New Orleans has the reputation of producing some of the most party-centric artists out there, many of whom roll around to Hattiesburg once in a blue moon. But there is no New Orleans band quite like Flow Tribe, whose finesse and charisma can outshine even mainstream pop bands.
One can find brilliant charm in songs such as “Hungry for You” and “Ooh Yeah,” which are laden with funk and blues influences that defy genre boundaries. Fortunately for those interested, Flow Tribe will perform live at the Dollar Box Showroom on Thursday, April 16, at 10 p.m.
“One of the first places we played outside of New Orleans was Hattiesburg,” singer K.C. O’Rorke said. “We’ve always had a great relationship with Benny and the Boom Boom Room. It’s been kind of cool to see our growth compared with the Hattiesburg music scene.”
The band has been together for nearly 10 years, and in that time they have been anything but stagnant.
Flow Tribe plays more than 150 shows per year and tours continuously. The group released its most recent EP, “Alligator White,” in September 2014 and have received generous FM radio play across the country.
In December of last year, they reached number five on the Relix/Jambands chart. Future performances include an appearance at the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans and several shows in California and the southern states.
However successful Flow Tribe may become, the band has humble beginnings in New Orleans. According to O’Rorke, the members began playing music together in high school before separating to attend different colleges. They would later make a triumphant comeback.
O’Rorke commented on the band’s future, noting that the group would like to move away from releasing occasional records and toward developing new content on a frequent basis.
“Everyone in the band is a songwriter in (his) own right, so we have so much material,” O’Rorke said. “Producing an album is so expensive, and, even though we love that concept, it’s just going to be so much easier now to put out two songs a month and that sort of thing.”
Stephen Klein, the band’s manager, also discussed further releases.
“We are currently working on a new single release called ‘Walk like an Animal,’” Klein said. “It was produced by Tom Drummond of Better Than Ezra, and we are testing it with select radio stations around the country before we do a full blown out national campaign.”
Both O’Rorke and Klein encouraged Hattiesburg community members to attend the April 16 show at the Dollar Box Showroom. O’Rorke said participants are bound to have a good time.
“We want you to leave sweaty and satisfied,” O’Rorke said. “If we do our jobs right, you’re going to want to come back.”
Klein noted that Flow Tribe gives an “amazing” live performance with the energy to “light a city block.”
Those interested can find more information on the band’s website, flowtribe.com, and on its Facebook page.
