Nicole Patrice & The Exes are not here to play it safe. They’re reviving the kind of funk that scared the record labels — sweaty, sexual, and unfiltered. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist Nicole Patrice, the band fuses Betty Davis’s feral energy with Chicago’s unrelenting grit, creating a sound that struts somewhere between soul, rock, and sin. Nicole Patrice & The Exes were founded in 2025 by vocalist Nicole Patrice and drummer Eric Johnson, two Chicago musicians bonded by a shared obsession with the lost fire of 1970s funk, soul and rock. What began as late-night conversations about Betty Davis and the artists who refused to compromise evolved into a project built on raw power, sensuality, and truth. Together, they assembled a lineup of players who could translate that unapologetic spirit into something alive — part homage, part rebellion. The band’s sound struts the line between soul and sin — all heavy groove, fuzzed-out guitar, and unfiltered attitude. Nicole Patrice’s contralto vocals cut through the mix with the force of someone who has lived every lyric she sings, while Johnson’s percussion locks the band into a heartbeat equal parts jazz discipline and street rhythm. Every rehearsal feels like a revival of something Chicago forgot it birthed: dangerous, seductive funk that can’t be tamed for radio. As Nicole Patrice & The Exes gear up for their live debut, the vision is clear — to bring that energy to the stages that can handle it. From underground lounges and late-night festivals to burlesque bars, rock clubs, and soul rooms ready for a little heat, the band aims to build a circuit for audiences who crave music that sweats, growls, and liberates. This isn’t background funk — it’s front-row, full-body Chicago soul, reborn for the brave.