New Orleans-based band Killer Whale releases “Drop Out,” the groovy third single and its gloriously lo-fi video from their forthcoming album Tastes Like Yesterday, co-produced by Grayson Converse of Spooky Mansion, out September 18th via Devil In The Woods. “Drop Out.”

“’Drop Out’ is about realizing you may need a breath, a pause, or just something new, and dropping out of whatever that is,” says Killer Whale frontman Thomas Johnson. “It’s about stepping away so you can get a better look at what might lie ahead. The video is fairly relative to that concept of dropping out of playing live music due to COVID, and then, while in that break, looking back at the beautiful moments we’ve had as a band and cherishing them more deeply than ever.”

Somewhere between the rustic Louisiana bayou and dreamy California shores lies Killer Whale. With their colorful rhythms and rock n’ roll daydreams, they create a space that invites you in, tells you to make yourself at home, and hugs you as you walk in the door. Killer Whale, much like its creator, wanders between New Orleans, Austin, and San Francisco, bearing the melodic scars all that travel brings him. A mixture of genres, Killer Whale doesn’t subscribe to any one camp. Instead, it exudes them all.  This kaleidoscope of sound oozes from every dreamy groove of the album’s 10 psychedelic, surf-infused, funk n’ soul-tinged gems. With that kind of concoction, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to think that the songs would be a melee, an atonal mishmash that harkens back to the days of being different for different’s sake. Under the leadership of another musician, such might be the case, but Killer Whale melds everything together in the name of freaky good fun.  

Tastes Like Yesterday finds Johnson’s muse immersing him in a very seductive, mellow soul. “I’m from Louisiana, and New Orleans culture and music have always been an influence on me, whether consciously or not,” Johnson says. When asked how he describes his music, Johnson laughs and suggests it’s “Pontoon Soul.” Lead single “Comfortable” offers an example of this new genre; it’s swampy and murky, yet Johnson’s heavenly voice transcends, resulting in a song best described as drop-dead gorgeous.  

Tune in HERE to get a taste of Killer Whale’s fantastic live performance from Downman Sounds in New Orleans for Jam In The Van’s Jam In YOUR Van series benefiting the Equal Justice Initiative.