Fat Freddy's Drop

Fat Freddy's Drop is a seven-piece band from Wellington, New Zealand, known for blending dub reggae with soul-jazz, funk and electronic elements. Formed in the late 1990s out of the city's live music scene, the group is fronted by vocalist Joe Dukie alongside producer and trumpeter DJ Fitchie, with a distinctive horn section of saxophone, trumpet and trombone anchoring their sound.

The band built its reputation through improvisational live shows, where songs evolve organically through extended jams before being refined into studio recordings — a process that gives their music its loose, groove-driven, dub-heavy character. Their 2005 album Based on a True Story won Best Album at the New Zealand Music Awards and helped establish them as one of the country's most successful and internationally recognized acts, later earning the New Zealand Music Award for International Achievement in 2016.

Over the years they have continued to evolve their sound toward a more electronic feel, as heard on releases like Bays, named after their home studio in Wellington. Live, the band expands with an eighth member, MC Slave, and their sprawling, hypnotic sets have made them a fixture of festival stages well beyond New Zealand.