
Known for their playful, cross-pollinated blend of neo-soul and
pop/rock, Lake Street Dive have built a loyal fan base, weaving in
elements of jazz, folk, and funk. Showcasing vocalist Rachael
Price, Lake Street Dive emerged from Boston's New England
Conservatory in the mid-2000s and drew early praise for their
exuberant live shows and inventive original songs. They garnered
further buzz with their 2012 covers EP Fun Machine, reinterpreting
songs by George Michael, Hall & Oates, and the Jackson 5. The
band's sound furthered gelled on 2014's Bad Self Portraits, which
cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. 2016's Side Pony brought
even more attention, landing on top of three Billboard charts,
including Top Rock Albums, Folk Albums, and Alternative Albums.
Formed in 2004, Lake Street Dive features singer Rachael Price,
guitarist/trumpeter Mike "McDuck" Olson, bassist Bridget Kearney,
and drummer Mike Calabrese. The group originally met while they
were all students at Boston's prestigious New England Conservatory.
However, prior to joining the band, Price (daughter of composer and
conductor Tom Price) had already gained notice for her jazz
singing. On her own, she released several independent albums and
earned accolades, including reaching the semi-finals of the 2004
Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition. Naming themselves
after an infamous street known for its numerous "dive bars" in
Olson's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lake Street Dive
initially bonded over their love of jazz, soul, and country music.
Combining their shared influences into an arty melange, they issued
two independently produced albums with 2007's In This Episode...
and 2008's Promises, Promises. After singing with Signature
Records, they released a self-titled effort in 2011. However, it
was with 2012's Fun Machine EP that the group really started to
grab national attention. Featuring their imaginative cover versions
of songs like Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" and Hall & Oates'
"Rich Girl," Fun Machine caught on online, spotlighting the group's
spirited, organic knack for soulful pop. After an exhaustive
touring schedule that found Lake Street Dive playing hundreds of
shows across the United States and around the globe, they followed
up with 2014's full-length Bad Self Portraits. Featuring the wry
"selfie"-referencing title track, the album hit number 18 on the
Billboard 200. In 2016, Lake Street Dive moved to Nonesuch Records,
and released their fifth full-length album, the Dave Cobb-produced
Side Pony. Named after bassist Kearney's preferred hairstyle, the
album hit number one on three of Billboard's charts, including
Alternative Albums chart, Top Rock Albums, Folk Albums, and peaked
in the Top 30 of the Billboard 200. Coming off the road again, Lake
Street Dive returned to the studio, and in 2018 delivered their
sixth album and second for Nonesuch, Free Yourself Up.
Self-produced in Nashville, Tennessee with engineer Dan Knobler,
the album included the singles "Good Kisser" and "I Can Change."
Also in 2018, they issued the EP Freak Yourself Out as part of
Record Store Day. ~ Matt Collar