The Tryst

Artist Information

Biography

Some bands rely on gimmicks or novelties to win an audience. The Tryst rely on making great music. Tucson's The Tryst has been offering up their signature blend of Desert funk/soul, since it's inception in 2005. The energy of the music showcases a band unafraid of walking a tightrope between genres and creating a landscape of sound laced with velvety vocals and brilliant horns. Happy to subvert the dominant paradigm, The Tryst is a band that cannot be missed!

Instrumentation

Keli Carpenter - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vox
Taylor Bungard - Bass, Backup Vox
Aldy Montufar - Trumpet, keyboard, Backup Vox
Aaron Huldstrand - Lead Guitar
Erik Truelove - Drumkit
Dara Holmes - Trombone, Backup Vox
James BALL - Tenor Saxophone

Discography

Self Titled EP...September 2005
Thirsty World...December 2007
Truth Be Told...February 2011

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Reverbnatiom
• YouTube

Audio

• Yo Mama
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• Easy Street
  Listen  
• Waiting
  Listen  
• Meet In The Middle
  Listen  
• You Say
  Listen  
• Take Back The Day
  Listen  
• Pirate Juice
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• Long Time Come
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• Number 8
  Listen  
• Out of Words
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Yo Mama
• Easy Street
• Meet in the Middle
• You Say
• Pirate Juice
• Number 8

Video

Fallen

Photo Gallery

Press

• THE TRYST THRIVES [+ Show ]
  

  Music is a great attitude adjuster and listening to The Tryst can make you a more jovial person. Try...Music is a great attitude adjuster and listening to The Tryst can make you a more jovial person. Try on Truth Be Told for size.
  
  With its third studio album, the band has evolved to showcase a more dynamic sound. In the early days, it was a quartet with one horn, Aldy Montufar on trumpet. Now, the group boasts seven members and a horn section.
  
  “With Dara (Holmes, trombone) and James (Ball, saxophone), Aldy can write these really great horn sections,” said vocalist/singer/lyricist Keli Carpenter.
  
  The first track, Yo Mama, definitely flaunts the tasty horns; it also carries killer rock guitar soloing by Aaron Hultstrand.
  
  The second song, Bad Days, is anthemic of the band’s approach to life. As Carpenter put it, “our career as a band, and lyrically, is about optimism and belief in the human spirit.”
  
  Inspired by the craziness the band experienced on a tour, the tune is about dealing with the crap that comes to all of us and is a sweet, groovy piece with delicious tempo changes.
  
  The great arrangements on the album allow all of the instrumentalists to shine. With a lesser band, seven members could get washed out, but with The Tryst it is all beautifully balanced.
  
  This works especially well on Pirate Juice, a sweeping, cinematic track that highlights the rhythm section (Taylor Bungard, bass; Erik Truelove, drums) more than the previous songs.
  
  The album takes an unexpected turn at track five with Transmission Breakdown, very much a throwback to the early 80s, and very fabulous. Another surprise is Waving at Lunatics; the beginning of the instrumental feels like a song to accompany tea and crumpets in an English garden, then it veers wildly off in a total funky rock direction, then into a Dixieland-ish sound, and ends all jazzy rock. It’s cool.
  
  The longest song on the album, Go, has an uplifting and gorgeous gospel vibe to it, complete with a chorus of background singers - Jacob Acosta, Kristen Chandler, Jessika Davis, Alden Hardy, Evy Llyan, Vannessa Lundon and Michael Zimmerman.
  
  The band had to jump through some fiery hoops to get this album released, and listeners will be pleasantly surprised by the band’s evolution from a four piece to a more orchestral, ambitious ensemble. Though not genre-specific, this doesn’t mean they lack a sound, they’ve created their own – and it’s tight, exuberant, interesting and intelligent.

• CD Release: The Tryst [+ Show ]
  

  The Tryst attracts the descriptive "eclectic" like Tucson gets tagged "dry." It's just the way it is...The Tryst attracts the descriptive "eclectic" like Tucson gets tagged "dry." It's just the way it is.
  
  And who are we to refute the obvious?
  
