With their laid-back, sunshiney vibes, hip-hop hooks, and reggae lilt, Dirty Heads are the ultimate festival band! Music to dance, groove, and skank to that drops lyrical truths with a deeper meaning, their music is universal and brings nothing but good energy to the crowd!
Catch them live at a show near you - tickets are available through the links below!
Saturday - Time: TBD - Granary Live - Salt Lake City, UT
Sunday - 12:00 pm - Granary Live - Salt Lake City, UT
Thursday - Time: TBD - Vinoy Park - St. Petersburg, FL
Friday - Time: TBD - Vinoy Park - St. Petersburg, FL
Sunday - 12:00 pm - Vinoy Park - St. Petersburg, FL
Friday - Time: TBD - Tempe Beach Park - Tempe, AZ
Friday - 12:00 pm - Tempe Beach Park - Tempe, AZ
Reggae rock band Dirty Heads was founded in 2006 by Jared "Dirty J" Watson and vocalist/guitarist Dustin "Duddy B" Bushnell in Orange County, CA. Having met during their first year of high school, Watson was inspired to collaborate with Bushnell on a new project after having heard a demo of him rapping. Despite Watson having no previous musical experience and Bushnell already being involved in a punk rock band, the two began writing and rehearsing together, writing hip hop songs with reggae and punk influences in Bushnell’s garage. Before finalizing their band, the duo sometimes performed with Bushnell’s older brother’s band, HB Surround Sound.
2007-2008: First demo and Any Port in a Storm
The band recorded its first seven-track demo, titled Dirty Demo, in 2007. Not long after, percussionist Jon Olazabal and bassist David Foral were added to the lineup. The group caught the attention of Rob Cavallo - the chief creative officer at Warner Bros. - who signed them to Warner Music Group. They began work on their debut album on the label but left due to creative differences. However, in the split, Dirty Heads retained the rights to their master recordings.
They then began work with producers Steve Fox and Stan Frazier (drummer from Sugar Ray) to complete their debut album. The album, Any Port in a Storm, features appearances from Billy Preston, Alex Acuna, Tippa Irie, Native Wayne, Slash, and M. Shadows. The album was mixed by Beastie Boys producer Mario C, and Lewis Richards of 17th Street Recording, and drums were laid down by Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Sublime with Rome).
To promote the album’s release the band began touring, initially in California and parts of Mexico, before beginning to tour nationally with bands including O.A.R., 311, Pepper, Kottonmouth Kings, Unwritten Law, Matisyahu, and Sublime with Rome.
"Lay Me Down", a bonus track from Any Port in a Storm that features Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome, was released in March 2010. The track topped both the Billboard Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts. It stayed on the Alternative Songs chart for 10 weeks.
2012: Cabin by the Sea
The band released "Spread Too Thin", the lead single from their album Cabin by the Sea, on March 9, 2012. The album followed on June 19, 2012, featuring guest appearances from Kymani Marley, Rome Ramirez, Matisyahu, and Del the Funky Homosapien. That summer, the band played several music festivals, including Catalpa Music Festival on Randalls Island in New York City. They also added keyboard player Shawn Hagood to their line-up, making them a six-piece.
2013: Home – Phantoms of Summer
The Dirty Heads released an acoustic version of the song "Cabin by the Sea" on July 9, 2013, as part of an acoustic series with thepier.org, who released the series as a compilation album that reached number 27 on the Billboard 200.
On July 28, 2013, The Dirty Heads played a huge hometown show at the Orange County Fair's Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California. That October, the band released an 11-track acoustic album: Home – Phantoms of Summer.
2014-2017: Sound of Change, Dirty Heads, and Swim Team
On May 6, 2014, they released the first single, "My Sweet Summer", from their album Sound of Change. Sound of Change was released on July 8, 2014, and debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200, number two on the Top Rock Albums chart, and also topped the Top Alternative Albums and Independent Albums charts.
The following March, Dirty Heads appeared on Blues Traveler's album Blow Up the Moon, co-writing the song "Castaway" and "Vagabond Blues" with Rome Ramirez.
On April 4, 2016 (4/20), the band released "That's All I Need" from their upcoming 2016 album. The self-titled album was released on July 15, 2016, and reached number 14 on the Billboard 200, as well as reaching the top 10 on five other Billboard charts.
Swim Team, the band’s sixth studio album, followed in 2017. It features The Unlikely Candidates on the song "Celebrate" and Nick Hexum of 311 on "So Glad You Made It". In early 2021, the song "Vacation" started to go viral on TikTok, appearing on many videos.
2019-present: Super Moon and The Best of Dirty Heads
Super Moon, the band’s seventh studio album, was released on August 9, 2019. To promote the release, the band toured with 311 on the 219 Unity Tour.
The Best of Dirty Heads, their first greatest hits album, was released on July 16, 2021. It includes new collaborations with Travis Barker of Blink-182, and Aimee Allen of The Interrupters.