Tantric (band)
| Tantric | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Genres | Post-grunge, hard rock |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels |
Maverick Records (1999–2006) Silent Majority Group (2007–2009) Pavement (2013-present) |
| Associated acts | Days of the New, Hurtsmile, Austin Winkler, Shooter Jennings, Kid Rock |
| Website | www.tantricrockband.com |
| Members |
Hugo Ferreira TJ Taylor Derek Isaacs Scott Wilson |
| Past members |
Todd Whitener Jesse Vest Joey Stamper Kevin McCreery Matt Taul Bruce LaFrance Kevin Miller Kevin Figueiredo Joe Pessia Erik Leonhardt Marcus Ratzenboeck Richie Monica John Brian (live 37 Channels tour only) |
Tantric is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group was founded in 1999 by former Days of the New members Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest and Matt Taul, later recruiting Hugo Ferreira as their lead singer. Altogether Tantric has released six studio albums and one EP Tantric (2001), After We Go (2004), The End Begins (2008), Broken Down...Live in the Poconos (2008), Mind Control (2009) and 37 Channels (2013).
Tantric released their latest album Blue Room Archives, on September 30, 2014.
Formation
After leaving Days of the New in November 1998 guitarist Todd Whitener, bassist Jesse Vest, and drummer Matt Taul reached out to Massachusetts native Hugo Ferreira (formerly of the band Merge) in early 1999 to see if he would be interested in starting a new project together. The former Days of the New members had previously met Ferreira during a tour and admired his distinct baritone voice. By March that year, the four had their first practice together upon Ferreira's move to Nashville. The band started under the name C-14 but soon changed their name to Tantric. With the help of friends in Louisville radio, the band quickly gained local exposure.
Tantric 2000-2003
By late 2000, Tantric's demo caught the attention of Maverick Records who signed them that same year. The band quickly began recording their self–titled debut with producer Toby Wright in Nashville. The album was released on February 13, 2001, it spawned three singles "Breakdown", "Astounded" and "Mourning" The album debuted at #193 on the Billboard 200 chart, it eventually peaked at #71. By mid 2002 the album had sold over 600,000 copies. It would later go on to sell over 1,000,000 copies achieving the platinum status. The band went on a headlining tour in early 2001, then went on tour with 3 Doors Down and Lifehouse from April to August of the same year to support the album. The band also toured with Kid Rock and Creed to support the album as well. The album is Tantric's most successful album to date.
In June 2002 the band contributed the song Cross the Line for the NASCAR: Crank It Up compilation album.
After We Go 2003-2005
After a frustrating recording session and pressure from the label, Tantric released their first single "Hey Now" from their second studio album titled After We Go on December 9, 2003. After We Go was released on February 24, 2004. Toby Wright came back as the main producer for the album. The album debuted at #56 on the Billboard 200 chart but quickly lost momentum. Three singles were released from the album including the lead single "Hey Now", followed by "The Chain" and "After We Go". The album has gone on to sell over 200,000 copies. Fairing well citing that many copies of the album were illegally downloaded off the internet. After We Go would be Tantric's final release for Maverick Records.
Tantric III 2005-2007
In 2005, bassist Jesse Vest left the group, wishing to spend more time with his family. He was replaced by Bruce LaFrance through mutual friend and touring band member Kevin McCreery. With Elliott Blakey in the producer's chair, Tantric worked on the follow up to After We Go, tentatively titled Tantric III, and scheduled for a May 2006 release. The band finished over a dozen songs for the album such as "People," "Worth Waiting For," "Stay With You," "Locked Out," and Whitener's lead singing performance, "July." Complications arose in March 2006, when Tantric parted ways with Maverick Records, which itself was collapsing.
In 2007, Matt Taul was arrested on drug related charges, which would further complicate the band's obtaining a new label. Finally, on May 8, 2007, the release of three songs from Tantric III on the band's MySpace was largely overshadowed by Todd Whitener's farewell announcement on the band's website, which cited a feeling of stagnation that caused him to grow tired of the band's struggle to succeed. Ferreira later said in interviews that Whitener, as well as other members of the band had grown frustrated with the band's record label complications. Taul was sent to prison in later months, but has since been released. Bruce LaFrance was working with Whitener on a side project, called "Interchange" and Ferreira's "State Of The Art" side project which eventually became the new Tantric. LaFrance opted out of State Of The Art staying on with Whitener. To this day Tantric III remains unreleased but some songs have since leaked, being able to find them on YouTube.
The End Begins 2007-2008
Disappointed but headstrong in late 2007 Hugo Ferreira began searching for new bandmates. He enlisted former Fuel drummer Kevin Miller and, through mutual friend Nuno Bettencourt, Dramagods bassist/ShredKing Joe Pessia. Erik Leonhardt would become bassist and Marcus Ratzenboeck rounded out the new Tantric lineup with the electric violin. Shortly thereafter, the band announced their deal with the independent label Silent Majority Group and their new management company JHMP.
Because Ferreira remained the only original member, Tantric III had been shelved. Ferreira has said the reasoning for this, other than the logical label complications, was he did not want to produce an album under the Tantric name that was partially written by Whitener and Taul.[1] With the indefinite shelving of Tantric III Ferreira and his new mates recorded 10 new songs, in addition to a totally revamped version of "The One" featuring Kevin Martin of Candlebox that was originally intended to be on Tantric III, and finally released Tantric's third album titled The End Begins on April 22, 2008. Its lead single, "Down and Out" gained radio success and strongly exhibited the band's new violinist. On January 13, 2009 the band re-released The End Begins with a digital deluxe edition, the deluxe edition included an acoustic version of "Down and Out" and the newly recorded version of "Fall Down" which was intended to be released on Tantric III. Since its release the album has sold well over 70,000 copies.