  But while for some bands the adjective intones a mash-up of genres, The Tryst navigates the listener from jazz to soul with a gentle hand. The local combo's third CD, "Truth Be Told," does this expertly, with the calm of a house band in coziest of lounges. They want you to linger over their cocktail of sounds, not knock it in your lap.
  
  This is no small task for any band, let alone one with seven members. Some of the players have changed over the group's five-year history, but singer Keli Carpenter remains at the fore, with Dara Holmes (trombone), Aldy Montufar (trumpet, keys), Aaron Huldstrand (guitar), Taylor Bungard (bass), Erik Truelove (drums) and James Ball (saxophone) keeping things super smooth.
  
  We e-interviewed Carpenter in advance of the new, 13-track CD's release party at The Hut, which features a slew of guest performances.
  
  Who did you record "Truth Be Told" with, and why?
  We decided to go with Wavelab Studios this time around. They honestly had all-access to many different instruments and sounds. Instead of finding a Fender Rhodes setting on our keyboard, they actually have a Fender Rhodes! And also we are a large band—we needed a studio that would hold us all comfortably.
  
  But two of the tracks were recorded elsewhere. "Meet In Middle" was recorded with George Nardo at Luna (Recording) Studios and "Pirate Juice" was recorded up in Phoenix at the Conservatory (of Recording Arts & Sciences) with DJ Staricha.
  
  How long did the album take, from writing to mixing?
  From writing to mixing this album is a year in the making for sure. It's a lot of work!
  
  Talk about a favorite track on "Truth Be Told," and why you like it.
  It really is hard to pick a favorite and every day I change my mind, but today ... one of my favs is "Easy Street." The harmonies on this track are out of hand. Kristen Chandler is guest singing on this track and I feel like we really took a bit of a leap from our normal grooves and threw down a slick jazz, hip-hop beat. It also features our amazing bass player Taylor Bungard on vocals. I dig it!
  
  How would you say the band has evolved from its last album, "Thirsty World," to now?
  This new album is definitely an evolution from our last album. Not only have we had some major player changes in the last three years, but as a result of that our sound has changed slightly. We are still writing super eclectic music, but now we have a horn section and keys to showcase as well. Also there are a lot more band members willing to lend their voices to the music, so harmonies are super lush. It's great! I really feel like this is the best writing that we have ever done as a band.
  
  You guys play everywhere from cafes to clubs. What's your favorite kind of venue or crowd? What's a perfect concert situation?
  We do play in many different venues and in many different numbers. Anywhere from an acoustic two-piece to a full, seven-piece band. My favorite of course is with full sound on a great stage with a music-loving crowd. Locally our favorite venue is The Hut. They treat us like family and the crowd is always ready to get down. We also really love the Oak Creek Brewing Co. in Sedona. But I gotta say when we played the McDowell Mountain Music Festival (in Phoenix), it was quite a highlight to our live show roster.
  
  How exactly does a band with seven members rehearse? That seems like a scheduling nightmare!
  We rehearse up to three times a week ... and yes it's not easy to work around seven very different schedules. Our trumpet player lives in Phoenix, actually, and comes down weekends, Our trombone player just had her baby a few months back and everyone has different jobs. But somehow we make it work. Everyone is really excited to be part of this project, so that helps. It is a labor of love for all, that is for sure!
  
  OK, time for some dirt. Tell a good Tryst "Behind the Music" story: drugs, in-fighting, van getting stolen with all your equipment ... ?
  Oh we got plenty in this category! In fact one of the tracks off the new album, "Bad Days," is a recanting of a few of our bungles. Last summer on tour, though, after traveling all the way to North Carolina, we were playing our final show of the tour ... get done round 1 a.m. only to discover that our bus had been broken into. They took everything of value, including every penny we had made traversing the country playing shows and CD sales!!
  
  It was a major bummer to be sure, but on the bright side of that the three-week tour had been so amazing in every other aspect that we felt if that was the price to pay for the fun we had, so be it!
  
  In addition to the release party, The Tryst's "Truth Be Told" will be available locally at Bohemia and the 17th Street Farmers Market's music shop. Online, look for it on cdbaby and amazon.
  

