Interview: In Depth with Colorado Jam Band The Buzz on New Music, Local Heroes, and Their Evolving Sound
Photo by Carmen Housecat Photography
Colorado Jam Band The Buzz has been making quite the buzz (you knew I had to) over the past few years in the scene! I was lucky enough to see these guys play with Profetic Calaveras at Moe’s BBQ in Englewood for their Halloween show this year. Seeing The Buzz live is quite an exprience, with many highs and lows to their music that draw you in and keep you captivated for their entire set. I’m so excited that I got to ask these guys a few questions and Tom and Methiah gave me some great answers with insight into what drives their music, what their biggest dreams are, and what we can look forward to in 2022 from The Buzz. These guys have hearts of gold and they’re incredibly gifted musicians - so it’s easy to see why they’re on the upward trajectory. Enjoy their interview below, and don’t forget to check out their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify for upcoming show dates and announcements!
How long have you been playing music as a band? How did the band come together?
We've been playing for a year now with Tom in the band and since 2019 as a project. The band came together when our keyboardist (Stephen) and front man (Methiah) moved from Ohio to the front range and started looking for local players. After a few member changes, Methiah met our guitarist (Jason) and the band really began to take shape. Our dedicated other guitarist (Carter) played a few roles in the band before settling on guitar when we finally found Tom. Now we're really coming into our sound and getting comfortable.
-Methiah
Photo by Rocky Montaño Photography
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music?
We are a jam band that is heavily influenced by Rock ‘n Roll and Funk Music. We are big fans of bands like Phish and The Grateful Dead, so incorporating improvisation into our music is a huge focal point of our sound. A lot of times, the improvisational sections are the most exciting and satisfying moments for both us and the audience, so we try to incorporate a lot of live improvisation into our songs. We make loud and upbeat funk rock songs to make you want to dance.
-Tom
How has your music evolved over the past few years?
When we started in 2019, we had a very hard rock and roll/funk sound with peaking high pitched vocals. It was great, but constantly keeping the listener on the edge. As we've gotten more comfortable as a project and developed more as musicians we've learned to create more tension and release, not only in the live improvisational parts but in our songwriting as well. Our new music has a lot more peaks and valleys and it flows more than our older tunes and I think you'll really hear that in the future with our sound.
-Methiah
What inspires you to make the music that you do?
Personally, my love for playing music is the driving inspiration behind my art. I have been playing music my whole life and it is my favorite thing to do, so honestly it's hard to keep away. Being the newest addition to the band, me and my bandmates shared musical taste and passion for evolving as musicians is what pushes me to create more art. I am lucky to have met up with this group of guys who push me to be a better musician and have become my brothers in the process. It's also nice to see fans react so positively to the content we have been putting out. If both parties are enjoying the music we put out, then that's all the more reason to make it happen.
-Tom
What have you accomplished as a band in the last year that you’re most proud of?
Besides dropping our first full length studio album at the beginning of the year (Release The Bees), I would say playing at The Mishawaka Amphitheater was a big milestone for us. Anyone in the Colorado music scene knows that The Mish is an iconic venue that has been home to some really big bands over the years, plus the venue is in a gorgeous location right on the Poudre River. And that brings us to another major accomplishment, which was getting our Manager, Flower, on board with us and eventually getting signed on with Loose Leaf Talent Agency. Flower has been working her ass off to provide us with some great opportunities and we would not have come as far as we did this year if not for her hard work.
-Tom
Tell me about your album, Release the Bees. What does this album mean to you? What was the recording process like?
This was our first album we recorded in a professional studio as The Buzz. This was recorded right as Tom was joining the band but without him actually on the album. We had been picking up alot of buzz in the Denver area (haha) and wanted to put something out that people could listen to after seeing us live. Carter tracked drums and rhythm guitar for this one which he doesn't get nearly enough props for as he did an incredible job. This album means so much because it gave us a lot of experience working as a band in the studio and we learned a great bit about what we do and don't want to do moving forward. Now that we have Tom though we're really looking forward to getting back in the studio.
-Methiah
Photo by Rocky Montaño Photography
Are you all from Colorado? How does living in Colorado influence your music?
