DIP

Hailing from Seattle, the Dip operate as an expansive R&B collective whose vibrant retro-soul aesthetic and dedicated approach fostered a sizable grassroots following throughout the latter half of the 2010s. Their emotionally charged, vigorous performances transferred effectively to a pair of independently produced and distributed full-lengths—2015’s The Dip and 2019’s The Dip Delivers—both of which generated substantial streaming figures. The ensemble subsequently aligned with Dualtone Records, specialists in soul and Americana, for the release of their third album, Sticking with It, in 2022. Several singles preceded their fourth album, among them the 2024 track “Doing the Thing.”

The group originated in 2013 at the University of Washington, where its founding members were enrolled as jazz students. Roommates Jarred Katz (drums), Mark Hunter (bass), and Tom Eddy (vocals), along with their associate Jacob Lundgren (guitar), had already collaborated on songwriting before uniting with a neighboring horn section that included Brennan Carter (trumpet), Levi Gillis (tenor saxophone), and Evan Smith (baritone saxophone). After gaining experience at local house parties, the Dip tracked their self-titled debut album in 2015. As recognition extended past the Pacific Northwest, they issued a limited 7" EP, Won’t Be Coming Back, via Colemine Records and constructed a custom studio in Seattle. The Dip Delivers achieved notable streaming volume for an independent act in 2019, prompting tours across Europe and Japan.

Following the self-released EP The Dip Plays It Cool in 2020, the band joined the Dualtone roster and delivered their label debut, the self-produced Sticking with It, in 2022; the project became their first to register on the Billboard charts, topping the Current R&B Albums list. Additional road work ensued, including an appearance at the Bonnaroo festival, while the musicians prepared their subsequent LP. The lead single “Love Connection,” drawn from the forthcoming album of the same name, surfaced in late 2023, with the funky “Doing the Thing” arriving the next year.