The Dip

“Some of the most potent music of their careers” 
- Seattle Times
"Infectiously thrilling melodies and solid musicianship...The Dip remains a genuinely one of
a kind act among its peers, its members’ educated musicianship and nostalgic vision
pairing sublimely each time.” 
- Under the Radar
“Sticking With It by The Dip isn’t just a solid...soul album. It’s also a musical antidepressant
with no prescription needed. It is the kind of album you can put on anytime you want to
put yourself in a better mood and dance your troubles away.” - Glide Magazine
On their Dualtone Records debut Sticking With It,  Seattle-based seven piece The Dip
deliver the kind of unbridled rhythm-and-blues that hits on every emotional level. Inciting
everything from raw catharsis to heavy-hearted reckoning to wildly exuberant joy, the
self-produced album marks a major creative breakthrough for the band. To that end,
Sticking With It fully channels the vitality of the freewheeling live show that’s earned them
an ardent following over the last decade, matching their sophisticated musicianship with a
fantastically loose energy. When met with The Dip’s reflection on matters both timely (the
crush of late capitalism, the glaring need for true community) and irrefutably timeless (the
vast complexities of love and loss), the resulting body of work captures the mood of the
current moment while offering immediate escape into a more elevated state of mind.
The third full-length from The Dip,  Sticking With It came to life at their  studio in Seattle’s
Central District,  a modest but meticulously outfitted space the band built entirely on 
their own. Although the album  features a small number of guest  musicians (including a
Macedonia based string ensemble and background singers Vanessa Bryan, Dasha
Chadwick, and Nic Jackson), The Dip crafted each extravagantly arranged track according
to a self contained process that allowed  for a rare depth of exploration and  spontaneity.
“It’s really important  to us to catch those lightning-in-a bottle moments when you can
feel  the momentum of a song taking  shape,” says drummer Jarred Katz.  “At the same
time, it makes a huge  difference to have this homebase  where we can take our time with
the sounds and not worry about  that precious studio clock ticking away.”
Kicking off with a magnificent bang, Sticking With It opens on “Paddle to the Stars”: a prime
introduction to the groove-heavy  and richly detailed sound The Dip have embodied since
playing house parties in the early 2010s. The first song recorded for the album, “Paddle to
the Stars” arrives as a  striking departure from the reverb drenched aesthetic the band’s

favored in the past. “We’d gotten some nicer gear to play with, and wanted to try
something completely different in terms of our guitar sounds,” notes guitarist Jacob
Lundgren. “We ended up going with a very dry sound with no reverb behind it, which
allows you to really hear the room and feels so much more like the live show.” And as lead
vocalist Thomas Eddy reveals, the song’s stark quality  is perfectly suited to its candid 
declaration of devotion. “It’s about being in relationship with someone who’s emotionally
in touch beyond your own abilities, but recognizing that and wanting to invest in opening
up,” he says. “I liked the idea of playing with the image of the immensity of the ocean, how
it’s sustaining but also dangerous— and if you don’t watch out, it’ll get you.”
In its intimate examination of the  human heart, Sticking With It also  includes tracks like
“Sleep On It” (a delicately layered love song about “someone who only gets to  see the
object of their affection in their dreams, so they’re just waiting until they can go to sleep
again,” according to Eddy). One of the album’s most profoundly moving moments, “When
You Lose Someone” brilliantly contrasts its meditation on grief with the rapturous
harmonies of Bryan, Chadwick, and Jackson. “They’ve been singing together for over a
decade and they’ve got an impeccable blend in the room, so we captured that by recording
the trio gathered around one microphone,” recalls trumpet player Brennan Carter. “They
were on board with whatever was required to elevate the music, and the results are
undeniable.” And on “Real Contender,” The Dip present a bold but bittersweet standout
built on a blues-country groove and shapeshifting arrangement courtesy of tenor sax
player Levi Gillis. “It’s about someone who’s always been there as a friend but who now
wants to be considered in a romantic way,” says Eddy. “I was really inspired by how Levi’s
intro was upbeat but sorrowful, which is a compelling thing to work with as a songwriter.”
While Sticking With It endlessly spotlights each member’s exceptional craftsmanship, The
Dip embraced a sort of anti- perfectionism in every step of the process. “One of the main
goals for the album was to create that feeling of all of us in a room together, instead of
worrying too much about everything lining up perfectly,” says Katz. Not only essential in
shaping Sticking With It’s sense of abandon, that approach echoes the uniquely communal
spirit at the heart of the group. “In other bands there might be a hierarchy as far as who’s
in charge and who writes the music, but we make sure to keep everyone involved,” says
Katz. “With seven people it can be hard to agree on anything, but to me all the success
we’ve had so far has to do with being very democratic and letting everyone have equal
say,” Eddy continues. “We all believe in doing it our way, handling everything ourselves
and making sure we’re choosing the right songs for the right reasons.”
After years of defying trends and following their own distinct vision, The Dip have steadily
amassed a passionate fanbase (an element reflected in their tremendous organic success
on Spotify). In the making of Sticking With It, the band kept their ever-growing reach in
mind, ultimately creating their most impactful work to date. “With the lyrics I tried to
evoke certain emotions that aren’t often showcased in popular music, with the hope that
people will come away feeling validated or understood,” says Eddy. Indeed, the title to
Sticking With It partly refers to the joyful sense of gritty perseverance The Dip hope to
impart to their audience. “We’re in this strange moment when sometimes it’s difficult to

even get out of bed because of what’s going on in the world,” says Katz. “But over the
years we’ve had so many people tell us that our songs have helped them get through a
rough patch, or break through to a new beginning in their lives. That’s something we’re
honored to provide for everyone, and hopefully these songs will do the same.”