FUNK-SOUL-JAZZ-FUSION

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Derek Engstrom | drums, vocals

Chris McMullen | bass, vocals

Keegan Matthews | organ, rhodes, synth, vocoder, keyboards

Christian Ryan | alto, tenor, and baritone sax, vocals

Jordan Garno | guitar

 

Leisure Chief is a dynamic collective, dedicated to crafting vibrations for the mind and the booty. With jazz and funk at the forefront, their sound weaves elements of r&b, soul, fusion, rock, psychedelic, and everything in between. The culmination of their common influences and chemistry as like-minded musicians from varying backgrounds comes to life in their compositions, and in a live setting they offer a diverse, and thoughtful listening experience that's anything but one dimensional.

 

The band’s lineup has evolved a great deal since their inception in 2013, and their newest album “Cosmic Comics” captures their vision in a way no previous works could. Introducing added layers of strings, horns, and percussion to the original quintet, this album clearly sets a new standard for the band's development and serves as the precipice of what's to come for 2021 and beyond.

 

Conceptually, Derek Engstrom cites his inspiration for writing the album title “Cosmic Comics” as drawn from the book “Cosmic Comics,” by author Italo Calvino, and the ability to illuminate beauty and perspective of often overlooked aspects of life; both serious and playful, but most importantly, parts of the same universe. The album carries that same quality, allowing each song to be explored in and of itself, but clearly parts of a whole.

 

Since their inception, the band has released an EP, 3 singles, and 2 full-length albums. With plenty of new material in the works, and renewed motivation to return to the studio, Leisure Chief plans on releasing more new material in 2021, and return to touring, shows, and music festivals safely and appropriately.

 

Notable past performances: Gasparilla Music Festival, Rockin Robinson, Orange Blossom Jamboree, Orlando Fringe Festival, and perhaps most notably, Suwannee Hulaween where they shared the stage with national bands including Ghost-Note, Snarky Puppy, String Cheese Incident, Primus, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Lettuce, Railroad Earth, The New Mastersounds, The Nth Power, Tauk, Dumpstaphunk, along with notable local bands Electric Kif, Roosevelt, Lemon City Trio, Aaron Lebos Reality, Spam All-Stars, and many more! Be on the look-out for upcoming show and live-stream announcements!

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