Fitz & The Tantrums
by Samantha Ward
This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.
Fitz and the Tantrums were thrust into the music spotlight with a whirlwind of success and exposure since their humble beginnings in 2008. The dapper retro-style group makes its voice heard through its unique pop sound and irresistible beats. Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz) wails out their repertoire along with the spunky Noelle Scaggs. James King soulfully adds the sounds of saxophone, flute, trumpet, and harmonica while Joseph Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna, and John Wicks join with bass guitar, keyboards, and percussion, respectively. I spoke on the phone with King as the band traveled to North Carolina.
King met Fitz at the California Institute of Art in Los Angeles, where the band originated. The school was a conservatory-type institution for art, dance, music, and a variety of other creative disciplines. At the time, Fitz was part of the film program and studying to become a director while King was in the jazz performance program. “I always saw him hanging around in the music department,” King laughed. “I thought, ‘What’s this guy doing here?’ I’m sure there were film classes going on, but it turned out that he was more interested in music.” The two remained friends, and when King got a call asking him to lay down horn tracks on some new pieces Fitz had created, he was immediately on board.
These pieces would later become the preliminary tracks for Fitz and the Tantrums. As good friends as they were, King admitted, “Had I not thought that the songs had a life and potential, I would have stuck with it… I really believed in those songs.” His musical intuitions were further supported with the addition of the animated Noelle Scaggs. King had worked with her on a couple of hip-hop and film projects, and knew that she would “fit right in” with the group. The other musicians were all acquaintances and had previously worked with each other. “We knew each other going in, which is a great advantage,” King commented. “It’s one of those things where it kind of melted together the way you wanted it to right away.” The cohesion of the band led to the natural development of their unique approach to music.
Fitz and the Tantrums’ music has a style all its own. The band takes a 60s vibe and modernizes it into a sound that can only be described as addictive. King claims that Motown and the retro mid-60s and 50s were certainly a jumping off point for the group. He revealed they are “kind of rolling all these influences into something we feel is current and needed right now.” As a saxophone player he has been trained to embody this type of music. The soulful melodies that the band has become known for are right up his alley.
In terms of style, he claimed that really good songwriting creates the notable “style” of the music that they play. He elaborated that artists like David Bowie and the movement of new age 80s music inspire the lyrical prowess of the group. They believe that good songwriting is really worth the time and effort. “Even if we’re doing that just a little bit, then we’re doing what we’re supposed to,” said King. “People can take out of our music whatever they want. There’s a lot in there.”
Their broad range of support proves that people do just that. The band’s concerts attract a broad mix of ages, styles, and attitudes towards music. “It’s kind of all over the map,” King commented. “I’ve been really impressed with the wide demographic of people that we’ve drawn.” In the past he has played with hip-hop, funk, and other genres that tend to draw a very specific following. He shared, “We had a show in Philly where there was actually three generations of a family that had come out, and they had all independently been interested in our music.” The mixed crowd coming together around music is a heartwarming experience for the entire group.
This large following is not surprising, because when these individuals get on stage, they move with power. Scaggs and Fitz interact and groove to the music with seemingly unlimited energy while the other musicians play with a more collected concentration and nearly perfect rhythm. King revealed that the key to their energy is “lots of red bull and five hour energy” along with the vibes from the audience. He claimed that it feels like the audience “powers them up” so that they can really get into the music.
The group recorded their debut album Pickin’ Up the Pieces, a funky collection of hand-clapping, energetic songs, in Fitz’s living room. Some of the most popular tracks are “MoneyGrabber,” a fast-paced number with vibrant horns and a catchy chorus, and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out,” a slightly slower piece showing off the silky voices of both Fitz and Scaggs. Recording songs like these in a home studio allowed them to spend hours cutting the album and perfecting the smallest details while recording. This home court advantage worked in their favor when the album was released in June 2010 and made its way to number one on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. Most recently, they have performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and are currently touring around the United States.
As Fitz and the Tantrums tour, their album continues to grow. “It really had kind of morphed into a different thing,” said King, referring to their time spent with these songs. While performing, King uses his expertise to experiment with the music and pick out which pieces of the recorded numbers are most crucial to play live, whether it’s the harmony with the keyboard player or a specific rhythmic pattern that gets the crowd jumping. Playing live shows for so many audiences allows the songs to take on a different life as the band notes the crowd’s responses. “They translate into a different piece of art,” King said. “It’s really satisfying to have that contact with an audience.” The group will often go back and listen to their music only to realize that the songs have completely transformed.
When asked about the whirlwind of fame surrounding the Tantrums, King could only respond, “I couldn’t have imagined that it would have caught fire this fast.” The entire group is surprised and honored every day with the momentum of their music. Currently they are focusing on giving the best performances they can while brainstorming and writing their second record with any free time they can find, whether this be during sound checks or travel. They will be in studio recording their sophomore album in early 2012.
