When you’re a music writer, there’s a tendency to use the most readily available adjective to describe a band’s sonic orientation. “Rock,” “funk” and “alternative” come to mind. If you’re in D.C., though, “go-go” has to be in the descriptive soup, too.

For better or for worse, the term “go-go,” with all its connotations, gets thrown around rather liberally. Got a conga drum in your instrumentation? Ah ha! You’re a go-go band. In the case of Black Alley, though, there’s an effort to broaden the perspectives of not only what a D.C.-based band can do but also what a D.C. band can be.

Defining their sound as “soul garage,” Black Alley is a four-year-old, seven-person outfit of DMV natives whose influences range the local gamut, from Bad Brains to Roberta Flack to Chuck Brown. Around town, they’ve made a name for themselves with weekly residencies at Indulj and Bar 7. In September, though, they extended their reach to include opening the HFStival after they won a local band competition. And earlier this week, they made their way to L.A.’s Conga Room for a Jamie Foxx-affiliated open mic night.

So things are definitely looking up for Black Alley as they prep for their debut album’s release by year’s end. We caught up with their lead vocalist, Kacey, to give us insight on what the band is all about.

Who is Black Alley?

Black Alley is a soul garage band. We kind of developed our own definition of the music that we play really, because we can’t really fit what we do in any other genre. It’s a seven-member band: two keyboard, percussion, drums, one lead singer, the bass and the guitar.

Is there any significance to the name Black Alley?

Before the band was even being developed, the manager had the name for the band.

What does the term “soul garage” mean to you? What does Black Alley bring to this genre?

It’s related to the way the music is played or the feelings one would get from hearing or coming to see Black Alley. We play music and have messages that people sometimes can’t express themselves. Feelings that people keep hidden or tucked away like they would do to things in a garage or an attic. The music is the feelings people feel. That’s the “soul” part. The “garage” expresses the fact that we can put those feelings on display. If an audience member can’t do so themselves, they can come to a Black Alley show and be able to relate to what we have to say.

What were you doing before you got in the band?

I grew up singing in church. I’d been acting with non-profit theater organizations. I did some agency singing with wedding bands. Black Alley is the first band I’ve been in where I’ve been able to do what I wanted to do.

On the band’s web site, two legendary D.C. musical acts are listed as influences: Bad Brains and Chuck Brown. How do you meld elements of hardcore punk with go-go?

All of the musicians in the band come from different areas of music — whether it’s from church, jazz, go-go or Latin music. Believe it or not, it’s not hard for us to do both. Some of our original music is a mix between go-go and rock. Things are kind of fluid as to how different genres of music can intermingle with one another. It’s never really been a challenge for us to try to bring everything together. I think because of how all of the musicians in the band are and what we individually can be inspired from, coming together is natural. We like and appreciate those different types of music.

A few month’s ago, Black Alley won a competition for a slot performing at the HFStival at Merriweather Post Pavilion. How did a self-described “soul garage” band come to share a stage with the likes of the Gin Blossoms?

We did a 30-minute set and our songs ranged from rock to R&B to hip-hop to go-go. There was a wide range of music that would’ve been relatable to any one in the audience. I think we represented something the judges had never seen before. They assumed we were just a go-go band, but when they got to see us do the different types of music we do, they were kind of surprised by it and weren’t expecting it. I think that gave us an edge over the the competition. The other bands were probably doing things they’d seen before. The judges might have seen go-go before but hadn’t seen what we do.

What was the actual performance day like and what did it mean to you and the band?

That was the biggest venue we’d ever done before and we opened the main stage. I think the crowd was receptive. It was pretty early in the day and, as a performer, you can tell when you have your audiences attention and when you don’t. We definitely had everyone’s attention in the arena that day.

In Black Alley shows, you include original music and reinterpretations of popular songs in your sets. Do you approach performing the two differently?

Cover music is the most challenging thing for us because we want to put our spin on the song. We don’t want to copy what someone else has made. It could be a Teena Marie song but it’s a Teena Marie song the way Black Alley interprets it.

So how would Black Alley interpret a Teena Marie song?

Right now, we’re doing “Square Biz” with Gloria Estefan’s “Conga” in a medley.

What’s been your favorite cover song to perform?

That’s so dependent on the day and the mood. Michael Jackson’s “Stranger in Moscow” was one of my favorites. We did Pink’s “Like a Pill”, which is a favorite of mine. Those are two that come to mind today but if you ask me tomorrow, it might be something completely different.

In terms of original music, how much has Black Alley made and are there efforts to put out an album?

As far as the shows go, it’s probably a little more than half that’s original material. The album is in the final stages.

Of the original songs you’ve done, what are the most encompassing of Black Alley’s talent?

I believe there are two. One would be “Used“, which is a rock song which I wrote, so it’s a little more personal to me. The song “Virgin Suicide” deals with our anxieties and fear of this brand new music people have never heard before and wondering if they’ll come back to it after they hear it. You’re hoping this thing that’s new to you [the music] that no one else has heard before that you’re giving to someone else is not the thing that takes them away from you.

So when can we expect the new album?

It will be out by the end of the year, definitely. It’s been a long time coming. We’re wanting everything to be perfect.

Black Alley perform every Thursday at Bar 7 and every Friday at Indulj.