The Winachi Tribe – is that an awesome band name or what! – is a six-man outfit based in and around Leeds, UK. Drawing from a ton of legendary influences such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone, Primal Scream, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Massive Attack, The Stone Roses, Talking Heads, D’angelo, Prince and Daft Punk, their infectious blend of electropop/funk/soul serves up more grooves than a box of vinyl LPs. With tongues firmly planted in their collective cheeks, they refer to their music as “Soul Food Winachi Chicken” – an apt descriptor, as it’s incredibly tasty!

Formed in 2015, The Winachi Tribe is comprised of Liam Croker (vocals), Antony Egerton (keyboards, programming), Inder Goldfinger (percussion), Mike Bee (lead guitar),  Richard Ritchie (bass) and Sam Tushingham (drums). They’ve collaborated with musicians and producers in both the UK and Southern California, and released several critically acclaimed singles (one of my favorites is “A Room With a Zoo,” for which they also created an imaginative short film directed by Trevor Miller and featuring actor Tommy Flanagan). In April they dropped a fantastic new dance single “Transition,” which I instantly loved at first listen.

I was a huge fan of disco back in the day (I’m old) and quite the dancing fool (I’m still a fool, but I digress…), so it’s natural that I’d love this song. Not that it should be classified as ‘disco,’ but it certainly has a hypnotic EDM beat that grabs you by the hips and doesn’t let go. I defy anyone to sit still to this song for very long. The band employs an abundance of throbbing synths, keyboards, guitars, bass, and percussion to create a lush soundscape overflowing with intoxicating dance grooves. Liam’s beguiling vocals register in the higher range but far below falsetto, and are delightful. Everything about “Transition” is perfectly marvelous, and I love this band!

The lyrics are about not allowing yourself to get stuck in a rut by fearing the unknown, and instead embracing change as learning and growth experiences: “Change don’t bring danger. Change for you is good. It’s a transitional, transitional period. If we seem like strangers, it’s ’cause we’re going through the changes.”

They’ve also recorded a great remix of “Transition” by Daisy O’Dell and featuring The Singularity.

https://soundcloud.com/thewinachitribe/transition-daisy-odell-remix-feat-the-singularity

Catch The Winachi Tribe at one of these shows on their Transition UK Tour 2018

MAY 18  –  Stramash, Edinburgh  9 PM
MAY 19  –  Drummonds, Aberdeen  9 PM
MAY 26  –  Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering, Walton-On-Trent 9 PM
MAY 29  –  Social Bar Doncaster, Doncaster  9 PM
JUN 2  –  Mosborough Music Festival, Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield  8 PM
JUN 9  –  O.L.O.V.O.F. Festival 2018, Cambridge   9 PM
JUN 10  –  Fiddlers Elbow, London
JUL 21  –  Chalfest, Chalford   7 PM
JUL 22  –  Blackthorn Festival, Marple  9 AM
AUG 4  –  Sessions Beer & Gin Festival, Aberdeen  7 PM

Connect with The Winachi Tribe:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  iTunes