Dumpstaphunk earned its reputation as the most well-regarded next-generation New Orleans live powerhouse. It’s the kind of band whose live concerts attract guest sit-ins from legends such as Carlos Santana, Bob Weir and Trombone Shorty, to name just a few. The band itself is comprised of key elements of the original Neville Brothers band, with cousins Ivan and Ian Neville joined by Tony Hall, Nick Daniels, Alex Wasily, Ryan Nyther and drummer Devin Trusclair propelling Dumpstaphunk to build upon its legacy while branching off and doing its own thing. Following JazzFest in 2003, the band was already making a name for itself within the national Funk-Jam circuit, selling out headlining gigs across the country.
In January 2017, Dumpstaphunk released the single “Justice,” viewed by the band as an important song with its delicate, Funk-Blues anthem that speaks to the turbulent times we live in. “We wrote that at a time when a lot of things were going on, says the band’s founding member, Ivan Neville. “Myself, Nick Daniels and Tony Hall were kids during the ’60s and ’70s, so we saw a lot of shit growing up, and we see the same stuff going on: systemic racism, the racial profiling, all the social injustice.”
Dumpstaphunk’s latest release Where Do We Go From Here?, their first newly recorded material in seven years, is a mix of classic and modern influences, which can be heard throughout the album, with its party-friendly stew of R&B, Funk, Rock, swamp-Pop and Blues. “We hope that people can hear the new songs and are inclined to dance and inspired to think at the same time,” says Ivan, speaking to the new album’s delicate balance between topic material and dance-floor rocker. Or as Ian describes the tone of the new album, “subtle but pertinent.”
Where Do We Go From Here?, is a beautifully crafted album that will make one think while listening, but it also exudes a joyful spirit, the feeling that if we all pull together we can dance once again together. With KCSN, WMOT, KRSH, KBAC, KMTN and WFPK among the dozens of stations on it already, Where Do We Go From Here? is poised to be Dumpstaphunk’s radio breakthrough.
Photo by Jeff Farsai