INTERVIEW: Join Flow Tribe for some backbone-cracking funk

When K.C. O’Rorke, lead singer and trumpeter of funk band Flow Tribe, dances on stage, it can be difficult to keep track of his constantly moving legs. They come together, break apart, always in perfect rhythm with the beats from his fellow bandmates and friends on stage. O’Rorke is not the only one who dances; after a Flow Tribe set, everyone (everyone!) is dancing, taking in the original tracks and bobbing along, forgetting everything.

Just such a dance party is exactly what O’Rorke and Flow Tribe want, and 2015 appears to be another high mark for the burgeoning band. They’ll play once again in their native New Orleans for the world-famous Jazz Fest. In addition, they are on the road many days of the year. On Jan. 23, they have a headlining gig at Drom in New York City. The year should also bring some recording time in the studio.

“I guess the biggest thing right now is that we’re building our own studio right now in New Orleans,” O’Rorke said recently during a phone interview. “And we should have it up in February. It’s really just going to be a great resource for us to get out more music to people, and to do more videos and stuff, and to really expand that output that we have. … Hopefully we’re just going to bring the funk to the masses in a much bigger way in 2015.”

O’Rorke said the six musicians who make up Flow Tribe are all friends and fellow songwriters. They have a “wealth of stuff” for recording sessions. However, the band is definitely known for its high-energy live shows. One of their albums is actually Flow Tribe at Capacity, a live album recorded at NOLA’s Tipitina’s.

The obvious success is humbling for a band that dates back to members’ days in high school.

“We didn’t really get to start playing together until the summer after our senior year, and we would get together in our bass player Chad Penot’s backyard every day and just kind of jam and mess around,” O’Rorke said. “By the end of the summer, we were like we got something kind of cool. We actually have songs and all this other stuff, but then by the end of that summer, we all kind went off and went to different colleges and did different things, kind of all spread apart. Our drummer went to Iraq, and then in 2005, when [Hurricane] Katrina hit, we were all in different places in the country. We were like, man, it was just kind of a time to reevaluate and be like, well, what do we want to do? It kind of brought us all back together. We were like, we love New Orleans, and we want to really give this band thing a shot.”

Since 2006, they have been touring steadily, playing festivals and gigs from Jazz Fest to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Their style is funk, but O’Rorke said it’s a “large umbrella” of disciplines. “I think just growing up in New Orleans with people like the Meters and Dr. John and those kind of influences, that was stuff that our parents played for us, and doing the parades and second lines and stuff, you just kind of get hit with that very rhythmic, that deep groove kind of stuff. And it just gets in your blood, and then growing up in the ‘90s, we were really big fans of bands like Sublime and Red Hot Chili Peppers and stuff like that. So we kind of had the best of both worlds, where we had the national influence and then we had the local stuff that was always a little bit more interesting for us. So we just kind of see ourselves in line, hopefully, in that tradition of Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey, those kinds of guys.”

As the years ticked by, O’Rorke realized the band was going to be a long-term commitment after he saw the reaction of the fans.

“I think that’s the highest compliment is that when people will be like, you know what, I was having a rough day, and I came out, and your music really just kind of took away some of the stress or worry. For me, that was very addicting and just like oh wow we can really make an impact on people, and at the same time, this is the best job that we could have. It’s great. Not only are we having a great time, but you can definitely bring the party to people, which is fantastic.”

Flow Tribe is a “very collaborative” band, something like a musical democracy. Although O’Rorke is the band leader, everyone takes ownership of the musical and business decisions. This makes everyone feel involved and continue to push into the future, he added. The democratic principles lead to dance parties where everyone in the audience is also involved.

“If you’re going to pay money to see us, I want to make sure you get every drop of entertainment. Get it all out. We want you to leave feeling sweaty and satisfied. The kind of music is backbone-cracking music, so it’s high energy. And I think we really enjoy playing with each other. … We definitely have songs that are worked out, but there’s always an improvisational element where somebody wants to do a little something different. It’s always exciting to just see where the music goes and just be along for the ride.”

Flow Tribe’s most recent release is Alligator White, a five-track EP. There’s a good chance of hearing selections at a Flow Tribe concert.

“I think with this [release] we just really want to try to capture the different aspects of our personality as a band. The first song, ‘Give Me a Line,’ is really just that kind of boozy, going out into the world and breaking up with your girlfriend and trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces, and the next song, ‘Back and Forth’ is really just kind of a more like Prince, kind of funk-slinky vibe. And the last song is more of a straight ahead kind of country-funk-rock, whatever that is. So we really just want to demonstrate the different aspects of our personality, what we’re into, where the band is at right now, and I think we accomplished that with Alligator White.”

With more music on the horizon, and plenty of backbone-cracking dancing, Flow Tribe plans on staying funky. This high school project has blossomed into a national act.

“If you would have told me 10 years ago, you’re going to be a touring musician, I would have been like how is that even possible. It’s crazy to think that a couple of friends in a backyard can get together and then put on something that is really kind of catching fire and really speaks to some people. It’s amazing, and we’re so humbled to just be able to do it. Whether it’s the next 50 years or the next five years, we’re going to be out there giving 100 percent and making sure that people leave feeling that funk, feeling good.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Click here for more information on Flow Tribe.