John Trupp wears a lot of hats, and not just on stage. He is a musician, songwriter, producer, graphic artist, web designer, videographer, impresario, and an all around family man. John is a native of Washington, DC and has been very active in its music scene. Early on, he joined New Potato Caboose, a nationally touring group that got signed to Rykodisc Records and did extensive touring, playing the finest 600 to 1000 seat halls of the east coast. He was a prominent songwriter on their release that sold tens of thousands of CDs (and albums) and performed over 200 shows per year up and down the coast. NPC still performs today, though a bit less frequently.

After NPC, John formed The True – a modern funk-rock ensemble with memorable hooks and a killer live stage show. The True acquired a development deal with MCA and did regular regional touring. Around that same period, John began frequently recording on albums with Grammy winner John Alagia and super producer Doug Derryberry at their highly successful studio and performed on countless CDs with various artists. He also performed with their band live and on their excellent CD Reinvigorating the Wheel. 

When the internet boomed John and his wife Kathy formed Metro Graphics and became heavily involved in web design and graphic design. Also, having gained a considerable amount of studio experience, John started producing records. He joined Radio Mosaic, a band made up of NPC members and produced, mostly wrote, and performed on their 2 CD releases “Roll” and “Look Around.”

He made a solo record called “Beware of the Dogma” while in between The True and Radio Mosaic and also made another CD called Karma Electric where he produced, performed and wrote all the music and, of course, designed the CD. John also has many songs placed in movies and televison including The Young and the Restless, The Bride and the Grooms, and Wetlands Preserved. John was also involved with numerous video productions for MHz and Exuberant TV while working with Grammy winner Scott Shuman.

While raising a family, he continued to develop Metro Graphics, settled into playing weddings, corporate events, and clubs with Soul Gravity, and started wearing more hats. He produced, mostly wrote, and performed on Soul Gravity’s release “Crazy Twist of Fate.” He has won numerous graphics accolades including for the 700 page book Super House, a first-place winner of the Benjamin Franklin Awards, and named a Book of the Year at the 2016 American Library Association convention. John has also designed many book covers and author websites and has provided world-class consulting and sales support, including co-producing drive-time radio campaigns and directing marketing plans. In his role as a graphics and marketing professional, John has been essential in the success of many product marketing and corporate advertising campaigns as both graphic/web designer and performing social media outreach. He is an expert in business branding and related corporate materials, public signage, and has also designed and assisted in the planning of numerous museum displays and traveling exhibits. He has won an array of Washington Area Music Association awards for graphics and music performance. John very much enjoys and appreciates connecting his graphics and marketing expertise with his music roots.

John has been fortunate to perform many thousands of concerts on many of the east coasts finest stages. Currently, John performs with numerous acts playing the better venues and festivals of the region. He performs many solo and duo shows at wineries, festivals, music venues, and even cruise ships. He continues to perform with NPC and Soul Gravity, and even performs along side a DJ with Jamology for a very new energetic sound. He also performs regularly with upbeat up and coming children’s act King Bullfrog.

John recently got back together with John Alagia and forged a new album project with New Potato Caboose. Alagia produced the album and also brought in a talented team from the Red Light Management/DMB family, including engineering wizard Jeff Moxley (Blues Traveler, Plain White T’s, The Chainsmokers) and L.A. mastering ace Whynot Jansveld (The Wallflowers, Sara Bareilles, Crash Test Dummies). The band and production team lived and recorded together at Haunted Hollow, Dave Matthews’ private studio and music playground in the beautiful Charlottesville, VA countryside. The final product is It Ain’t a Thing, a snapshot that manages to capture both NPC’s origins and the magic that is happening now. The album is charting and getting airplay around the country.

John is a member of the Recording Academy (The Grammys), is a board member emeritus of the Songwriters Association of Washington (SAW), and does community service through affiliations with Rotary International (where he has won numerous Paul Harris awards). He also does a significant amount of studio work as a musician and producer, hosts and promotes concerts, and develops new talent in the region.

And let’s not forget, John is still the unofficial mayor of Derwood.