Name: Daniel Oliver
Year: Freshman
Major: Jazz Studies and Piano
Hometown: Redmond, WA
Fun fact: In 2015, Dan was in the Junior Olympics for Trap shooting.
Here’s the story:
“I decided I wanted to be a classical piano major, but I wanted to play more jazz, so we formed a jazz group”. That’s how it all started. Freshman Daniel Oliver became enamored with music at a young age and that infatuation has carried through to adulthood. Growing up, Oliver was heavily involved in school band and decided that he wanted to continue to pursue music into his college career. Nearing the end of high school, Dan and a few of his friends formed a jazz combo in order to further delve into the depths of music. The members of the group shared a mutual love for music and together, began to define their style. “My friend Nick played funk so we convinced all the jazz players to play funk,” Oliver said.
With the decision to transition to funk, Brotha’ Groove was born. From that point the group released an album on Spotify, “Unforced Mechanical Vibrations” and performed a release show at The Old Firehouse in Redmond. The show was a huge success — the biggest show the firehouse had seen in years. Since they started, Brotha’ Groove has been known for their funky style and original songs. Dan mentioned that when writing music, he draws inspiration from artists like Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, and Earth Wind and Fire to influence his groovy vibe. “If we do covers, they are all our own arrangements; they are re-funked,” Dan said with earned confidence.
The group has had quite the journey since forming in high school. They’ve played at a variety of venues including, Hempfest, Taste of Edmonds, Tractor Tavern, The Rendezvous, and of course, the Old Firehouse where they began. When asked about his most notable performance Oliver eagerly described a show at none other than the Old Redmond Firehouse. “It was at my friend’s band’s CD release show, there were about 125 people there and a majority of them were our fans and they knew the songs and they were just getting at it,” he said reminiscing.
As for what’s next for the group, Brotha’ Groove’s success is reflected in their upcoming events. The band was chosen to participate in EMP’s annual Sound Off. The event is considered the Northwest’s premier battle of the bands for groups under 21. Sound Off has paved the way for countless artists such as Naked Giants, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and many others. Brotha’ Groove will be performing in the semi-finals on February 24th.
In regards to the future, Oliver noted a few things to look forward to for Brotha’ Groove fans. “We are going to go to put on the damn funkiest show Sound Off has ever seen. Then, we are going to get more gear and record more. We are going to release an EP after Sound Off. We want to go on tour, we will be around.We are going to be ourselves all the way and bring a mad, funky-ass party.” Oliver reported with self-assurance.
It’s no surprise that Oliver’s passion for music and dedication to funk have carried him to such an opportune spot. Brotha’ Groove has gone from the walls of high school band, to the stage of the Old Redmond Firehouse, to the semi-finals of a major music festival. You can catch the band performing at the Old Firehouse on January 20th or at Sound Off semifinals on February 24th to completely immerse in the experience that is Brotha’ Groove.
courtesy of Daniel Oliver
courtesy of Daniel Oliver
Quick Question and Answers:
Where can we find your music and keep up with your events?
Brotha’ Groove Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6hB6YpOMilLnEymJDzviet
The Facebook Page for upcoming events: https://m.facebook.com/brothagroove/
Tickets to Sound off: http://www.mopop.org/calendar/events/sound-off-semifinals-3/
How many people are in your band?
8-14 depending on the performance.
What are your hobbies outside of music? Avid Reader, I was a Junior Olympian for trap shooting. I’m also a Bernie Sanders fanatic, I have a Facebook page (Washington Students for Bernie Sanders).