The Dip

Yesterday when I biked to work, it was so cold outside that I thought my hands were going to freeze off and shatter into a thousand pieces on the asphalt tundra below. It was nippy.

Listening to the new single “Ready to Go” from Seattle soul band The Dip, however, made me feel like I was in a balmy sun-drenched park, dancing with my loved one while chirping birds hung out, perched atop bountiful overflowing pitchers of lemonade. Good times.

The Dip formed at UW alongside fellow former Huskies w/extracurricular ass-shaking activities: Beat Connection. The two groups share members and both are very good at making you dance. Well thank the gods of dancing and warmth, because today marks the debut of that first single, “Ready to Go,” which will be included in the band’s premiere full length LP due out sometime in early 2015.

We asked drummer Jarred Katz to fill us in on all that dips, and even some of the chips too. Scoop it:

Tell me how Beat Connection and The Dip's histories intertwine? Both seem to have been born out of a desire to make people shake it.

Both Beat Connection and The Dip originated from this sort of collegiate "need" to form a group to play at house parties. It started out that simple for both groups. Just working on music with friends and taking it to the easiest next plateau. There is a large overlap in musicians in both bands as myself, Tom Eddy, and Mark Hunter play in both groups and many of the horn players in The Dip have performed several times with Beat Connection. It is insanely fun to be apart of both groups and a grind to make it all happen sometimes.

In the college party scene there isn't really a lot of soul happening, so were the kids at UW surprised when this funky Motown sound started coming at them? What were those early house show years like?

Yeah they were definitely surprised. I think most people were accustomed to either seeing a crusty punk band or a couple of DJs. So when we rolled in with a three piece horn section, keyboards, multiple guitars, and a bunch of microphones for the vocals and horns, people were just like... what is going on here? With so many performers, it really takes the energy level in the room to a new level because the spaces we usually performed in were so cramped. The crowd was literally inches away from us and as a result. everyone was in the experience together. Soul music was just not a typical style you would hear at a house party, so I think that played to our advantage in having people get in to it and remember us. Some of our early shows were just plain messy. We had a vibraphone player perform a couple times with us early on, and that instrument is insanely huge. It was incredibly hard to take up stairs and people would always spill beer on it.

Tell me a bit about the Honeynut Horns, your backing brass band. I see they've gotten around!

Yeah the Honeynuts bring the fire. Always crunchy and a little bit sweet. The personnel is Levi Gillis on tenor sax, Brennan Carter on trumpet, and Evan Smith on baritone sax. Its a tight knit crew that extends more than just three people, so whenever someone can't make a show, there is always someone who can step in and play the parts. We all met studying jazz at the University of Washington, so everyone has been playing together in various ensembles for years. They have played several times with Beat Connection and have joined Pickwick on stage a couple times as well. If you need a horn section, call these dudes.

What should we expect from this new LP?

The new LP is going to be a groove. A throwback to older times, but with a hint of something new. We recorded the whole record in a three day span at Avast Studios with the help of Adam Burd. It was recorded all on tape and we performed each song as live takes in the same room. We did this to capture the energy of a live show and to get even closer to how groups did it back in the 60's and 70's. It got us closer as a unit.

If you were suddenly asked to DJ at Talcum Soul Night, give me an idea of some of the deep cuts you'd whip out to impress everybody.

If we had to take over a DJ night, I would first consult our guitarist and resident soul historian Jacob Lundgren, the guy knows tunes, but since I'm on the spot, I'd play: "Baby Don't Cry" by the Third Guitar, "Stoned Out of My Mind" by the Chi-Lites, and "There It Is" by James Brown. Those are some funky ones. - Seattle Weekly

Over at Neumos, the Dip had their audience hooked by the gums. The nine-man soul band played to a packed house that got down to the swooning horns, groovy rhythms and sultry singing of Tom Eddy. It was just the thing to set off a beautiful summer afternoon. - City Arts Magazine

For the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting one artist from the Capitol Hill Block Party Lineup, now only six weeks away. This week, it’s local soul act The Dip. They’re 70% Allen Stone with equal parts modern groove and Motown.

