We started doing instrumentals almost as an accident. Charlie, AC, and myself would get together and work on tunes with the idea that they were going to have a singer, but after a few rehearsals it became clear that keeping it instrumental opened up a lot of new possibilities. Since then and since Isaac joined the band we’ve been learning as we go and figuring out different ways to approach it. We’re a live band though, there are some electronics coming from AC’s keyboard rig and Isaac’s drum pad and we’ve recently begun incorporating those textures.
What’s the A-Z for your songwriting process? Collaborative? Where is the best song written?
There really is no set blueprint we use for writing a song. It could be all written out by one person and brought to the band or it could be something more collaborative. Lately, we’ve been piecing things together on the road as a band so there’s been a lot more collaboration. I’ve written some of my favorite songs just being at home in my apartment. Anywhere that I can just get away and not be distracted really helps, but learning to write on the road has become more necessary lately.
How do you see the band growing and evolving over the next few years, inside and outside the studio?
The more shows we play the tighter we get. Over the years we’ve been thrown into a lot of different situations where we had to adapt. All of that is part of the growing experience. Now it seems like we have a better grasp on how to lock in no matter where we are or what the situation. We’ve also been writing a lot, and being able to incorporate new material into the sets really opens up new possibilities. The studio always has us coming out really excited to hit the road again because we can hone things in in a way that is different from the road.
How’d the band get together? Any common musical backgrounds that drive the band?
Charlie, AC, and myself grew up together. We met in middle school and started playing music way back then. Charlie met Isaac while going to college in New York City and we put the band together with him almost four years ago now. What’s great is we do all have somewhat different musical backgrounds in terms of what we grew up listening to. That’s a huge part of what gives us our sound. I might bring a song in thinking it’s going to have a straight rock feel, but then Isaac will put his spin on it and all of a sudden it becomes something different and something that belongs to the band.
Are there any particular themes or major ideas from ‘HEADROOM’? How has your music overall evolved since you released Pull Factors?
HEADROOM was our first chance to show people what we do live on an album. Most of the songs are from our previous studio albums but there’s also a new song, “Rainwalk,” and a few covers. We really wanted to just show people how the studio songs could be expanded upon in a live situation and also show the energy that is there at the shows.
Interview by Alexa Donner, all questions answered by Matt Jalbert (guitar). Catch TAUK at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver on Oct. 16th and at the Fox Theatre on Oct. 17th. Find tickets here