Trio Subtonic

Trio Subtonic is a genre bending power trio out of Portland that blends groove heavy funk, experimental soundscapes and souring soul jazz. Led by keyboardist Galen Clark, Subtonic explores a dynamic range of original compositions and reimagined covers, with an emphasis on improvisation and pushing genre boundaries. The band features Micah Hummel (Anna Tivel, Quickly Quickly) on drums and Bill Athens (Three Leg Torso) on bass.

Galen Clark is a keyboardist, songwriter, producer and educator based in Portland, OR. He leads the soul funk collective Outer Orbit and the groove heavy genre bending band Trio Subtonic and is currently touring with Anna Tivel, Sleater-Kinney, Outer Orbit, Sarah Clarke and Patterns Fly.  Galen worked on several notable albums released in 2021 including Outer Orbit's (self-titled) debut album, Sleater-Kinney's Path of Wellness and co-produced Anna Tivel's Blue World. 

Bill Athens is an accomplished performer on both double bass and electric bass, having worked as a professional musician for over 20 years in the Pacific Northwest. Currently a member of the eclectic chamber music group 3 Leg Torso and the funky Jazz power trio Trio Subtonic, Bill has performed with the Rose City Chamber Orchestra, the Tacoma Symphony, Bel Canto Northwest and with local Jazz luminaries such as: Michael Raynor, Chris Brown, Dan Balmer, Mel Brown, George Colligan, Nancy King, Tom Grant and a host of others. He has also performed and/or recorded with international artists: Dominique Eade, Seamus Blake, Byron Stripling, Dave Pietro, Ben Wendell, Greg Ward II, Laura Veirs, Stephen Malkmus and Sleater-Kinney.


Micah is a seasoned jazz drummer gone rogue. After finishing his music degree in 2016, he started branching out of the jazz idioms and found himself playing nearly every style of music under the moon. Since graduating school, he has traveled all over the world to share his artistic voice with artists such as quickly, quickly, George Colligan, Anna Tivel, Jarrod Lawson, and Sama Dams to name a few. Although his jazz roots are always present in his sound, Micah is a truly versatile drummer that has let his curiosity in a vast variety of genres guide his musical path.  After moving to the PNW, Micah has become one of the top call drummers for many genres. Whether you hear him on quickly, quickly's debut singer-songwriter album or Anna Tivel's experimental tender folk records, you will recognize his jazz-adjacent sound on over 25 recorded projects.

https://www.triosubtonic.net/