Deal Or No Deal: A Look At Indie Slacker Rock Quintet DINNER TIME & Their New Single & Music Video ‘What’s The Deal’

To my fellow-former (or current, that’s okay too) Arctic Monkeys, Wombats, Kooks, etc. fans – this band, their new single, and their upcoming album will soothe your soul. 

Atlanta-based DINNER TIME is the second life of Ian Buford’s former band, The Pellys: now, featuring Buford, Chad Miller, Alejandro Uribe, London Cameron, and Andrew Joyce, the five-piece band has kicked new life into indie rock. Fusing styles including nu-funk, slacker garage rock, and psych rock, DINNER TIME creates a sound that is vaguely familiar, but also something entirely new- and leaves you hungry for more.

Formed by a group of lifelong friends, the chemistry of the group comes through in spades within the music. Upbeat, groovy, and exciting, each of their songs is the product of enjoying spending time and being creative together, which adds a softer edge to their overall sound. 

After getting some traction with their first single, “Walden Park”, the band found it important to keep experimenting with new sounds; from this, their sophomore album Halfway Down was born. Slated for release in the fall, the band jokes that the record is a level up from their debut album, DINNER TIME; either way, it’s one to keep an eye out for.

From the upcoming album, their new single, “What’s The Deal” officially hit streaming platforms today.

Channeling a funky, indie psych-rock sound, the upbeat song sharply contrasts the darker lyrics – something the band has begun to delve into for Halfway Down. Taking a real, authentic look at life and reflecting on issues like loneliness and anxiety, the album shows the band’s growth and maturity as writers.

“What’s The Deal” is the kind of song you leave on repeat. Despite the complex groove, it’s easy listening that you can’t help but sway along to. The laid-back vocals reflect the melancholy lyrics, but the bright instrumentals have a completely different energy – a combination that reflects the bands’ sound as a whole. The track makes it clear that their efforts to continue experimenting with sounds and subjects were well worth their time, showing a new side to this multi-dimensional group.  

Genre-defying and energetic, DINNER TIME is in a league of their own; the slacker-funk hypnotic rockers have cemented themselves as a band that’ll be fun to keep up with, and leaves us excited to hear what’s next.