• The Tryst: Truth Be Told [+ Show ]
  

  The Tryst attracts the descriptive "eclectic" like Tucson gets tagged "dry." It's just the way it is...The Tryst attracts the descriptive "eclectic" like Tucson gets tagged "dry." It's just the way it is.
  
  And who are we to refute the obvious?
  
  But while for some bands the adjective intones a mash-up of genres, The Tryst navigates the listener from jazz to soul with a gentle hand. The local combo's third CD, "Truth Be Told," does this expertly, with the calm of a house band in coziest of lounges. They want you to linger over their cocktail of sounds, not knock it in your lap.
  
  This is no small task for any band, let alone one with seven members. Some of the players have changed over the group's five-year history, but singer Keli Carpenter remains at the fore, with Dara Holmes (trombone), Aldy Montufar (trumpet, keys), Aaron Huldstrand (guitar), Taylor Bungard (bass), Erik Truelove (drums) and James Ball (saxophone) keeping things super smooth.
  
  We e-interviewed Carpenter in advance of the new, 13-track CD's release party at The Hut, which features a slew of guest performances.
  
  Who did you record "Truth Be Told" with, and why?
  We decided to go with Wavelab Studios this time around. They honestly had all-access to many different instruments and sounds. Instead of finding a Fender Rhodes setting on our keyboard, they actually have a Fender Rhodes! And also we are a large band—we needed a studio that would hold us all comfortably.
  
  But two of the tracks were recorded elsewhere. "Meet In Middle" was recorded with George Nardo at Luna (Recording) Studios and "Pirate Juice" was recorded up in Phoenix at the Conservatory (of Recording Arts & Sciences) with DJ Staricha.
  
  How long did the album take, from writing to mixing?
  From writing to mixing this album is a year in the making for sure. It's a lot of work!
  
  Talk about a favorite track on "Truth Be Told," and why you like it.
  It really is hard to pick a favorite and every day I change my mind, but today ... one of my favs is "Easy Street." The harmonies on this track are out of hand. Kristen Chandler is guest singing on this track and I feel like we really took a bit of a leap from our normal grooves and threw down a slick jazz, hip-hop beat. It also features our amazing bass player Taylor Bungard on vocals. I dig it!
  
  How would you say the band has evolved from its last album, "Thirsty World," to now?
  This new album is definitely an evolution from our last album. Not only have we had some major player changes in the last three years, but as a result of that our sound has changed slightly. We are still writing super eclectic music, but now we have a horn section and keys to showcase as well. Also there are a lot more band members willing to lend their voices to the music, so harmonies are super lush. It's great! I really feel like this is the best writing that we have ever done as a band.
  
  You guys play everywhere from cafes to clubs. What's your favorite kind of venue or crowd? What's a perfect concert situation?
  We do play in many different venues and in many different numbers. Anywhere from an acoustic two-piece to a full, seven-piece band. My favorite of course is with full sound on a great stage with a music-loving crowd. Locally our favorite venue is The Hut. They treat us like family and the crowd is always ready to get down. We also really love the Oak Creek Brewing Co. in Sedona. But I gotta say when we played the McDowell Mountain Music Festival (in Phoenix), it was quite a highlight to our live show roster.
  
  How exactly does a band with seven members rehearse? That seems like a scheduling nightmare!
  We rehearse up to three times a week ... and yes it's not easy to work around seven very different schedules. Our trumpet player lives in Phoenix, actually, and comes down weekends, Our trombone player just had her baby a few months back and everyone has different jobs. But somehow we make it work. Everyone is really excited to be part of this project, so that helps. It is a labor of love for all, that is for sure!
  
  OK, time for some dirt. Tell a good Tryst "Behind the Music" story: drugs, in-fighting, van getting stolen with all your equipment ... ?
  Oh we got plenty in this category! In fact one of the tracks off the new album, "Bad Days," is a recanting of a few of our bungles. Last summer on tour, though, after traveling all the way to North Carolina, we were playing our final show of the tour ... get done round 1 a.m. only to discover that our bus had been broken into. They took everything of value, including every penny we had made traversing the country playing shows and CD sales!!
  
