The Seattle-Based Group THE DIP Discusses Their Newest Music And How They Have Grown As A Band Through The Years!

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day?

Thank you for taking the time to ask us some questions! Hoping to get some work in at our studio on a few recording projects that we’ve got to wrap up. A holiday song and a few other things!

Since we are now at the back-end of 2018, how has this year treated this band? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year? How close are you to reaching it?
We’ve spent most of 2018 kind of laying groundwork for 2019 and essentially planning the release of our next record. We wanted to make sure we had all of our ducks in a row in terms of what we needed to do in order to have a successful record release. This included: finding a management team to help guide us through the industry, figuring out the album artwork, making sure the vinyl/cds were going to be made in time, etc. We feel really excited about where we are at with all of those decisions and can’t wait to focus on more writing/recording/performing of music for 2019! I think one thing we were able to accomplish in 2018 from a musical perspective was sort of streamline our recording process a bit and ultimately be able to articulate and express our musical ideas in a more effective manner.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Was it hard to think of a name that you could agree on?
I think it took us about a month to come up with a name, but when it happened, it just immediately felt right. It’s a movement of the hips! We wanted the name to have a slight homage to 60s/70’s dance moves and be reflective of the type of music we were creating. Its also lighthearted, but to the point! There was never really a singular moment where we knew this group could be a real thing. We’ve been steadily working on this project for about 6 years and have noticed that over time its been a really enjoyable process. If we can keep that feeling through it all, we will be very thankful.

How do you think your hometowns have influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?
In this day in age, people have access to all sorts of different musical genres from any time period via the internet or libraries or record stores. I don’t think we are really shaped by the sound of Seattle (past or present), but I do think that it’s important to note that Seattle has so many amazing venues/theaters in which we have the access to see some great music. Seattle has such a diverse musical landscape that allows a little something for everyone. It is definitely important to know the history of your city though and that something we’ve been trying to dig into lately. Many know that Ray Charles and Quincy Jones got their start in Seattle, but there are some other amazing LEGENDS from Seattle, like Ernestine Anderson, Julian Priester and the Wheedle’s Groove Collective that have really shaped a strong history for Jazz and Soul music.

How has your various musical backgrounds helped shape the sound of this band?
A lot of us met in the Jazz department of the University of Washington, while others were intense record collectors of blues, soul, and jazz music. I think we just try and trust our voices and maintain our dedication to improving our skill sets and learning about the past music that we dig so much! It’s important to learn as much as you can from all types of music.

Let’s talk about your newest music. How do you think your single “Slow Sipper” prepares listeners for your upcoming album? What was the inspiration for this track?
Its definitely an introduction to the overall recording quality of our record. We recorded everything ourselves using old Tascam tape machines and 4 track cassette machines in our studio rehearsal space in Seattle. Its less polished and more intimate (in our opinion). The track was written by our bass player Mark Hunter and lyrics by our singer Tom Eddy. It was a hard song to record because the groove requires some real patience to make it hit, which I think lends itself to the narrative of the song. It’s a song about slowing things down that takes place in the obscuring haze of a cigarette smoke-filled bar.

What other songs are you excited for your fans to hear on your forthcoming album?
Definitely excited for people to hear “Spider Web.” It is a little different than most of the songs on the album, but the crowds at our shows have been loving it. It’s got a heavy backbeat, some fuzzed out guitar and baritone sax lines, and some chunky bass. The song explores how messed up our society is today. It is a cautionary tune, imploring the listener to be aware of the traps and pitfalls laid out before the average person.

Typically, how do you go about writing your music with so many of you in this group?
Usually one person will bring in a song idea or sort of skeleton to the rest of the group and we will spend a few sessions trying to bring the song writer’s ideas to life. We find it important to record every step of the process, just so we can always listen back with fresh ears and make the best decisions for the song. There is very little ego in this band, so if a song doesn’t work out for whatever reason, people are really great about letting it go or going back to the drawing board on their own, before bringing it back to the band again.

