Elektric Voodoo

Elektric Voodoo is a “World Beat Rock & Roll” band from southern California that blends classic afrobeat, latin, rock & roll, psych, jazz, blues and many other influences into its own unique genre that tastefully straddles the line between modern and vintage. The band started when Scott Tournet (founding member of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals) started writing new material after leaving the Nocturnals. “Musically I wanted to try something a little different than what I’d done before. I wanted to make music with an undeniable rhythmic pulse, but I really didn’t want to make computer-driven dance music as these past few years that seems to be much of what I hear.” To accomplish that, Tournet tapped into the rhythms of West Africa, Latin, and world music for inspiration. What came out the other side though was not just a world music project.

Tournet’s old band, The Nocturnals, had a quite a successful career which saw them write, record, and perform with The Allman Brothers, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Taj Mahal, Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Robert Plant, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, and many more. Through these experiences, Tournet became schooled in songcraft, soul, pop, blues, and classic rock & roll. So, when he began writing songs to go on top of these powerful world rhythms the influences from his past shone through. What the listener is left with is a unique sound that while immediately is very danceable, also offers innovation, songcraft, and melody.

Rounding out this powerful six-piece ensemble with Tournet (vocals, guitar, harmonica) is Matt Bozzone (drums/percussion), Ty Kiernan (congas, timbales, percussion), Travis Klein (tenor sax, keyboards, percussion), Brad Nash (baritone sax, percussion), and Luke Henning (bass, vocals). After touring for a year and a half, EV went into a studio with the full band for the first time. ANIMAL is a representation of a band of with real chemistry making music together. While the music is certainly inspired by vintage music and sound it is also influenced by modern artists and comfortable straddles the line between old and new.

Glide is very proud to premiere the lead single “Animal Pt. 2” (below) from Elektric Voodoo’s upcoming second LP ANIMAL. The band sports a rhythmic howl of righteous grooves, rock tenacity and experimental noise that recalls elements of Antibalas, Tame Impala and Kamasi Washington. - Glide Magazine

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals founding guitarist Scott Tournet will release his second album with Elektric Voodoo on October 5. Animal is the follow-up to the eponymous debut from the group, which we described as “intriguing, enticing and engaging all at the same time—evidence of Elektric Voodoo’s ability to cast a hypnotic spell.” The collective expands on its “world beat rock & roll” with the new record and today we premiere “Low” from the forthcoming album.

Tournet tells Relix, “‘Low’ is lyrically the song I’ve been wanting to share the most off of this new record. It was somewhat inspired by the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. That idea of imagining a different outcome or just taking a second to take stock of our beliefs and attitudes and double checking that they are in order was very attractive to me. It seemed like a nice place to reside for 5 minutes in the face of the day to day onslaught and division happening in our country. I felt disappointed in how far down our culture had gone and how it seems like only the loudest and most abrasive or offensive voice is heard nowadays…regardless of what they’re saying. At the same time, my wife and I just had our first child, Quinn, and with that comes a hopefulness a yearning for a good life for him. Out of these two conflicting energies, this song was born that I hope a lot of people can connect with.”

Elektric Voodoo is based in San Diego but in conjunction with the album release, will embark on their first-ever national tour, kicking things off in Phoenix on September 26.

Read more: https://relix.com/blogs/detail/premiere-low-from-scott-tournets-second-album-with-elektric-voodoo/#ixzz5afKNFpHN - Relix Magazine

In April of 2015, Scott Tournet, the then-lead guitarist for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, issued a brief social media missive letting people know that he would not be participating in the tour that would follow the release of the band’s upcoming album. Never one to indulge in ostentatious bouts of self-serving publicity, Tournet’s brief statement actually served as a quiet and subtle announcement that he would be leaving the band he co-founded in Vermont more than a decade ago.

After taking some time out of the spotlight, Tournet has reemerged with Elektric Voodoo, whose marvelous self-titled debut blends Afrobeat, psychedelic deep-space blues and vintage rock and roll in a manner that will not only delight those who appreciated his work with GPN but excite those that were fans of Blues & Lasers, Tournet’s last outing as the leader of a band.

JamBase: From a musical standpoint, Elektric Voodoo marks the beginning of your post-GPN life. How did the album come about?