  It was a major bummer to be sure, but on the bright side of that the three-week tour had been so amazing in every other aspect that we felt if that was the price to pay for the fun we had, so be it!
  
  In addition to the release party, The Tryst's "Truth Be Told" will be available locally at Bohemia and the 17th Street Farmers Market's music shop. Online, look for it on cdbaby and amazon.
  

• What defines The TRYST? [+ Show ]
  

  What defines The TRYST? by Jamie Manser Tryst - [trist, trahyst] - noun?1. An appointment to meet ...What defines The TRYST?
  by Jamie Manser
  Tryst - [trist, trahyst] - noun?1. An appointment to meet at a certain time and place, especially one made somewhat secretly by lovers.
  
  So much more fulfilling than the empty secrets of a clandestine affair, Tucson’s The TRYST is a hot quintet that is a sensual, auditory delight.
  The group’s visceral connections with each other comprise an entity that creates a great body of tunes any open-minded, serious music fans will certainly enjoy.
  While the underlying tone is jazz - other elements include funk, rock, and folk with a twinge of reggae. It coalesces to create a sonic good time.
  

• Tucson's The Tryst [+ Show ]
  

  If most indie rock is becoming increasingly boring to you because of its limited stylistic scope (ei...If most indie rock is becoming increasingly boring to you because of its limited stylistic scope (either Gang of Four-xeroxed punk disco or Strokes-ish garage revival), then the Tryst (http://www.myspace.com/wearetryst) should provide sufficient spice; in fact, I'll go so far as to say that their lead singer Keli Carpenter has among the finest voices in rock today, indie or otherwise.
  
  Completely ignoring any trend or flavors of the month in the American indie underground, the Tryst stitch together their jazz, soul, and Latin influences to weave an exotic, seductive record. Although their sound isn't dated, the Tryst nevertheless ignite flashbacks of the late '60s and early '70s when rock bands weren't afraid of horns and jazzy percussion. The lovely "Fallen" has floating trumpets galore, further elevated by Carpenter's velvet-smooth singing. On "Fortunate Fates" and "It's True," the group slows down the tempo, letting Carpenter's vocals become the central focus; it's a wise move considering how gorgeous her voice is.
  
  Carpenter might draw comparisons to Norah Jones, but Jones was never backed by music as eclectic as this. The Tryst walk on a tightrope between jazz and funk with tremendous skill and personal flair. "Fortunate Fates" picks up the funk midway through, a cathartic release of tension after its slow intro; "You Say" has electrifying percussion that gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Even when they're chilling, the Tryst are always active, always moving.
  
  

• This week in Arizona Music [+ Show ]
  

  The Tryst has worked tirelessly, consistently playing shows throughout the Southwest and quickly bec...The Tryst has worked tirelessly, consistently playing shows throughout the Southwest and quickly becoming one of the top concert draws in Tucson, Arizona. With a lively and loyal fan base, their performances never disappoint. Despite occasional comparisons, The Tryst maintains a style that is unique. Drawing from a vocabulary of soul, jazz, rock and funk, The Tryst artfully laces their music with Latin and world rhythms.

• Hot Picks [+ Show ]
  

  Tucson band The Tryst may label themselves as “indie,” but their sound carefully walks a tightr... Tucson band The Tryst may label themselves as “indie,” but their sound carefully walks a tightrope between jazzy soul and electric funk with sweet, smooth vocals. Catch them in Sedona at the Oak Creek Brewing Co., 2050 Yavapai Drive. It’ll be worth the trip. To know more, call 928-204-1300 or see www.myspace.com/wearetryst.

• Two Arizona bands rock the Mad Italian [+ Show ]
  

  A “tryst” is defined as a rendezvous between lovers. While not a perfect metaphor, this definition...
  A “tryst” is defined as a rendezvous between lovers. While not a perfect metaphor, this definition appropriately describes the union between two Arizona bands, The Tryst, a six-piece band from Tucson, and Flagstaff’s own Phantom Vibration, a fusion jazz trio. The two performed together at the Mad Italian Sept. 19.
  
  “Flagstaff is such a cool community,” said Keli Carpenter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Tryst. “Great venues, cool, laid-back folks. It seems as though it supports and takes care of their artists, be it musicians or otherwise. The university is close by and the energy that lends is really awesome.”
  
  
  
  Matt Miller, vocalist and guitarist for Phantom Vibration, agrees. “I like that it’s our tiny little community where you get to know everybody and all go out and support each other’s music,” Miller said. “There are a lot of very passionate music lovers in Flagstaff and there are a lot of talented musicians. We are top-heavy with talent.”
  
  The members of The Tryst first got together in the summer of 2005.
  
  “A few of us were in another project specializing in other people’s songs,” Carpenter said. “We had our own songs that we were hungry to play and record so we started meeting on the side.”
  
  Eventually each member dropped all of their other projects to focus on The Tryst. The band was together for only six months when they recorded their first album and began touring. It was on this tour that they first got to see Phantom Vibration perform.
  
  “We played a show with them down in Tucson and they rocked,” said Aaaron Hultstrand, lead guitarist for The Tryst. “We played a little together, they played (their song) ‘Chameleon’ with our trumpet section, and they invited us up here.”
  
  Both bands have a sound even they find difficult to describe.
  
  “It’s definitely an eclectic mix,” Carpenter said. “We like to think we are defining a new sound. We got horns and Latin influences running throughout our songs, along with a jazz-rock twist. Sometimes it moves you from your seat, and sometimes you just feel compelled to listen.”
  
  Like other local bands, The Tryst and Phantom Vibration face the challenges of pursuing careers in music.
  
  “When you are blessed enough to be doing what you love, there is no stopping that, even when times get rough. When the writing is flowing and new songs are born, there is nothing more inspirational than that,” Carpenter said. “That’s enough to keep you going for a long, long time.”
  
  “We love to play,” Miller said. “You’ve got to accept good and bad. Sometimes you have a packed house, and sometimes you don’t.”
  
  Despite these obstacles, the musicians stay positive.
  
  “We love just playing, sharing what we got,” said Aldy Montufar, The Tryst’s trumpet player and backing vocalist. “We love to make music and share it with the world.”
  
  Carpenter said both bands have the desire and the talent to expand.
  
  “All of the players … hunger for playing music, so we eventually would like to perform all over the country and abroad doing what we love to do,” Carpenter said.

• The Tryst @ McDowell Mountain Music Festival [+ Show ]
  

  "I next caught The Tryst, which by definition means a secret rendezvous, on the Creamy Stage mid-aft..."I next caught The Tryst, which by definition means a secret rendezvous, on the Creamy Stage mid-afternoon. This hot quintet from Tucson is a super energetic indie rock band laced with funk and a definite amount of soul. Their eccentric lead singer Keli Carpenter easily roped in the audience and you had to pay attention to the dual trumpet players, yes two! Tryst weaves together their jazz, soul, and Latin influences and gave nothing short of stellar performance. They wrapped things up with a new song titled "Yo Mama" (video) and left us all on a high note." - Katie Fox, Creamy Radio

Setlist

We can play over 4 hours of music. Most of our set comes from our 3 studio albums with a few unrecorded gems, but we love to throw in some of our old favorites from artists such as Nat King Cole, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Erika Badu, Jill Scott, Jannelle Monae, Fiona Apple, Cake, Cee Lo Green, and many others.

Original Song List -

Awakening
Bad Days
Blue-green
Chase the Sun
Dark Harbor Heart
Deeper
Easy Street
End of the Road
Fallen
Fortunate Fates
Getaway
Go
It Never Was
It's True
Lazy Dazy Fly
Long Time Come
Lullabye
Meet in the Middle
Number 8
Out of Words
Paint the World
Pirate Juice
Shady Dell
Shiny Penny
Simple Things
So Far
Sometimes It's Gonna Rain
Spiders & Flies
Take Back the Day
Tragic Clown
Transmission Breakdown
Waiting
Waving to Lunatics
Yo Mama
You Say

Basic Requirements

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