How do you think The Dip has changed over the years and since your 2015 debut album was released? What has remained the same about this group and your sound?
I think that our techniques for recording and arranging music are always evolving.  Every little new piece of gear makes you reevaluate the best way to go about getting the sound you want.  We’ve always had a vision for what we wanted our records to sound like, but as we learn new stuff and get new tools, the process evolves.  Where we’re at now, it feels like we write more involved tunes, but try to arrange and record them as simply as possible to leave space for those ideas.
What remains the same within the group is that we have a great time hanging out making music together.  We’ve been doing it for kind of a long time now and I’m happy to say its just as much fun as it was in the beginning.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?
It probably depends on who you asked and when.  The life cycle of music making fortunately goes in seasons.  You’ll spend some time writing and recording and then you’ll have to get out there and play the music.  At this point, the grind of playing shows is pretty real, so I think people get burnt out on that side of things a little faster.  Our studio is pretty darn cozy too, so that might tip the scales.  However, getting to see the country and reimagine our music in front of people who somehow know who we are is very exciting and rewarding.
I do think sometimes Evan would rather be at a Cubs game, Tom would rather be fishing, Brennan would rather be cooking up something delicious, Mark would rather be hiking or practicing his upright, Jarred would rather be watching the Zags in the tournament, Levi would rather be surfing and Jacob would rather be picking wild mushrooms or drinking a fine brew.  We all have our distractions for sure!

Do you find that all of social media and keeping up with your fans has gotten so overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?

Jarred does most of the social media stuff, and I think he does a great job.  At times I imagine it is overwhelming, just from the sense of maintaining engagement and staying on it.  But we try to just post what we are doing and what we are into, the art our friends make and occasionally social issues that are important to us.  I think if we were making up a bunch of garbage all the time trying to trick people into thinking we are more this or more that than we actually are, that would be a nightmare.  You probably have to hire that kind of thing out, right? Who knows?  Social media is a thing these days, so we try to just let whoever IS engaged, into our circle and say hello, check out what we’re into and most importantly thank you.

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how you all think being musicians and in this band still gives you the most joy in life today? Do you find that your music is an escape to all the current events?
We definitely do not look at music as an escape from the political and social problems that confront our generation and our society today.  Sure, when we’re hanging out playing a new tune or dialing in a snare sound at the studio, your mind goes elsewhere for a little while.  Maybe that’s a small respite for the subconscious.  But we feel more and more that our responsibility as musicians is to reflect upon and speak to the failures of our society, which in its current state feels very broken and inequitable.  I think when you have a platform, whatever the size, you have a duty to give voice to the issues and to the people who are not heard.  I think moving forward that is our aim, and we’re going to try and do right by that.

What musicians would you love to work with in the future? What artists have really been inspiring this group and your music since day 1?
There are definitely a few artist and producers for whom we all have enormous respect.  Artists like Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples and Booker T.  Producers like Bosco Mann, Thomas Brenneck, Blake Mills, and Ethan Johns.  There are so many more across so many genres and specialities.  But for the most part, we are more generally just excited at the prospect of collaborating with whoever.  All of our idols are heavy collaborators and I don’t think they got that way by being too picky.  The game is to get in a position to get in the room with talented people and be prepared to make the most of it in the time that you have.  That is really what we are most excited for as things progress.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?
I don’t think there is a easy catch-all for the message of our music.  I think its really music that says, I’m going through life too. I know what it feels like to love and to lose.  I know what it feels like to be tired and to forget to take care of yourself.  I know what it feels like it feels like to be broke.  Hopefully people can relate to some of the specific messages of the songs and get the sense that everything will be relatively fine, or maybe not, and thats part of life too.  But the joy of the music is there despite all of it.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about this group?
Just that we love making this music and want to have the opportunity to keep making it.  We’re all relatively nice dudes and love to meet people on the road who come out to see us.  We’ve met a ton of amazing folks all over the country and enjoyed many a cool beverage discussing music and art and politics and where to get a decent bagel in town.  So if you see us say hello!