Seattle-based band The Dip’s new song, “Real Contender,” is debuting today. Listen to the track now below.
Reflecting on the song, lead singer Tom Eddy shares, “This track is about being an unlikely candidate for someone’s affection. Perhaps a longtime friend. Someone who was there all along but never had the guts to reveal their heart and put their name in the hat. Then they realize that life is too short to keep those kinds of feeling bottled up, and they go for it.”
“Real Contender” is the third song unveiled from The Dip’s anticipated new album, Sticking With It, which will be released March 4 via Dualtone Records—the band’s first record in partnership with the label (pre-order here). Building on The Dip’s breakthrough grassroots success, which already includes over 100 million streams to-date, Sticking With It is an intimate examination of the human heart. Reflecting on matters both timely and irrefutably timeless, the record captures the mood of the current moment while simultaneously offering a much-needed escape.
Produced by the band and recorded at their self-made studio in Seattle’s Central District, the album features eleven new songs, including the previously released “When You Lose Someone” and “Paddle To The Stars,” which encapsulate the contagious energy of the band’s live shows, showcasing each member’s unique craftsmanship and celebrating their creative exploration and spontaneity as a group.
Of the album, drummer Jarred Katz shares, “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…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,” while Eddy adds, “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.”
Known for their electrifying performances, the band will embark on an extensive headline tour this spring with shows at Seattle’s Showbox at the Market (two nights, one sold out), Boston’s Paradise, New York’s Bowery Ballroom (two nights, one sold out), Washington, DC’s Black Cat, Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, Minneapolis’ Fine Line, Chicago’s Thalia Hall, San Francisco’s The Independent (two nights) and Los Angeles’ Lodge Room among many others. The band will also join Lake Street Dive for a series of shows this year and will perform at Bonnaroo in June. See below for the complete itinerary. Tickets can be found at www.thedipmusic.com.
In addition to The Dip—Eddy (vocals, guitar), Katz (drums), Brennan Carter (trumpet), Levi Gillis (tenor sax), Mark Hunter (bass), Jacob Lundgren (guitar) and Evan Smith (baritone sax)—Sticking With It also features F.A.M.E.’S. Studio Orchestra, a Macedonia-based string ensemble, and background vocals from Vanessa Bryan, Dasha Chadwick and Nic Jackson.
THE DIP CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
February 26—Tempe, AZ—Innings Festival
March 4—Seattle, WA—Showbox at the Market* (SOLD OUT)
March 5— Seattle, WA—Showbox at the Market**
March 22—Hartford, CT—Infinity Hall+
March 24—Boston, MA—Paradise+
March 25—New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom+
March 26—New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom+ (SOLD OUT)
March 27—Washington, DC—Black Cat+
March 29—Philadelphia, PA—Foundry+
March 31—Carrboro, NC—Cat’s Cradle+
April 1—Atlanta, GA—Terminal West+
April 2—Nashville, TN—Brooklyn Bowl+
April 5—Toronto, ON—Horseshoe Tavern‡ (SOLD OUT)
April 6—Toronto, ON—Horseshoe Tavern‡
April 8—Chicago, IL—Thalia Hall‡
April 9—Minneapolis, MN —Fine Line‡
April 20—Vancouver, BC—Hollywood Theatre#
April 21—Portland, OR—Wonder Ballroom#
April 24—Denver, CO—Gothic Theatre#
May 19—San Francisco, CA—The Independent^
May 20—San Francisco, CA—The Independent^
May 21—Los Angeles, CA—Lodge Room^
May 22—Solana Beach, CA—Belly Up^
May 24—Menlo Park, CA—Guild Theatre^
June 16—Manchester, TN—Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 24—New Haven, CT—Westville Music Bowl~
June 25—Greenfield, MA—Green River Festival
September 13—Richmond, VA—Virginia Credit Union LIVE! at Richmond Raceway~
September 16—Wilmington, NC—Live Oak Bank Pavilion~
September 17—Charlotte, NC—Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre~
*with special guest i///u
**with special guest Tomo Nakayama
+with special guest Oh He Dead
‡with special guest The Spanks
#with special guest Kiltro
^with special guest Jennah Bell
~supporting Lake Street Dive