Luthi brings their soul/funk/dance party to JJ's Bohemia
How does LUTHI—an eclectic 9-piece soul/funk/dance group and self-proclaimed “Boogie Circus”—fit into the country-obsessed Nashville scene? Just fine, apparently.
“It’s been a blessing being in a city filled with so much music in general,” said Christian Luthi, the group’s founder, in advance of LUTHI’s Saturday night show at JJ’s Bohemia. “Nashville brings together so much talent and creativity no matter the genre. We’re pumped to be a part of it.”
Originally from Chicago and Madison, Wis., Luthi settled in Nashville in 2009 after studying musical theater and vocal performance, and his musical aspirations gelled with his former roommate Taylor Ivey, culminating with LUTHI’s formation.
“There was no assembling, per se; everything happened organically,” said Luthi, the group’s lead singer. “We’re all drawn to good humor and positivity, but in reality, the entirety of this band were homies in some shape or fashion before we ended up playing together.”
Comparisons have been made between LUTHI and acts such as soul-funk master Curtis Mayfield and modern post-punk dance group LCD Soundsystem, but LUTHI’s sound seems to come from many more origins, from the ensemble’s bright brass-band outbursts to its guitar pyrotechnics with psychedelic rock sources.
“Musically, we’re all influenced by some different, sometimes out-there stuff, from Afrobeat to bluegrass to underground hip hop,” said Ivey, via email. “I think we’re also very much influenced by each other’s musical ability and creativity.”
“It’s still very fun to sit down and flesh out a song or set up some great improv with these guys and girl,” said Ivey. “I get a huge kick out of just listening to our band mates play.”
Joining Luthi and Ivey in the earliest line-up of LUTHI was drummer Patrick Futrell, who joins bassist Taylor Craft to comprise the ensemble’s vital rhythm section and backbone, with Ivey and Johnny Williamson both handling guitar duties.
Keyboardist Luke “Boots” Iverson—a Chattanooga resident—plays with an equal comfort level between funk-inflected motifs, new-wave grooves or more contemporary cosmic electronics, and LUTHI’s brass—trombonist Carl Gatti, trumpeter Robert Gay and saxophonist/backing vocalist Amber Woodhouse—are tight, offering aural glitter or an emotional smokiness depending on what’s needed in the moment.
The group prides itself on having an organic flexibility regarding song development and how a live set might unfold.
“Like all of the bands we grew up admiring, the songs really get legs once we’ve been playing them on the road,” said Ivey. “When we started, Christian would bring in pretty concrete songs with his melody and lyrics and, as a band, we’d develop what went around the existing song musically.”
“Nowadays, it’s still pretty close to that, but one or two of us may be co-writing that initial outline with Christian before getting the band treatment.”
LUTHI’s Chattanooga show on Saturday night comes just a day before a high-profile New Year’s Eve gig at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, opening for Moon Taxi.
The show also comes on the heels of the release of the group’s new EP, Live at the Basement East, which is currently available digitally, with a two-song version soon to be released on a 7-inch vinyl single.
It documents the highlights from a hometown show back in July, capturing the band’s live chemistry and kinetic energy; however, the EP is just a warm-up for the ensemble’s upcoming debut album.
“We’re finished tracking the initial bit of our first full length album. Now it’s time to start working on mixing and final tweaks,” said Ivey. “Stay tuned in early 2018 for some more news.”
LUTHI’s most popular song so far is “Every Body,” from the group’s 2016 EP Home Again, and it’s a party pop song with Luthi’s singing—sometimes slipping into a soul falsetto—resembling a warmer, non-neurotic version of Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal.
As heard on Live at the Basement East, LUTHI can earn some rapturous applause and spirited responses for its live performances, and Ivey recalled one particular indelible memory.“One time a very enthusiastic fan was dancing in front of our keyboard player, Luke, and he stared right into Luke’s eyes, licked the palm of his hand, and slapped the concrete floor of the venue with enough force to possibly break some bones,” said Ivey. “I’ll never forget that.”
Check LUTHI out this Saturday night at JJ's Bohemia (along with Three Star Revival and Over Easy) and hear for yourself.