The Dip

Formed by University of Washington jazz students in 2013, the Dip emerged from Seattle as a sprawling R&B collective whose vivid throwback-soul aesthetic and relentless touring schedule cultivated a devoted following by the close of the decade. Their self-produced, self-released LPs—The Dip in 2015 and The Dip Delivers in 2019—captured the intensity of their live performances and generated substantial streaming traction without major-label support. Eventually aligning with Dualtone Records, specialists in soul and Americana, the ensemble unveiled their third album, Sticking with It, in 2022. Several singles preceded their fourth LP, among them the 2024 track “Doing the Thing.”

The group’s core originated when housemates Jarred Katz on drums, Mark Hunter on bass, and Tom Eddy on vocals, alongside guitarist Jacob Lundgren, began composing material together; they soon expanded by recruiting a horn section from a nearby residence—Brennan Carter on trumpet, Levi Gillis on tenor saxophone, and Evan Smith on baritone saxophone. After gaining experience at local house parties, they issued their self-titled debut in 2015. As word spread outside the Pacific Northwest, the band released the limited 7" EP Won’t Be Coming Back on Colemine Records and constructed a custom studio in Seattle. The Dip Delivers achieved notable streaming figures for an independent act, prompting international dates across Europe and Japan.

Following the self-released EP The Dip Plays It Cool in 2020, the ensemble joined Dualtone and delivered Sticking with It, their first project to appear on a Billboard chart, where it reached the top of the Current R&B Albums tally. Additional road work ensued, including a Bonnaroo appearance, while the band prepared its next full-length. “Love Connection” served as the lead single for the forthcoming album of the same name in late 2023, succeeded in 2024 by the funk-driven “Doing the Thing.”