The Heavy Pets are an American jam band based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, renowned for their funk, jazz and reggae-infused brand of rock and roll.

Currently, the group is composed of guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli, keyboardist Jim Wuest, bassist Chris Patsis, and drummer Jamie Newitt.

[2] Lloyd and Wuest played regular gigs together with bassist Robert "Chops" Froehlich and Syracuse University drummer Kinyatta King under the name My Friends Band, but the group disbanded after 2003.

[5] In 2004 Lloyd got a call from former Heavy Pets bassist Joe Dupell, who had moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to start an internet marketing company.

[4] The lineup changed several times after the release of Whale, with drummer Jamie Newitt joining the group just before 2008 Langerado Music Festival, right before a heavy summer touring schedule.

Dupell left the band suddenly in late 2008, and bassists Mark White of the Spin Doctors and Felix Pastorious (son of Jaco Pastorius) began moonlighting at shows.

The Heavy Pets donated a portion of proceeds from Swim Out Past The Sun sales between its release and the band's inaugural voyage upon Jam Cruise in support of Positive Legacy's community outreach projects in Haiti.

As a Multi-Platinum award winner, some of Matthews' previous projects have included Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Joey Ramone, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Steve Perry, Ry Cooder and Neil Young.

Featuring a three song sit-in by longtime Jerry Garcia collaborator David Grisman, Swim Out Past The Sun was again produced by Scott Mathews and mastered by Vlado Meller.

Following the success of their first in the series, Two Horses, the Pets stuck to the same formula of tracking and mixing close to home at South Florida's Power Station Recording Studios.

Mike Garulli's "Movie Star" debuted live as a bluegrass/Americana number before getting shelved, reworked and recorded as a catchy indie pop tune with an abundance of witty lyricism.

Jim Wuest's double-headed "Dewpoint" commemorates a friend's success in a poker tournament and kicks off with a serious funk groove paralleling the ups-and-downs of the game before taking off into a celebratory disco dance party.

Stolen Smile, the third in a series of self-produced EPs with tracking and mixing completed at South Florida's Power Station Recording Studios on the release which again showcases the work from multiple THP contributors.