On Time and in the Moment

From the music-spectrum-spanning hotbed of Austin, by way of Denton, Texas, soul-funk revivalists Mingo Fishtrap have carved out a name for themselves during the past decade. But it seems the eight-piece is just hitting a career-defining stride and finding their creative comfort zone. Fronted by
songwriter/producer/vocalist/guitarist Roger Blevins Jr., this collective is partially a family affair, as Roger Blevins Sr. holds down bass duties. Their most recent studio effort, On Time, is a melodically effervescent, dynamic and loose output, reflective of a song-a-day process that focused on “record[ing] as much as possible live” and, according to Blevins Jr., that made it “much easier to kinda create that picture while you’re recording than trying to fight sounds that are already tracked.” For many years, Mingo Fishtrap flew under the radar outside of the jam scene and their more localized circles, but the band seems to finally be getting their due after a “busy, great summer” that included “a lot of firsts” and a string of dates with veteran Louisiana singer-songwriter Marc Broussard. The spontaneity of the band’s shows and On Time’s recording process have kept things fresh while they navigate the early turns of their roller-coaster career. At this moment, it seems all the hard work is paying off and fans should be on the lookout for a live album in the near future.