Swampadelica

New Jersey outfit Swampadelica landed its initial major opportunity after the music supervisor for MTV’s The Real World encountered a clip of the track “Hoo Doo” on Billboard magazine’s Talent Net site. Within twenty-four hours he contacted keyboardist Damian Calcagne—who also served as the ensemble’s bandleader and co-founder—and secured the number for the season premiere filmed in New Orleans. Their self-titled debut album, issued in 2000, mixed New Orleans funk and soulful organ lines with campy pop vocal harmonies that recalled Jethro Tull and the Grateful Dead. The group had in fact split briefly in 1998, only to reconvene when engineer John Siket, previously associated with the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, and Sonic Youth, proposed laying down material. Eight songs were captured and then set aside for several months until vocalists Nicole Grana and Kerry Lavin were added to broaden the palette. Louisiana-born saxophonist Snowman Brian Powers supplied much of the Crescent City flavor, yet Calcagne’s familiarity with the Meters and the Neville Brothers—gained through relatives and acquaintances in the Big Easy—led him to cite the Meters’ collaboration with Robert Palmer on Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley as a guiding model for the band’s formative sound. Founding vocalist Stevo Nelson maintained equally deep connections to New Orleans, having spent five years as doorman at Tipitina’s and performed with local swamp, zydeco, and R&B acts throughout the 1980s before returning to New Jersey. Drummer Bill Miller contributed jazz sensibilities, while classically trained bassist Paul Kuzik anchored the songwriting framework. In 2000 guitarist Brian Herkert replaced Jack O’Donnell and, drawing on his affinity for hip-hop, steered the group toward fresh territory. The resulting blend spanned the terrain of Jerry Garcia and Leon Russell to Tom Waits while retaining touches of Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. Although Swampadelica absorbed the Crescent City’s playful, soulful wit, the music never remained confined to New Orleans idioms; Jamaican reggae, Southern rock, and Haitian folk elements supplied additional character. Starting in early 2001 the songwriting shifted again, yielding the slow ballad “New World,” the hip-hop-inflected “Life Boat,” and “Jimmy,” which delved further into Haitian and reggae textures while reflecting the enjoyment the musicians had experienced making their first record. Throughout that year the material increasingly emphasized melody and funk under the sway of James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic.