Beautiful Tuesday: Folk with a Pop Edge
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Since Theresa Andrewski has taken over the lead singing role for Beautiful Tuesday, the sound of the...Since Theresa Andrewski has taken over the lead singing role for Beautiful Tuesday, the sound of the band has changed from a more folk style to folk with a pop edge. The combination seems to have worked well thus far for the Cape Cod based band.
“The songs that we are playing now are a little bit more upbeat, a little bit more fun, but still staying with that folky sound with the acoustic guitar and keyboards,” Matt Almquist, who plays guitar and provides backup vocals for the band, said.
Almquist knew Andrewski could sing because he was in chorus with her for four years in high school.
“She’s been a huge addition to the band,” Almquist said of Andrewski who is now a preschool teacher.
Andrewski, who also plays guitar, said she has been singing for a long time, but she said a lot of people did not know what her singing was like, because she always sang with a group of people who were singing together.
“I was always very quiet about my music, so it’s kind of ironic that I’m the frontman of a band,” Andrewski said.
Andrewski said when she joined the band, she thought it would just be a fun thing to do, but said it has turned into so much more, as all of the members of Beautiful Tuesday have grown both musically and in their friendships.
“I think I fit right in,” Andrewski said. “I think we all have really reached a new level. We bring out the best in each other.”
Beautiful Tuesday was formed in May of 2009. The other members of the band include drummer Jayk Watson and keyboardist Eric Cheever.
“We’ve all been friends for years now,” said Almquist who is studying audio production at the New England Institute of Art. “Our common interest in music started it all.”
The band spent a year writing music and with about 10 original songs, Beautiful Tuesday played its first show in June of 2010.
Almquist has been playing guitar for 10 years. When he was in sixth grade, he took a short, semester long class in which the teacher had every student play guitar.
“Since that time, I haven’t put it down,” Almquist said.
Watson only learned to play the drums for the band. There was an old drum kit hanging around, so he started playing and has come a long way for someone who just picked up the drum sticks.
“He’s all self-taught,” Almquist said. “He’s already gotten an endorsement from SJC Custom Drums and Saluda Cymbals.”
But Almquist said the band has varied influences from Mozart, which is an influence on the keyboard player, to Spill Canvas and City and Colour. He said those three kind of sum up the music of Beautiful Tuesday.
“They have a lot of traits that we look to achieve in our music, such as quality lyrics in their songs, emotion in their music and things people can relate to,” Almquist said.
Beautiful Tuesday released a full length album in March that the band recorded at MGW Audio in Falmouth.
The three songs that Beautiful Tuesday has released from its album have included ”Beauty in the Breakdown,” ”Rain” and “Crash.” ”Beauty in the Breakdown” is a typical love story about a relationship and looking back at memories from that time together. “Crash” is about a car accident. ”Rain” is about a misguided person who is lost and trying to find her way. The lyrics in that song start out mello and somber, but the bridge of the song brings new light and hope and sends a message not to let the world bring you down.
“We always emphasize the bridge as being the most important part of the song because you can’t give up hope,” Almquist said.
The band made a video for “Rain” that was taped in Sandwich by Justyn Moro who did all the filming and editing. Almquist said the video pretty much just sticks to the story of the song. The video can be found on YouTube.
Almquist said Beautiful Tuesday plays out as much as it can, usually one or two shows a week. Almquist said the music scene on Cape Cod varies. He said there is a lot of pop/punk and hardcore and not a lot of pop/folk. He said the band wants to branch out over the next couple of months, playing out of state and spreading its music to as many places as possible. Beautiful Tuesday has played a variety of venues from Knights of Columbus and Veterans of Foreign War halls to The Central Mass Expo Center and The Colosseum in Rhode Island.
“I think it’s good,” Almquist said of playing with the other bands. “I’ve had people tell me our band is a refreshing difference when we’re at a show with a bunch of hardcore and metal bands.”
The music of Beautiful Tuesday has been played on college radio stations and WCOD, 101.9 FM, which Almquist said helps support a lot of local bands on the Cape with its Sunday night show called The Cheap Seats. Beautiful Tuesday recently co-hosted that show with Cat Wilson. The members of the band were allowed to bring in songs from other local bands that they like to listen to so they could be played on the show.
“It was cool to see how much Cat does for the music scene and how much she does at her radio show and to get a look behind the scenes at a local radio station was a good experience,” Almquist said.
Interview With Jayk of Beautiful Tuesday
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What is your name and what do you do in the band?
My name is Jayk Watson and I play drums for Bea...What is your name and what do you do in the band?
My name is Jayk Watson and I play drums for Beautiful Tuesday!
How did you come up with the band’s name?
One day in 2009 when we first started the band, Matt and I randomly decided to start a recording studio in my basement. That very same day he and I drove from Cape Cod to Providence, then to Guitar Center in Boston to get all the equipment we needed to do so! Matt had just got his tax returns and by the end of the day we still ended up overdrawing $400+ from his bank account! This all happened on a Tuesday and it was one of the most eventful days of our summer, so we called it “Beautiful Tuesday!” From then on something really fun always seemed to happen on a Tuesday, which we thought was strange because Tuesday always seemed to be the underdog of the week, so to speak. To make a long story short, sometime after that we were asked to play at a Battle of the Bands, and the hosts said they needed a name from us. We thought Beautiful Tuesday was a pretty cool and different name with meaning, and a personal story behind it, so it became our official name!
How did the band form?
Matt and I had been in a band together in high school that I actually used to sing for, but the band broke up when everyone graduated and went off to college. In May of 2009, Matt and I decided to get a few people together to continue playing music. It was at that time that I dropped my singing career and decided to pick up the drums. I had always found huge interest in them, and though I could never afford lessons, I figured what better way to learn than to jam with friends! We jammed with a few different people, but the first line-up of the band actually came very quickly and naturally. We all got along extremely well, and just had a ton of fun making music together! When we parted ways with our old singer, Theresa was the obvious choice to be our new vocalist, and she brought a whole new edge to our music.
What made you want to start a band and play music for a living?
Honestly, I never would’ve imagined we’d ever get even close to playing music for a living. Ever since I was a kid listening to music, watching musicians play intrigued me, I thought extremely highly of anyone who could play an instrument. It was kind of on a whim that Matt and I started the band, it just came together so quickly and easily, as if it was fate.
You have a very unique sound, what made you want to play folk-pop music, as opposed to something more modern?
When we first started the band, we actually expected to be something a little heavier than we are now. But it was at our first practice that we wrote and finished our first song “Carry On” and our sound really found us. We played the song for our friends and family, and they really enjoyed it, as did we, so we stuck with it!
Aside from your sound, what do you think sets you apart from bands that are big in the “scene” right now?
I believe one thing that sets us apart from a lot of the other bands is our mindset. We know it takes a lot of hard work to make it in the industry, of which we’re willing to put in, and we know that when we do make it, we’re still just normal people who make music that’s enjoyable to listen to!
Who writes the songs, and where do you find the inspiration for your writing?
The whole band takes part in the writing process. Ideas are constantly tossed back and forth over Facebook, and in-person when we’re all hanging out together. The inspiration comes from either things we’re dealing with personally, or things we see happening in the world around us.
Do you think being fronted by a female will make your journey more challenging in the music industry?
Absolutely not, Theresa is a very strong individual and will be able to take on anything the industry throws at her!
What can we expect from your debut album? Is there a release date set?
You can expect a lot that you’d never expect! We try to make every song sound different than the rest in certain ways, while still staying true to our music. We want to keep everything fresh throughout the whole listening process! The album will be released in March of 2011, and we’ll be announcing an official release date soon!
How do you think the internet and social networking sites have helped the popularity of your band?
The internet plays a HUGE part in everything we do! With members of the band trying to finish up school and work, there’s no better way of sharing our music with the world than through the internet.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
I’d have to say City and Colour, AFI, and Mozart…
If could only use five words to describe your music to someone who has never heard of you before, what would you say?
Epic lyric focused acoustic music.
Do you have any musical guilty pleasures? If so, who are they?
Personally? Umm..I was a pretty big fan of the Jonas Brothers when they were popular…
If you could take credit for writing any song, what would it be?
“When I See Your Face” by Bruno Mars
What would be your dream tour line-up?
AFI, Envy on the Coast, and Beautiful Tuesday, because if I ever got to play on the same stage as Davey Havok I’d probably faint.
How would you describe what a Beautiful Tuesday concert is like for someone who has never been to one of your shows?
Easygoing, and really fun!
Do you have any hidden talents?
Hmmmm..I guess I’m a quick learner, if that counts!
What does 2011 have in store for Beautiful Tuesday?
Well after the release of our debut album we also hope to release our second album by the end of the year! We’ve got a lot of really awesome ideas for it and have already begun writing it! Also, perhaps a short summer tour, and lots more shows!
Where do you see the band in five years?
Wow! Five years is a long time! I guess the long-term goal is to be able to make a living off of what we do, whether it be with a label or not. We can’t be kids forever and in five years we’ll want to be able to support ourselves and our families the best we can while still doing the things we love! Signing with a label like Tooth and Nail would be really cool though!
Any final comments?
We’d like to thank our friends and families for all their support, and God for everything He’s done for us so far, and we can’t wait to see what He has in store for us!
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