No. In fact, we are all from the east coast (more or less). I grew up in the Philadelphia area, Carter is from New York, Jason is from the DC area ,and Methia and Steve are from the same part of Ohio outside of Columbus, so we are all east coast kids at heart. That being said, Colorado has been home for about 6 years now, and that is the exact reason why I haven't moved back east. Colorado is (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the country and I've always wanted to live somewhere close to Mountains. There are a multitude of reasons for why I moved out here, but I think the biggest influence for me is the thriving Jam music community out here. Being a big Jamband head myself, Colorado was always like a Mecca to me in that regard, so once I moved out here and hiked Red Rocks and saw Furthur there in 2012, I instantly realized that Colorado would someday be my new home. There are obviously great music scenes in a lot of places, but none are superior to the Denver/Front Range music scene in my opinion.
-Tom
What’s your favorite thing about the Colorado music scene?
I like how vastly populated the community is. There are so many places to go see great music in Colorado,and that has a lot to do with the people that will come out on a Tuesday night to dance and socialize. Colorado culture is rich with music and art and has been for decades on decades, and that love for experiencing and sharing art is a big part of what fuels Colorado's booming music scene. One great thing about the Jamband community is that for the most part, people are warm, welcoming, and accepting of new people and it is easy to make friends. The more people you meet in the community, the more you realize that we are all connected in more ways than we realize. It's a huge network for creators and lovers of music to come together and bond over shared love for the art form and it's how I've connected with some of my closest friends in life.
-Tom
Photo by Gab Kaplan Photography
If there’s one thing you want people to take away from your music, what is it?
We want people to take away anything positive from the experience of our music.
Whether it be dancing at a show to shake off bad vibes from a long day at work, or a lyric that speaks to your life in a special way, or maybe you just came to our show randomly and had fun, met some great people, and made some new friends in the process. Whatever the takeaway is, we want people to leave with the sense that they gained something positive from experiencing our music. The takeaway for us as band members is that playing music together and pursuing our dreams brings us great happiness, and we hope that our fans draw some sort of happiness or positivity from our music as well.
-Tom
Who are your musical role models? Do you look up to any local or non-local musicians? Why?
It's hard to list them all because there are so many, but I have a super diverse taste of music ranging from The Grateful Dead, to Megadeth, to rap artists like Black Star and The Roots, and even Jazz fusion like Herbie Hancock and Jaco Pastorius. I have many musical influences, but the biggest is probably The Disco Biscuits. Being a Jamband head from Philly, The Biscuits have always been a huge influence on my playing since I discovered them in high school. Funk is my favorite genre of music, but the Biscuits manage to blend funk, rock, and electronica into a sound that is unique to only them. They are also pioneers of improvisational music, with sets that cram 5 songs into one continuous hour and a half set where they don't stop playing the entire time. That type of creativity inspires me to push the boundaries of not only the music I write, but also the structure of how it is presented. To the same token, Allen Aucoin (drummer of "The Disco Biscuits") is a local Colorado musician who has by far been one of my biggest musical influences on drums since I was young. Allen is a mad man on the kit, his tone is impeccable, and the accuracy of his high hat/snare rolls always leaves my jaw on the floor every time. I absolutely love watching him play the drums and would love to take a lesson from him one day.
-Tom
What is something you learned or took away from the last year that you’ll apply to the rest of your life?
I don't really have any interesting or profound lessons that I've taken away this year honestly so this question is hard for me to answer. I guess it would be… If you want music to be a full time job, then you have to put in full time hours. I joined the Buzz at the end of 2020, and all of 2021 for me has been devoted to hitting the ground running and carrying the momentum forward.
-Tom
Photo by Gab Kaplan Photography
If you could give a piece of advice to musicians just starting out, what would it be?
Practice, practice, practice. There are no shortcuts to getting better at your instrument and the more time you put in, the more results you will see and enjoyment you will get out of it. Patience and attention to detail while practicing are essential if you want to become a strong musician. Practicing paradiddles for 30 min straight gets boring quickly, but once you get them dialed in and are able to apply them to the rest of the drum kit, it will open doors to new techniques that make you a better drummer.
