The Funk Hunters are a hometown hero story that everyone loves. Made up of members Dunks, aka Duncan Smith and The Outlier, Nick Middleton, The Funk Hunters came from humble beginnings in Vancouver, BC, and soon exploded onto the music scene with ferocity and passion. With a grueling tour schedule that has taken them to every corner of the globe, while still decimating their home turf festivals like Shambhala Music Festival and Bass Coast Festival, these young beat makers and booty shakers are on the fast track to super stardom. If we’re being honest, it couldn’t be more deserving to a better couple of guys.
Between collaborations with Jurassic 5 alum Chali 2na (and a subsequent tour), live band and audio-visual sets, and even appearing at Burning Man as Daft Punk, these guys have a reputation for pushing it to the limit with creativity and style. The duo manages to capture their audiences at every turn in each set.
Borrowing inspiration from classic funk and hip-hop, The Funk Hunters are putting the soul back into electronic dance music. Honing their craft with over 600 performances in 16 countries, they performed at major festivals such as Coachella, Burning Man, Osheaga, Shambhala and Electric Forest. The pair also amassed over 10 million streams across their catalog of remixes and collaborations, including official remixes for Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez, Big Gigantic, and Gramatik.
With a brand new studio album on the way and a packed 2018 already, the hits just keep coming from these hot shots. The newest single Hands Up (Raise Your Fist) from their forthcoming album, Typecast, is another slam dunk. Starting off slow are those recognizable vocals from guest vocalist Leo Napier, who has been a vocalist for Griz and Gramatik. It doesn’t take long for it to drop into The Funk Hunters signature wobbly funk-infused sound, creating a tune both dance floor ready and chill session approved at the same time!
Hearing the progression from even their last EP, it’s clear that their studio production has come a long way in a short time, and it was already unreal to begin with! Produced by Middleton, he had this to say regarding it:
“Hands Up is one of my favourite tracks I’ve ever produced. Working back and forth on the song with Leo was a dream; he nailed the vibe I was hoping for and his lyrics really elevated the song to a whole new level. I’m thrilled to give our fans a first taste of this new album.”
The tune is available here, and you can check out the official lyric video below!
Next up? A tour, of course! In support of their new album Typecast the guys are hitting the road in style with 29 dates all across America, including multiple stops in Cumberland, Victoria, and Vancouver in December. They’ll also be supporting The Floozies on their Funk Jesus Tour, which is stopping in Portland at Wonder Ballroom November 3rd and Seattle at the Showbox on November 4th. Check out all of the dates here, plus the guys’ social media links to keep in touch with the official ambassadors of the PNW to the global funk scene.
Did you catch any of their amazing sets this summer? What are your thoughts about that new tune?! Let us know in the comment section!
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