A little bit afro-pop, a little bit indie rock, and whole lot of feel good island vibes – The Hip Abduction is bursting onto the music scene, winning over hearts and minds with their charismatic sound. Just a few years ago they were topping the Billboard reggae charts, and now their genre-bending sound is earning noticeable attention from the jam band world. They’ve shared the stage with jam heavy weights including Umphrey’s McGee and Moe, and have been receiving heavy circulation on Sirius XM’s Jam On. THA will release their highly anticipated sophomore album next month, and David New (vocals and guitar) was kind enough give us the inside scoop before Gold After Glow drops on March 11.
What roles did everyone contribute to the creation of Gold Under The Glow?
I led the charge for Gold Under The Glow by writing most of the tunes and directing the band. Patrick Klemawesh also wrote and co-wrote much of the album including “Stand Up For Love”, “Ka’iwi”, and “Wandered Away”. The parts and arrangements were developed by the entire band through months (years in some cases) of demoing. Bassist, Chris Powers, worked to get the band connected with the right producer, ultimately connecting me with Dabney Morris (Wild Cub), who was able to meld the tropical indie-pop vibe. The whole band spent a considerable amount of time in Nashville this summer collectively recording Gold Under the Glow.
How do you think Gold Under the Glow has evolved since your self titled album release?
We have stepped out of the reggae genre while retaining the good vibes feeling. Unleashing ourselves from the conventions of reggae has allowed the band to further develop its own sound. Our evolution has not been intentional. We let our influences and our art direct us.
What artists do THA collectively draw the most inspiration from?
Paul Simon, St. Lucia, Ali Farka Toure, Fela Kuti, Vampire Weekend, Major Lazer, Daft Punk.
Rotation on Sirius XM Jam On is such amazing exposure for up and coming bands. How did the opportunity to have your music featured on the station come to be? Have you noticed any significant correlation in popularity since the rotation began?
We met Ari from Jam On in New York when we played Brooklyn Bowl with PGroove. He loved the sound. Fast forward a few weeks later and we’re being interviewed by him at Suwannee Hulaween Festival in Live Oak, Florida, and broadcasting our set to the world. We are truly grateful that Sirius XM has continued their support. Fans are constantly telling us at shows that they heard us on Sirius XM Jam On. It has been huge for us!
Of any band or producer, who would you most love to collaborate with?
We’d love to work with producer Rick Rubin. We would also really like to co-write some songs with ‘Amadou and Mariam’, one of our fav writing duos from Mali.
The album art for Gold Under Glow is amazing. Who is the artist, and what was the inspiration for the cover?
The artist is Kristin Northup. Lyrically, much of this album revolves around the meaning of dreams. She nailed it.
Are there any shows planned for this year that you’re particularly stoked about
This is our first headlining tour so we are pumped for every single one. And Shaky Knees Festival is going to be fun for sure.
Don’t miss The Hip Abduction storming the east coast with their high energy performances this March, and be sure to pre-order Gold Under the Glow now.
March 4 – The Hall @ MP – Brooklyn, NY
March 5 – Dogfish Head Brewing Company – Rehoboth Beach, DE
March 6 – The Hamilton – Washington, DC
March 9 – The Grey Eagle Tavern – Asheville, NC
March 10 – Savannah Historic District – Savannah, GA
March 11 – The Pour House – Charleston, SC
March 12 – Green River Revival – Charlotte, NC
March 12 – Savannah Stopover Music Festival – Savannah, GA
March 13 – Zydeco – Birmingham, AL
March 14 – Trebeache – Santa Rosa Beach, FL
March 17 – TERRA FERMATA w/ Mike Pinto – Stuart, FL
March 18 – Jannus Live w/ Mike Pinto, UNRB – St Petersburg, FL
March 19 – BackBooth w/ Mike Pinto – Orlando, FL
March 20 – Slide into Spring Music and Craft Beer Festival – Fernandina Beach, FL
Connect with The Hip Abduction:
https://www.facebook.com/thehipabduction
https://twitter.com/thehipabduction
https://soundcloud.com/thehipabduction
http://thehipabduction.com/epk/
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