Nearly a ten-piece, the band has been quietly infiltrating Seattle’s festival scene, already putting on a blistering set at this year’s Folklife Festival last month. Up next, they’re taking the Neumos Stage on Saturday July 26 for Capitol Hill Block Party 2014.

Stay up to date on The Dip and Capitol Hill Block Party. - Sea Speak Music Blog

The Dip is a nine piece soul/funk band (which also features a three piece horn section, The Honeynut Horns) that is comprised of quite a few UW School of Music students/alums. The guys are all fluid on their instruments, and although they have been together for just a couple years, they perform like pros! (Check out a feature on them over at Suburban Remix here)

Having been a fan of The Dip and Beat Connection, I did not put two and two together that Tom Eddy was in both of these bands until I was taking photos of his set and realized he looked familiar. As a solo artist, Tom Eddy showcases a lighthearted, soulful and beach-y style that falls somewhere on the continuum of Vampire Weekend, Paolo Nutini, and Jack Johnson. Not only is this guy a talented singer/songwriter/guitarist, I’m pretty sure he had every girl in the crowd swooning (I mean, look at that shot) – stage presence for days. - Rain City Ambience

Often we watch local music grow from its young roots, through the growing pains until they mature into a solid mature sound that is their own unique voice. The Dip seem to be the exception to the rule. They’ve come out of the womb with a fully mature sound that has as much soul as club worn, road-hardened veterans. This is the real deal and one to keep an ear on for sure! - Pocket and Groove

Sometimes you just need to dance it off on Thursday evenings. It’s best with that satisfying and soulful groove that funk delivers. What better way to face Friday morning than with a beat still in your feet, a melody spinning in your hips and images of brass reflecting under the stage lights demanding your attention.

On February 13th, local band The Dip headlined at Nectar with their self-described brand of “Premium Northwest Soul.” The openers included Jelly Bread from Reno, Nevada and fellow Seattlites The Fabulous Party Boys (including one fabulously energetic female lead singer, Tazlyn Gue).

The Dip and The Fabulous Party Boys have paired up in the past and the result is a terrific crescendo of strong soul voices, powerhouse brass sections, and clever composition. This evening at Nectar was no exception. Both groups are a stockpile of young talent and perform with an infectious sense of fun. The crowd came for funk and it was delivered.

During The Dip’s set friends and fans made their approval known and cat-calling accompanied several solos. Just in front of the stage the crowd spaced out enough to allow for swinging elbows, bobbing, and plenty of shoulder swaying. Behind the core crowd, a row of men formed a line, beers in hand, nodding their approval in time with the beat.

The Fabulous Party Boys and The Dip headed north the next day for a Valentine’s Day show at the Wild Buffalo in Belligham. Keep an eye on their Facebook pages for upcoming shows. - Fremont Universe

The Dip. After more than a year of playing the U District house-show circuit, this soul act (featuring Beat Connection members Tom Eddy and Jarred Katz) is releasing its debut EP at this show. Everything about the 9-to-5-fetishizing first single “Working Man” is Motown-era vintage: the groove, the horns, and the casual misogyny. With the Fabulous Party Boys, The Full Clips. Barboza. 8 p.m. $6 adv. ANDREW GOSPE - Seattle Weekly News

Horns are a welcome addition: The Dip at Neumos and The Budos Band both kicked a lot of festival butt. And showed how muscular and awesome rock songs with horns are, thank you very much Courtney Love. - Q13 Fox

The debut release from The Dip delivers good vibes in the form of joyful Funk and Soul songwriting. Sit back and enjoy 6 tracks which sway in rhythm driven by lyrics which evoke joyful visions and emotions of life. - Crates of Jr.