that your romantic relationships or your personal relationships with your family or whatever. But more than anything, I think that we do our best to try to remind people to engage in compassion towards others and self-love.”
And is that needed more than ever in today’s political and cultural climate?
“Yeah, I think everybody needs as much love as they can get,” Franklin says with a laugh.
The genesis of the group dates back to 2011, when many of the members were already playing in other Houston-area acts. The Suffers began as a side project, with the simple intent of playing for fun.
“They had the idea to bring together all of these different players that they always wanted to work with,” Franklin recalls. “The idea was just to play once or twice a year. It ended up being where one show led to three shows to touring full time.”
Franklin had known some of the members from high school and had made a name for herself as a singer with other local bands. She also was a backup singer and dancer for other artists, often singing hooks for rappers — something she still does on the side.
The band took their name from a 1978 Jamaican film called Rockers.
“In that movie, ‘the sufferers’ are musicians that are not being rewarded for the music that they create,” Franklin explains. “So originally when we started, we were called The Sufferers. But we found out that it was really hard to say.”
So instead, they shortened it. And yes, they understand it’s grammatically incorrect.
“We do have a lot of grammar nerds that let us know that every time they see us,” Franklin says, laughing. “We are more than aware.”
Franklin’s own name is unusual, too. Her full first name is Kamerra — pronounced like the instrument you use to take a photo.
“My mom is a photographer,” Franklin explains. “She named me and my brother after her hobbies. I’m Kamerra and my brother is Langston, after Langston Hughes. She’s a big poetry fan. “
“But (my name) is phonetically incorrect when people try to pronounce it,” Franklin adds. “It looks like Kamera.”
So she shortened it to “Kam.”
The Suffers will celebrate their sixth anniversary in June, and Franklin says where they are now is “night and day” from where they started.
“It’s something you can compare to working out,” she says. “There are going to be your guys who can run a mile really fast, but if they’re running every day, every day they work out, it’s going to get easier and easier and easier to accomplish that mile. … With us, because we started doing this every day while you’re touring, your level of musicianship just goes through the roof compared to when you’re doing it once or twice a month.”
Up next: Immediately after leaving New Jersey, they’ll spend three-and-a-half-weeks on their first European tour. And after that, they’ll spend two weeks playing Australia. Plus, they’re writing their second record now.
“It’s just non-stop work and creating,” Franklin says. “It’s a really, really, really exciting environment to be in.”
About the author: Brent Johnson is a pop-culture-obsessed writer from East Brunswick, N.J. He's currently a reporter for The Star-Ledger of Newark. Before that, he was a longtime entertainment and music columnist for The Trenton Times. His work has also been published by Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated On Campus and Night & Day Magazine. His favorite musical artists: Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, The Smiths, Roxy Music, Dave Matthews Band, The Beatles, Blur, Squeeze, The Kinks. When he's not writing, Brent is the lead singer in alt-rock band The Clydes
Content provided by
Discover Jersey Arts, a project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Tony Award Nominee Eva Noblezada to close Kean Stage's 2025-2026 season
(HILLSIDE, NJ) -- An Evening with Eva Noblezada will close Kean Stage's 2025-2026 season on Sunday, April 26 at Enlow Recital Hall in Hillside. The two-time Tony Award nominee brings a set list full of class, quirkiness and heartbreak as she takes you on her personal journey of discovering a deep love for music and theatre. Enjoy songs from classic musicals that take you back in time, and pop hits reimagined as if they were set in a sexy smoky speakeasy. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Jazz Vespers Service at Burlington Quaker Meeting House to Feature Internationally Acclaimed Musicians Diane Monroe and Tony Miceli
(BURLINGTON, NJ) -- The historic Burlington Quaker Meeting House will come alive with the sound of jazz on Saturday, April 11, 2026, as internationally acclaimed violinist Diane Monroe and South Jersey native vibraphonist Tony Miceli headline a special Joyful Noise Jazz Vespers Service blending music, reflection, and community. Showtime is 3:00pm.
The Growing Stage presents: A Baroque Spring Concert for the Whole Family
(NETCONG, NJ) -- Join The Growing Stage as they welcome Conductor & Music Director Robert Butts, and The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, as they perform a selection of pieces designed to introduce their young patrons to classical music. The acoustics of the muraled walls and antique tin ceiling of their home, The Historic Palace Theatre, truly sing when live music is presented.
Today's Brightest Young Jazz Musicians will Unite to Celebrate International Jazz Day at NJPAC on April 26
(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the state's anchor cultural institution, will celebrate International Jazz Day on Sunday, April 26, 2026, with a free musical celebration featuring 50+ young local musicians performing on the iconic NJPAC stage. Showtime is 4:00pm.
New Jersey Youth Symphony Presents "Voices of the North: Nordic & Baltic Soundscapes" featuring 2026 Concerto Competition Winner Mason Chu
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJYS), a program of Wharton Arts, presents its signature spring concert, Voices of the North: Nordic & Baltic Soundscapes, on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at the Nicholas Music Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Avenel PAC presents 20,000 Roads: The Music of Gram Parsons featuring Pat Guadagno, James Maddock & Lisa Bouchelle
(AVENEL, NJ) -- The dynamic trio of Pat Guadagno, James Maddock, and Lisa Bouchelle, accompanied by a powerhouse band of 'First Call' musicians, including Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton, come together to deliver 20,000 Roads: The Music of Gram Parsons, a soulful and heartfelt celebration of the timeless catalog of one of American music's most influential pioneers. The show comes to the Avenel Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 7:30pm.
Bergen Pop/Rock Ensemble Brings Revives the '90s with The Roots of Pop & Rock Volume III
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- Bergen Community College's talented Pop/Rock Ensemble returns to the stage for one electrifying night of '90s favorites with The Roots of Pop & Rock Volume III, a live tribute to the unforgettable sounds of this influential decade. Join the ensemble on a journey back to a time when alternative rock reshaped mainstream radio and pop music soared to new creative heights. The diverse array of artists being paid tribute to will run the gamut from Nirvana and Green Day to No Doubt and the Spice Girls to Selena and Shakira.
South Jersey Jazz Society to Honor Bob Ferguson
(LINWOOD, NJ) -- The South Jersey Jazz Society will honor Bob Ferguson with the 2026 "George Mesterhazy" Jazz Master award at a gala event to be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Linwood Country Club starting at 6:30pm.
South Jersey Jazz Association To Honor Bob Ferguson At Awards Ceremony on April 30th
(LINWOOD, NJ) -- The South Jersey Jazz Society will honor trumpeter Bob Ferguson with the 2026 George Mesterhazy Jazz Master Award at a gala event on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Linwood Country Club. The award, named for a much-beloved local jazz pianist who made a lasting mark on the great American art form of jazz, is given to individuals who have greatly contributed to the performance of jazz both locally and nationally.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alastair Green on April 30th
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Alastair Greene on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7:30pm. A native of Santa Barbara,California and now residing in Austin, Greene has ridden his Blues-soaked rock into the 21st century, traversing a constantly changing global (and musical) landscape.