Beyond that, if you are just starting out as a performance artist, my advice is to get out to as many open mics/jams as you can and try to network with the other musicians there. Same thing if you go to a show of a band you love. Talk to the fans of that band, maybe stick around and say what's up to the band after the show if they are available. Networking in the music industry is at least 60% of the battle and collaborating with the right people will most definitely land you in the right gigs. Spread yourself out as much as possible and always treat others how you would want to be treated.
-Tom
What’s your favorite show that you’ve ever played? Why was it so special to you?
I feel like there have been a couple of favorites and for different reasons! We played Globe Hall with Judo Chop and that was huge for us because we got to share the stage with some of our heroes from the local scene such as Cody Wales, Eric Luba, Chris Duffy and Brant Williams as well as others. We played 2 nights at Sheridan Opera House in Telluride and the reception was absolutely incredible. Complete strangers showed up in droves getting down in the most beautiful way and showed us so much love. As far as our favorite venue we've played I think we'd all agree on The Mishawaka for obvious reasons. The energy on that stage, not to mention the location is just completely breath taking. We got to play during the day which was also so much fun and we can't wait to see what it's like playing there at night.
-Methiah
If you could pick one defining moment from your memories as a band up until now, what would it be?
Tom joining The Buzz was the best thing thats happened to us. He was the final puzzle piece that we had been waiting to be filled and we've really started to take off the last year with him. Tom, besides being an incredible multi-instrumentalist, has an impeccable ear and listens to everyone guiding us through layers of improvisation and leading us effortlessly back into the songs. His ear has made us so much tighter not to mention he's an awesome song writer as well.
-Methiah
If you could play your dream show, what would it look like?
Madison Square Garden (said every musician ever lol). In all seriousness tho, playing a show at Red Rocks would be huge for me. Even if we were playing as support for a bigger act, it's always been a dream of mine to play on that stage, and I would be incredibly humbled to get the chance to play there one day.
-Tom
What’s your favorite song to play? Original or cover.
Metaphor. I love the guitar solo section at the end, it always makes me smile. Dive On In is a very close second though.
-Tom
Who are some of your favorite local Colorado musicians and bands?
String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, The Magic Beans, Cycles, The Jauntee, Yak Attack, Liver Down The River, Giants Walking Robots, Dylan Kishner Band, High Country Hustle, Elder Grown, Squeaky Feet, Mr. Specific, Profetic Calaveras.... There are a ton more that I can't think of off the top of my head but shout out to all of our fellow Colorado musicians for being awesome.
-Tom
Where can fans catch you in the coming months?
We are currently working towards putting out a new EP so we don't have too many shows coming up in the next few months but we have some Colorado shows coming up soon that we can't wait to announce.
-Tom
What’s a great local Colorado business for people to support during the holidays?
Please support Thunderbird Spirit Ranch-Farm Fresh Eggs and Animal Sanctuary! You can find their location and page on Facebook. Monika is an incredible woman who does so much fighting for animal rights and rescuing animals from those who mistreat them and throw them out to the cold. She also manages to keep a stock of fresh eggs and honey which they also keep and procure on a nearby property. Buying this helps her keep the animals fed and warm for the winter and keep the lights on! Please show her your support!
-Methiah
What upcoming plans do you have for 2022?
We plan on releasing a new EP around early spring time that is going to sound great. We plan to do a lot of shows and touring throughout the spring and summer with some festivals thrown in there as well. We have a huge amount of new original material and covers that we will be debuting next year, and we are continuously adding to our arsenal of instruments in an effort to constantly innovate our sound and keep the music interesting and exciting. The sky is the limit in 2022!
-Tom
How can people support The Buzz?
Come out and see us live. Buy our album online or buy some of our merch at a show. Spread the word to people you know who would enjoy our music or bring them to the show with you. Come say hi to us when we are not busy, we love interacting with our fans and hearing about your experiences. Spread the word on social media or blast our music while you work at your job or drive around in your car. Music is love and love is contagious, so anything you can do to spread our music will be seen as an act of support. At the end of the day, we are just grateful to be able to do what we are doing, so any bit of support we get along the way is greatly appreciated 🙏
-Tom