The Jauntee is a band that hails from Boston but in their specific environment, which allows their music to thrive. Three fourths of the band went to Berklee School of Music, adding to their knowledge of music composition and their ability to produce their unique sound. I chatted with keyboardist Tyler Adams and drummer Scott Ferber as they prepare for a Florida Run that you do not want to miss.
So you guys are off today?
Tyler: Yea we’ve got a couple days off after the first weekend of shows.
How did the first weekend go?
Tyler: It’s been going good. We’ve had some great shows so far. Had a good opener in New York. Had a great hometown show in Gettysburg and the Reading on Saturday was good. Philly on Sunday was a pleasant surprise as well.
Nice! Any moments thus far that stick out more than others?
Scott: There’s one thing that comes to mind. Our guitarist is from Gettysburg, PA so it’s kind of a hometown vibe there, which is cool. We played at a new spot and did an acoustic set, which we don’t do very often and is really fun to do. Tyler got to play mandolin, as well as some other instruments. It was definitely a unique experience for us.
So I meet your manager Erwin in New York and he tells me that Tyler’s from Florida. Is that right?
Tyler: Yep! I was born and raised in Sarasota, FL.
Scott where are you from?
Scott: I’m from Minneapolis.
So Berklee is the reason that you guys are together.
Scott: Yea three of the four of us went to Berklee. Our bass player didn’t go to Berklee but the other three of us did. But our bass player went to school in Boston as well so we all met in Boston.
How has Berklee helped influence The Jauntee?
Scott: I think all of us have gained a lot of music theory knowledge in general as well as other technical skills that we all apply to songwriting.
Tyler: I’d say our influences have always been the same throughout it though. We’ve always liked funky jazz-fusion and obviously Phish is the common thread.
Other than Phish, what are your influences?
Tyler: We’re all pretty into jazz-fusion. We all love Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, John Scofield and all that stuff. A couple of us are into hip-hop and R&B as well. And also bluegrass; we draw a lot of influence from that as well. Really we all believe that there is good music in every genre so we draw from all of it.
Tyler is there anything you’re looking forward to during your homecoming back to Florida?
Tyler: Yea I’m looking forward to the show at Skipper’s Smokehouse because it’s the closest show to Sarasota and my family will be there. So that will be a good one for me.
Scott: Isn’t that the venue you played before?
Tyler: Yea I played Skipper’s a couple times when I was in high school. Not as a headlining performance but more of a daytime, radio festival kind of thing, but I’ve always dreamed of coming back to that venue. It’s good to finally make it happen.
Do you guys, as a group, have anything you’re in particular you’re looking forward to with this summer tour coming up?
Tyler: Really just the whole thing. We’re just excited to share our music with everybody. One of the big things that’s going to help us do that is the new album we’re recording. It’s going to be my first album playing for The Jauntee and it’s also going be a special one because it will be the first time we’ve recorded an album live and in front of an audience. It’s going to be in Cambridge, MA, just outside of Boston, on July 12th and 13th. It’s going to be open to the public and it’s going to be a live recording experience with a bunch of fans and friends there.
That sounds like a great experience and one that will add a different element to the album. Hey thanks so much for taking some time to speak with me! We truly appreciate at Florida Music Blog.
Tyler: Thanks so much for having us. We look forward to meeting you next week in Jacksonville.
