Biography
A New Orleans ensemble devoted to future funk and contemporary R&B, Water Seed maintained an unwavering focus on danceable grooves and polished musicianship for more than ten years before achieving wider recognition in 2017. Their sound blends buoyant rhythms with a polished, horn-and-keyboard-driven attack reminiscent of Anderson .Paak, Janelle Monae, and Bruno Mars, yet they also deliver convincing ballads alongside the relaxed funk native to their Crescent City roots. After years of relentless touring and grassroots audience-building, the group issued the 2017 album We Are Stars, which climbed to number 27 on the national R&B album chart and expanded their reach. Recognizing the strength of their stage presence, they next captured a hometown performance at the Blue Nile for the 2018 live release Say Yeah! Live at the Blue Nile, which entered the R&B album chart at number 16.
Drummer Lou Hill founded Water Seed alongside Lindsey Papion and Calvin Snowden. While still in high school, Hill performed in the marching band, later deepening his engagement with New Orleans musical traditions during a music scholarship at Xavier University. He also played in the funk outfit Afrodeezifunk and worked briefly with R&B veteran Ernie K-Doe. The initial lineup of Water Seed took shape at Xavier with Papion and Snowden; Snowden departed soon after the first demo, and Papion left following Hurricane Katrina. J Sharp, Sheena Bankston, and Cinese Love subsequently joined, prompting a move to Atlanta, Georgia. The self-released EP Two Words appeared in 2006, followed by the album Fresh in 2010. Additional singles and EPs followed, with Wonder Love 1 arriving in 2013, though the band primarily grew its following through steady live work.
In 2014 Water Seed returned to New Orleans, by which point Bankston had exited and Shaleyah had come aboard as vocalist. The group’s schedule had grown demanding enough that Hill left his teaching position to devote himself fully to the band. We Are Stars, which Hill viewed as their first true album rather than a demo or production exercise, benefited from extensive touring and the single “Bollywood,” securing its chart placement. In 2023 they received the Big Easy Award for Best Funk Band, and their recorded work now includes collaborations with Pell, Lalah Hathaway, Avery Sunshine, the Headhunters, and the J.B.’s.
Drummer Lou Hill founded Water Seed alongside Lindsey Papion and Calvin Snowden. While still in high school, Hill performed in the marching band, later deepening his engagement with New Orleans musical traditions during a music scholarship at Xavier University. He also played in the funk outfit Afrodeezifunk and worked briefly with R&B veteran Ernie K-Doe. The initial lineup of Water Seed took shape at Xavier with Papion and Snowden; Snowden departed soon after the first demo, and Papion left following Hurricane Katrina. J Sharp, Sheena Bankston, and Cinese Love subsequently joined, prompting a move to Atlanta, Georgia. The self-released EP Two Words appeared in 2006, followed by the album Fresh in 2010. Additional singles and EPs followed, with Wonder Love 1 arriving in 2013, though the band primarily grew its following through steady live work.
In 2014 Water Seed returned to New Orleans, by which point Bankston had exited and Shaleyah had come aboard as vocalist. The group’s schedule had grown demanding enough that Hill left his teaching position to devote himself fully to the band. We Are Stars, which Hill viewed as their first true album rather than a demo or production exercise, benefited from extensive touring and the single “Bollywood,” securing its chart placement. In 2023 they received the Big Easy Award for Best Funk Band, and their recorded work now includes collaborations with Pell, Lalah Hathaway, Avery Sunshine, the Headhunters, and the J.B.’s.
Albums
Live
