The Putbacks are a rhythm section. Drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and percussion. Stone cold pros, grizzled veterans of all the tours and all the studios. As individuals, they’re the players behind so many bands it’s difficult to list, but let’s start with Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bombay Royale, D.D Dumbo, Swooping Duck, The Meltdown and The Black Arm Band, not to mention their ongoing collaboration with Emma Donovan. When they come together as a group, they’re one of the tightest, sharpest, most dynamic musical units ever to exist.

The Putbacks take their cues from the great house bands of the 60s and 70s soul studios – think of The MGs, The Meters and The Wrecking Crew, as well as film composers from David Axelrod to Adrian Younge and contemporary instrumental groups BADBADNOTGOOD and Khruangbin. The Putbacks play together with an understated confidence and an uncanny rapport, a symbiotic unit that moves together with near psychic intuition. Minimal, spooky, and elastic, The Putbacks slide from dance floor fire to cinematic interlude and back, from densely composed music to free improvisation, blurring all the lines in between. No one who sees them play has any doubts they are in the presence of mastery. The guys are good.

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