Lettuce & The Motet Members Form MTN Lion, Announce Debut Album

By Scott Bernstein Apr 24, 2026 • 1:04 pm PDT

When the pandemic forced their main projects off the road in 2020 and 2021, drummer Adam Deitch and guitarist Adam Smirnoff of Lettuce gathered with The Motet bassist Garrett Sayers and keyboardist Joey Porter to work on new music together. The four musicians wound up recording an album entitled Stealth under the name MTN Lion and today unveiled “Turning Up The Heat,” the initial offering from a record set for release on July 24 via Golden Wolf Records.

The first meeting of the supergroup took place at Adam Deitch’s house. Porter, who recently departed The Motet, Sayers, Smirnoff and Deitch were playing at first for themselves. They then performed for a livestream before heading into the studio for what would become Stealth.

All four musicians were based in Denver and found themselves with a lot of time on their hands. “There wasn’t any reason we had to do it,” Porter says. “We just wanted to. We like playing with each other. We were all in the same spot. There was nothing happening, so we were like, let’s play some music that we love. That’s what art should be — for nothing except the art.”

Deitch also weighed in on the initial mission: “Funk for funk’s sake… for the love of the art, for the love of music and good friends.” He added, “We probably wouldn’t have even done this without the pandemic, having the wherewithal to get together with a bunch of masks on our faces and do it.”

Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff noted Stealth is a product of an unusual moment. “Because of where we were at with the pandemic, how hungry we all were to play at that time — I feel like this album captures some of that incredible hunger.”

Once the lockdown was lifted, other projects became priorities. The members of MTN Lion finally revisited the recordings after several years and were pleased with how they turned out. “We’ve been sitting on this album for almost five years,” Smirnoff said. “You’re just like, this exists — let’s put it out.”

The organic way the album came together is a testament to the top-flight musicianship included within — real instruments, no AI and complete with analog warmth. “Stealth is in line with all of MTN Lion’s influences and heroes,” Deitch explained. “From James Brown to Prince to Herbie Hancock to Marvin Gaye and Zapp. Fans of our longtime touring groups Lettuce and The Motet as well as fans of funk music will surely dig this unique quartet’s musical output. Put Stealth on at a party and watch everyone get up and dance!”

MTN Lion’s “Turning Up The Heat” is an earworm that should certainly get feet moving. Adam Deitch laid the groundwork with a memo from which Porter crafted lyrics. The song features swagger-filled guitar work from Shmeeans, Porter singing the lyrics through talkbox and vocoder, anchored by a deep pocket laid down by the dream rhythm section of Deitch and Sayers.

Preview MTN Lion’s Stealth album by streaming “Turning Up The Heat” below:

Stealth Tracklist

1. You Can Leave But It’s Going to Cost You ft. Nigel Hall
2. Turning Up The Heat
3. Funky Strummer
4. Star of the Show
5. My Time
6. Garabaldi
7. Doin It
8. The Kid