7Horse

A two-man band conjuring their own unique variation on blues and roots rock, 7Horse are an offshoot of the popular alternative rock band Dada, with group members Joie Calio and Phil Leavitt stepping up with a new sound and approach. In 7Horse, Leavitt tackles drums and lead vocals, while Calio, who plays bass in Dada, shows off his skills on guitar. Aiming for a raw sound and a direct approach, 7Horse began when Calio and Leavitt began swapping ideas for songs back and forth during downtime from Dada. In 2011, when Dada found themselves with some leftover studio time, Calio and Leavitt took advantage of the situation and quickly knocked out 7Horse's debut album, Let the 7Horse Run. The duo initially supported the release opening for Dada on tour before hitting the road with a run of headlining club shows, and in 2013, the band's profile and prestige got a major boost when filmmaker Martin Scorsese chose to use the 7Horse tune "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" in his 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street. (The song also made it into one of the film's trailers and appeared on the soundtrack album.) The film's success made a new audience aware of 7Horse and their music, and in 2014, Calio and Leavitt returned with Songs for a VooDoo Wedding, a second effort that more deeply explored the duo's interest in country music.