Artist of the Week: Thumpasaurus

This week’s Artist of the Week is Thumpasaurus. Get to know the unique band in our exclusive Q&A.

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1. Can you introduce yourself to those who may not know you?

We are Thumpasaurus! An up and coming Los Angeles band made up of current and former USC Jazz and film school students.

2. How would you describe your music to people who have never heard it before?

We like to joke around and describe our music as THUMP music. But that’s really what it is. It’s a heavier/ more aggressive style of funk music, a little bit of punk and jazz thrown in there, with a lot of dance influence involved. We usually try to fit these sounds into the pop song structure, plus we really like to say the word THUMP. So Thump music it is.

3. How did you come up with the band name Thumpasaurus?

Lucas speaking- When the band was forming I was on the phone with my friend George describing to him the music, and he told me that he used to work as a valet parker somewhere in St. Louis. Next to his valet was a homeless man who had a makeshift shoestring instrument that he called the “Thumpasaurus.” Everyday George said that the man would play him a tune from the Thumpasaurus. When he told me that story I knew that was the name of the band.

4. Who are your musical influences?

Oh Jeez, we all have our individual influences. And these lists go on and on, but let’s boil it down to a few which won’t do it justice. The Beatles, Nina Simone, Captain Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Parker, Knower, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Talking Heads, A Tribe Called Quest, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Devo, Robert Glasper, Led Zeppelin, The Meters, J.S Bach, Was not Was, Johnny Cash… This goes on and on there is so much great music that inspires us.

5. What about nonmusical influences?

Also so much here! These influences include dogs, the internet, Buddhism, Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, Andy Kaufman, nature, transcendental meditation, David Lynch movies, our families, dancing, Dostoevsky, Ellen, quantum physics, the media, relationships, sports, the brain… but everything in our lives has some sort of influence and impact on the stuff we are making.

6. If you could collaborate with any musician, who would it be and why?

Right now, Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi (Ok two people, from the band Knower), because they are such innovative geniuses and amazing people. And we love them as people – so I feel like working with them would be a blast because they are so fun but they would also challenge us to explore new territories with them.

7. What do you hope fans get from your music?

We hope fans can dance their asses off, feel deeply, connect through our message, and try to take everything a little less seriously!! We want to spread real joy. Or whatever emotion we are trying to convey authentically. It is so easy to B.S and get away with it today, but we want to share honest feelings with our listeners and concert-goers.

8. What can you tell us about your new music coming out in 2018?

We have a full-length album that is finished!!! We hope to release it in late February, but might put out a single or two off the record first.

9. What is something that you’ve accomplished so far in your career that you are most proud of?

Selling out our last two weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest. That place pushed us so far creatively. And to do well there you have to be something unique, or else people won’t give it the time of day. Edinburgh Fringe rules for that. So we pushed ourselves, and the concept of our live show, drawing from influences of live theater, multi-media and the Thumpasaurus mythology to create an original Thump experience that we’ve brought back to L.A. We feel like this is only the beginning!!

10. What is a song you wish you wrote and why?

This Must Be The Place- Talking Heads

This song gives me a feeling of real hope, joy, and peace. And it bounces! It gets the head moving!! If we can share with our listeners some of those authentic feelings, we’ve done well.

1. Coffee or Tea?

Coffee…?

2. Current obsession song?

Senses Working Overtime – XTC

3. Favorite TV Show

 Twin Peaks

4. Ocean or Pool?

OCEAN

5. Favorite Movie?

Men in Black