Scott Tournet: I had a strong idea of the kind of music I wanted to make and the underlying concept was to start with undeniably propulsive rhythms. I would start by recording a bed of percussion instruments like tambourine, shaker, maracas, etc. and then I would come up with something on guitar, bass or keyboard that I found interesting. Next I would find a melody and lyrics. Then I would add a few changes so it had a few different sections. I ended up actually adding the drums last, which is totally backward to how you normally record. I heard Stevie Wonder did that on the albums he played drums on and I always thought that was interesting. Turned out to be a huge pain in the ass! [Laughs]

I wanted to make an album that people want to listen to and I want to play on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning. What happened with my solo album [Ver La Luz] is I enjoyed writing and recording it, but then I didn’t want to go out and play those songs at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, it just didn’t feel right. So with Elektric Voodoo, if anyone asked me “what music do you want to play with a band and in front of an audience?” The answer is “this.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sX1USrKq1c
JamBase: One of the things that jumps out on the album are the Afrobeat influences. Was this a recent interest or something that you’ve wanted to explore for a while?

ST: It was something that I had studied and was into from the time I was in college but I’ve never really had a band where I could explore it. My senior thesis was a concert with a 12-person band and a horn section and a percussion player. I wrote this song called “The Fela Movement,” not very creatively titled. It was basically a carbon copy of a 15-minute Fela Kuti composition. From that I figured out the architecture of his music and how those instrumental parts go together. So, yeah, it’s always been something I’m passionate about. As an American musician, you often hear the same funk or rock beat or blues shuffle. Lately it’s been the same electronic disco beat over and over again – I’m bored of that. I don’t find it inspiring. There are all these cool rhythms in the world and I just wanted to explore them. It’s really re-lit the creative fire for me.

I’m excited about this because I feel like I’ve created something new, as opposed to something that’s a re-creation of something else. It’s the goal as you mature and grow into your own thing. We all start out imitating but at a certain point I no longer wanted to try to recreate The Rolling Stones from 1973 or Neil Young, that’s awesome and that music will always be in my playing and come out in some way but I don’t want to try and always do that. I already did that and it was never gonna match the original.

JamBase: If not the ’73 Stones, who influenced this album?

ST: Fela Kuti, for sure. The Budos Band. Dr. John. Early Santana. The Beatles, even though that’s an obvious one. I listened to the Revolver-Sgt. Pepper’s era stuff where they were breaking the rules and turning stuff on its head. That concept was a big influence in the sense of how can we make it different? How can we not paint by numbers and not do the obvious thing?

JamBase: In what ways were you able to steer Elektric Voodoo away from the norm?

ST: What I think makes it a little different is that there’s some middle ground between American pop and rock ‘n’ roll – basically the music that I’ve been a part of – and Latin and world music. There’s a lot of bands that are doing the full on Afrobeat or world music thing and then you have a lot of American rock ‘n’ roll bands but not a lot – that I’ve heard – in between. A song like “Expectation,” that’s an Afrobeat rhythm that could be a typical 15-minute long Afrobeat song it’s got a verse, a bridge, and a chorus. It’s a five minute pop song mixed with a psych slide loop outro on top of an Afrobeat groove.

A different example is “Mercy” which isn’t really a world beat. The guys in the band have taken to calling it the “death march.” Basically the bass and drums never change. They just keep pounding straight ahead while the keyboard changes chords and a bunch of crazy horns, guitars, and synth throw paint at the wall. I like elements of noise and free music but I like it against heavy rhythm.

JamBase: Is this going to be an ongoing project?

ST: Yes. This is my thing. I started it with the intent of it being the band I was going to stick with for a long time. I get all my ya-yas out with this group and this music. The blues and roots are there, the longer improvised guitar solos are there, the rock ‘n’ roll is there, the songwriting, the psychedelic forays. All the stuff that I’ve done before is there but it now happens over, in my opinion, much more interesting and exciting rhythms.

JamBase: So a return to GPN is not imminent?

ST: I just want to make it clear that I don’t play in that group anymore. I was a big part of that group and it was a big part of me but that chapter is officially over.

What’s been a little disappointing, I guess, is that a huge percentage of our fan base don’t really understand that clearly. I guess it hasn’t really been clearly said until now.

JamBase: For many people, they learned that you were stepping away from the band from social media. What prompted you to address the issue?

ST: I personally announced that I would not be part of the band and tour supporting the new album. The longtime fans were confused. I wanted to let them know what I knew because I knew it was important to them … it was important to me as well.

JamBase: I have very fond remembrances of the Potterville Posse.

ST: I love those people. We were very lucky to have such a committed group supporting us from early on. It was really nice to see that community grow and longtime friendships blossom out of that. When I saw that happening, I realized that this thing was bigger than us as individuals, or as a group. To have a hand in people coming together and connecting and being happy makes me feel good. I’m really grateful for that.

JamBase: Not much has been said about your departure from GPN. What happened?

ST: I think what led to it realistically … time. That happens a lot with groups. Twelve years as a group, people change, interests change. Goals and belief systems can start to spread apart. In the beginning, the aesthetic and sound of the band were really the vision of me and [drummer] Matt [Burr]. Grace was sitting down at a keyboard and doing a mellow singer-songwriter thing. Kind of a Norah Jones thing. Matt and I introduced her to more soul, blues, early-1970s influences like The Band, Stones, Neil Young, etc. We got her a Hammond B3 organ. We had a taste and a style in mind and we pushed her towards it. At that time, that dynamic really worked for us.

