Relix Premieres 1st Single From JD Simo & Luther Dickinson Album

JD Simo and Luther Dickinson have shared a new music video for their single “Street People.” The Relix premiere showcases a piece of the duo’s first collaborative album, Do The Rump!, due Sept. 20 via Forty Below Records. The album percolates with influences from hill country blues to swamp-tinged rock and Afrobeat. Today’s drop leans into pique instrumentation, swapping guitar solos and capturing a gritty naturalness through the reprise of Bobby Charles’ original lyrics. 

An extension of on-stage moments fortified the joint project, which rose out of the pair’s experience as touring members for Phil Lesh & Friends. “Playing with Luther immediately felt as easy as water flowing down a river,” Simo reflected via press release, touching on the musical partnership. “We had all the same influences but we played nothing alike. Our styles just fit together. We didn’t have to think about it—it was just instinctual.”

Leaning into the notion of subconscious interplay, the duo’s chemistry is exhilarated by an added backbeat, Adam Abrashoff, who assists in striking a dominant groove, an added feature of their collaborative sound. “Playing with Luther and Adam is beyond a privilege! Couldn’t be more grateful to get to do this with them! We all have a deep connection and enjoy each other’s company. It’s so inspiring and easy! Luther and I love reinterpreting old material; hence ‘Street People’ is a fitting beginning. More to come!”

Do The Rump! was recorded at Simo’s home studio in Nashville, known as  House of Grease. Apart from today’s Charles originator, the LP features other borrowed classics, from RL Burnside’s “Peaches” and JJ Cale’s “Right Down There” to Junior Kimbrough’s “Come and Go With Me.” Also included is an original written by all three musicians, “Come On.”