Mind Control 2009-2013
After touring in support of The End Begins, drummer Kevin Miller departed and was replaced by Richie Monica. On March 9, 2009, Tantric announced the recording of their fourth album. Mind Control was released on August 4, 2009 and marked the dismissal of producer Toby Wright in favor of former touring Creed bassist Brett Hestla. Though spawning two singles "Mind Control" and "Coming Undone" the album lacked success and did not fare as well as their previous albums. "Coming Undone" peaked at number 31 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. Mind Control would be Tantric's last album on their label Silent Majority Group.
From 2010 through early 2013 the lineup changed multiple times, leaving Hugo Ferreira the only sole member of the band. In 2010 Ferreira announced on Tantric's official Facebook page that he has started gearing up for a new Tantric album.
On November 23, 2010 Hugo Ferreira released a cover of the Christmas song "Carol of the Bells" digitally in the iTunes Store, making it the first and only time to date that Ferreira released music under his name and not Tantric's.
In an interview with Music Junkie Press in the summer of 2013 Hugo Ferreira revealed that he did all the writing and musical production on the new upcoming album titled 37 Channels himself except where noted, he stated it was his ultimate baby and that he was fully in charge and saw every aspect over the record, he also stated it took him over three years to completely get the record finished. He also revealed in the same interview that he waited till the album was 100% done before signing to a label because he did not want the record company in control of the record's sound or style.
On August 8, 2013 it was officially announced that Tantric was signed to Pavement Entertainment and would release 37 Channels on September 17, 2013. It was also announced that Hugo Ferreira was the only sole member of the band at the time of the album's recording and release.
37 Channels 2013-2014
On August 8, 2013 it was officially announced via Pavement Entertainment that Tantric would be releasing their fifth album studio album on September 17, 2013. Hugo Ferreira remained the only sole member on Tantric at the time of the album's recording and release. Hugo recruited Austin Winkler, Shooter Jennings, Leif Garrett and David '2B' Mouser for guest vocals on the album, Kenny Olson (Kid Rock) and Kevin McCreery was brought it to do the lead guitar on the album, Scott Bartlett, Hugo Ferreira himself and Johnny K. was in charge for secondary guitar on the album, Kevin McCreery was in charge for the rhythm guitar on the album, Gary Morse was in charge for the pedal steel guitar on the album. Greg Upchurch and Emanuel Cole was in charge for drums on the album, John Abel and Hugo Ferreira himself was in charge of bass on the album and Hugo played the piano on the album himself as well. The album faced fairly well reviews debuting at its peak position at #24 on the US Hard Rock albums charts. Soon after the release of the album in the fall of 2013 Hugo recruited drummer TJ Taylor, bassist Scott Wilson and guitarist Derek Isaacs and went on to tour in support of 37 Channels. Since then they have became official members of the band.
Blue Room Archives 2014-Present
On August 1, 2014 the band announced on their official Facebook page that they would be releasing a new album called Blue Room Archives on September 30, 2014. The album will contain seven previously unreleased songs that was spanned throughout the band's career and newly recorded acoustic versions of their two biggest hits "Breakdown" and "Mourning" along with two new remixes of their previously released songs "Mind Control" and "Fall To The Ground" totaling 11 tracks altogether. The album will be released via Pavement Entertainment. To help promote the album the band is offering pre-orders that are signed by front man Hugo Ferreira for $20.00USD. The offer ended on September 1, 2014.
The band revealed the title of the album came from the band's home studio that they named "The Blue Room".
Lead vocalist and front man Hugo Ferreira comments: "This isn't so much a premeditated album, but a collection of music I have done that I always loved extremely but never found a place for. It's songs in their purest form, no flashy production or elaborate theme. Imagine it as a mix tape of songs I wrote or co-wrote that stand alone uniquely. A inside view of the other side of a tantric state of mind."
On August 28, 2014 the band released the first single off the album titled "Cynical" via Soundcloud.
"Blue Room Archives" was released on September 30, 2014 as planned, making it the release of their sixth studio album.
Musical style
Tantric is often categorized as post-grunge and is known for its emphasis on acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, and multi-layered vocal harmonies. However, due to their heaviness, the band also fit in well during the early 2000s peak of alternative and nu metal. In their early career, Tantric was frequently compared to Days of the New, from which its original guitarist, bassist, and drummer derived. However, the group also gained strong comparison—and in some cases, criticism—to grunge forerunners Alice in Chains. This is by no means coincidence; famed record producer Toby Wright, who handled Tantric's first three albums, also produced two Alice in Chains albums as well as the solo debut of their principal songwriter, Jerry Cantrell. Wright is known for emphasizing multi-tracked vocal harmonies and other characteristics demonstrated in both bands.
However, since the departure of all but Tantric's vocalist from the original lineup, as well as the inclusion of electric violinist Marcus Ratzenboeck, the band's musical approach has evolved. Songs predating Ratzenboeck's inclusion in Tantric have since been performed live with violin, and the altered backing band has provided a shift in musical direction.
Discography
Albums
- Tantric (2001)
- After We Go (2004)
- The End Begins (2008)
- Broken Down...Live in the Poconos (2008)
- Mind Control (2009)
- 37 Channels (2013)
- Blue Room Archives (2014)
See also
- Live in the X Lounge - a charity album to which Tantric contributed live performances.
References
- ↑ "Hugo Ferreira Interview on Type 3 Media". Retrieved 2008-03-10.
External links
- Tantric at Twitter
- Tantric at MySpace
- Tantric at Purevolume
- Tantric at DMOZ
- Hugo interview on MT
- Interview with Marcus Ratzenboeck on IronCityRocks.com
- Tantric Live private performance in Orlando 6/30/08
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