Since forming in 2017, Marshall Law Band (MLB), has grown from an unknown funk-hop six-piece to a lauded community collective to the house band of the Seattle Black Live Matter movement. The group’s music focuses on individual empowerment and positive community change through the filter of hard-hitting hip-hop vocals laid over funk instrumentation.
After dropping their debut EP, Nostos: A Hero’s Journey, in 2018, they immediately became a Seattle household name due to both their music and their community involvement — from their youth hip opera to their annual Christmas clothing drive. The band continued their passion for community outreach by organizing festivals like 2019’s Summer Splash Fest, which brought together 30 PNW artists and sold over 1,500 tickets, and Emerald City Gala, which sold out Neumos, Barboza, and The Runaway and filled a box truck with donations for those experiencing homelessness.
But it was one fateful decision in June of 2020 that truly began the legacy of MLB — the decision to pull up on the streets of the Seattle George Floyd protests and start playing. Setting up a makeshift stage one block from the protest line, MLB became the voice of the revolution, playing hour after hour, day after day, through tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs.
After receiving nationwide press coverage through outlets like CNN and Fox News, MLB went into the studio with legendary grunge producer Jack Endino to create their debut LP, 12th & Pine, a concept album that details their experience playing through the protests. Unable to tour due to COVID-19, MLB built their own mobile concert venue using a former parade float and drove around town bringing their music to the people — just like they did that fateful day in June. Listen to 12th & Pine on all streaming platforms, and be sure to follow the band on YouTube to catch all the latest videos, including for lead singles “Louder” and “Reel News.”
