Thunderfunk

One of Toronto's finest indie-funk outfits, Thunderfunk has quickly gained notoriety for their catchy hooks, groovy riffs and great live show. It started in the summer of 2011 when Dr. Keys had some time to kill. All of the projects he was involved in had all gone quiet at the same time. So he called his bandmate Omar Findlay from the band Ego and the Rest, and they talked about funk for a good hour.

The plan was to play a handful of gigs, record, and go back to normal. After an initial search for drummers proved fruitless, Ricardo DeGaia lent his expertise on drums and production and a funk band was born. A day before the as-yet unnamed band's first gig on October 19, a saxophonist named Tyler Nelson showed up with his red saxophone and started blowing. This is when it got serious. This is when it got superheavy. This was the first incarnation of Thunderfunk.

After months of honing the craft and tightening up to the public, the band went into the studio and came out with "You Need A Man", a Motown-esque smooth-talking soul tune that has garnered a bit of attention online.

In April 2012, the band pressed on as a trio following Nelson's departure. With more recordings and high-profile gigs in the summer; it was clear Thunderfunk was starting to gain a lot of momentum. By August, however, it all came to a screeching halt when Ricardo DeGaia moved away to focus on his personal life. What would have been a year off turned into only two months, and Keys and 5-String decided to keep the band going.

Another fruitless search for a drummer ended up manifesting in a chance meeting between Keys and Dave Sufrin (of Jessica Speziale's band). When Dave found out Thunderfunk was looking for a drummer, he heard the music and definitely felt the vibe. Sufrin joined the band on October 3rd, 2012.

Within a week, another saxophone player surfaced, but this time his horn wasn't red; it was full of funk. Colin Sloss joined the band only three days before Thunderfunk's return to the public at the Cameron House for Indie Week October 13th, and he pulled it off!

Since Fred Lock's entrance into the band in November 2012, things have been moving quickly for Thunderfunk; venue after venue just can't enough of this indie-funk.

2013 has started with a bang thus far. There are plenty of opportunities to catch Thunderfunk at a venue near you. We can guarantee you will wanna move.