Groove Merchants EPK
LIVE VIDEOS
Real Estate
The Groove Merchants latest release, “Real Estate” was produced by Grammy award winner Phil Joly and recorded at Miner Street Recordings in the band’s home base - Fishtown, Philadelphia. The single is the Groove Merchants’ first studio recording to feature the full, 9-piece sound including Hammond Organ, horns, and backing vocals. An energetic yet poignant social commentary on occupying your mental and emotional capacity with meaningful experiences, the release is being hailed as perhaps the bands best yet and has already received major airplay on WXPN in Philly. “Real Estate” is available now on all major streaming platforms!
Live at Morgan Creek
Recorded and released during the COVID pandemic, “Live at Morgan Creek”, gives the listener a taste of what they do best, an inspired live performance. The EP recorded at Morgan Creek Farms in Quakertown, PA features a selection of three original songs as well as a cover of the Dylan classic, “I Shall Be Released”. The band stretches out and delivers one of the hottest fusions of high-energy blues, funk, soul and rock that you’ll hear today.
“While the bill touted the likes of Portugal. The Man and Vance Joy, it was Groove Merchants, a five-member funk blues band that recently owned the stage at the Radio 104.5-FM Summer Block Party.”
- Philadelphia Weekly
“The Groove Merchants: Philly funk quintet steadily grooving a path into playlists all over the country” - Philadelphia Weekly
“A big sound, funky rhythms, and stellar musicianship have become The Groove Merchants’ trademark.”
- Lehigh Valley Underground
“The video recording of The Groove Merchants performing “Midnight Mountain Queen” shows off a barely-controlled energy and the exact kind of infectious groove that their name implies.”
- WXPN - The Key
“One thing a music lover will notice about The Groove Merchants is their prowess as musicians. They are seasoned beyond their years, and are only getting better.”
- Lehigh Valley Underground
“They play with a raw ferocity that stems from that youth. In an age where most bands seem pliant in their approach to making music, GM does not play it safe…The Groove Merchants seem limitless with what they can provide musically. They are indeed, getting it done.”
- WCHE West Chester Radio
BIO
Founded in 2012, out of the practice rooms and Main Street basements of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania by lead vocalist Tye Vallone, lead guitarist Luke Ferracone, and bassist John Evin Groome, the band discovered their chemistry almost instantly. Twisting in elements of blues, funk and soul resulting in a revival of authentic performance, The Groove Merchants have been pushing that sound forward ever since.
During the pandemic, the band was fortunate enough to release its first ever live EP, “Live at Morgan Creek.” Recorded live at Morgan Creek Farms in Quakertown, PA, and produced by organist Mark Brown of LA-based jazz/funk outift Hambone Relay, the project reimagines some of the best songs from their third studio album, “The Throne,” as well as a cover of Bob Dylan’s classic, “I Shall Be Released.” Featuring Brown on organ, a powerful horn section and backup vocalists, the record has garnered critical acclaim in publications such as Philadelphia Weekly and The Key and has received airplay on WXPN as they band continues to spread its roots in the greater Philadelphia area.
The group now boasts a driving a 9-piece lineup ideal for larger stages featuring Josh Maskornick on drums, Mike Talento on Tenor Sax, Jimmy Boyle on Trumpet, John Bickel on Hammond Organ, and Brie Parry & Jenny Founds on backing vocals. This full-bodied, energetic, and soulful sound can be heard on the Groove Merchants’ latest release, “Real Estate.” Recorded in the band’s home of Fistown, Philadelphia at Miner Street Recordings, the single is being hailed as potentially the group’s best yet. Produced by Grammy-winner Phil Joly and mastered by Colin Bryson out of The Bunker/Electric Lady Studios in NYC, the song has already received major airplay on WXPN Philadelphia and NPR affiliate WDIY in Bethlehem.
The band has performed sets at the historic Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, PA, 118 North on Philadelphia’s Main Line, The Grape Room in Manayunk, PA, the Midnight Mountain Music Show in Blakeslee, PA, hosted by country group Mason Porter, and Octoberfest in Medford, NJ. The Groove Merchants also maintain a strong Lehigh Valley presence with yearly appearances at Blues, Brews, and BBQ in Allentown, PA, Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, and hosting the annual Lehigh Valley Turkey Jam at SteelStacks. The group is also set to make its debut at the famous Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA supporting world-renowned Talking Heads tribute act Start Making Sense in late 2025.
Celebrate what happens when The Groove Merchants control the room. With each performance, the band strives to create an energy that lies inside intimate clubs and transcends past large stages. Once The Groove Merchants show up, expect relentless, soulful energy and a belief in connecting beyond music.
Contact
groovemerchantsbooking@gmail.com
Listening-Post Music
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