Also, in the early days of GPN, we had a really tight fan base who really understood that we were a true band. As we got bigger I think that most of the fans we picked up along the way were only focused on Grace and really missed the point that there was a band and a family thing happening. In general, there’s always a quarterback/lead singer thing that happens in our culture but if you add in gender and sexuality that can become incredibly pronounced. More and more the rest of us were treated and looked at as a hired backing band and to be honest, that sucked after putting in years of work building the band from the ground up and being such a big part of the sound and vision.

I always saw us as similar to a band like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Not in an egotistical way or saying we’re as good … just that we were built similarly. That comparison made sense to me but it just wasn’t in the cards with a female lead singer. People just refused to give the rest of the band that kind of respect and that just got to be a drag. At Red Rocks a very well-known singer I’d never met came up to me, didn’t introduce herself and just said “go get Grace because I want her to sit-in with us”. Shit like that. I’ve got a thousand stories like that. Other celebrities and industry people coming into our dressing room and blatantly ignoring the rest of us. People pushing through you physically to get to her. A couple insane guys seeking me out after the show or yelling at me while I’m onstage that no one cares about the rest of the band and that I suck as a guitar player. It was crazy. It wore me down.

In addition to all of all that, deep down I really just wanted to be doing my own thing for the last five, six years, not out of any type of slight to the old group. Taking all the emotions out of it, Grace writes a lot of songs and started developing her own vision. I love to put music together and to help create a vision for a band. That’s my favorite part. More than the live shows. To not be a part of that and to just sit around and only play the solo on a song and not have any hand in the music, it just didn’t work for me.

JamBase: Was it an amicable parting?

ST: Separations are rarely easy. It was a 12-year relationship.

JamBase: One of the things I think that I’ll miss the most is your interplay with Benny Yurco. You each seemed to bring something great out of the other.

ST: [Laughs] I just got off the phone with Benny! He just got a gig where he’s going to be playing with Ryan Adams. He’s great at making friends and he’s a fun guy to be around. People want to make music with him. We used to call him the “mayor” of Burlington because if you’d walk down the street with him everybody would know him and stop and say “hi.”

Benny has really grown as a musician and an artist since I’ve known him. His solo albums [This Is A Future and Golden Generosity] are really good. He impressed me a lot with those. It pushed me and gave me a kick in the ass to get back to recording my own music. Watching him and the way he did his albums inspired me to set up my own studio and get going on my own vision again. I had lost that fire that fire along the way and he helped me find it again.

JamBase: Has enough time passed to reflect back on the time you spent with GPN? There were definitely more high points than low ones.

ST: There’s been some time for reflection now and I’m proud of a lot of what we did. I think that what happened to us, about two, three years ago, we kind of peaked out in some ways in that we’d experienced this top tier and we’d met our idols and played with them At that point, I think that’s where a lot of bands take a left turn. After you get the money and the experience, you really have to be turned on by the music and the creative process. If you’re challenging yourself, it’s exciting. You have to be getting off on the work or you wonder why you’re doing it other than the money or notoriety. If you’re just doing it for that, it’s going to come across.

JamBase: Having been part of an extremely successful band, has it been a hard transition to go back to the beginning and start up a new project?

ST: Fuck yeah. It’s hard. [Laughs]. I’ve maintained a few connections and contacts but a lot of other people vanish the second you leave the bigger band. It makes things very real. I don’t know how else to put it. The people that are in your camp, are definitely in your camp and the people that really weren’t, all of the sudden they’re gone. In in a way it’s refreshing. It cuts out a lot of the bullshit.

The point where we came to – I realized that I don’t like entertainment as much as I like music. For example, playing football stadiums – you’re running around the stage about 300 feet from each other. That does nothing for me. I want to see a band that’s playing music with each other. A band like Phish or Radiohead, I can appreciate that they’re listening, that it’s more about playing music and connecting with each other than it is about running up and down catwalks.

JamBase: So, it sounds like you’re enjoying the creative freedom.

ST: I really am. I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. When you’re playing to thousands of people – where someone’s set your gear up and there’s food and drinks backstage and a bus to go into – and you’re not happy and not having fun, it’s like what the fuck, why? Now, I’m humping my own guitar and pedal board and writing out my own setlist, there’s 50 people there and I’m having so much fun. It says a lot. That it’s not about those other things. - JamBase

Elektric Voodoo, a San Diego based psychedelic rock and worldbeat band led by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals founding guitarist Scott Tournet, announces the October 5th release of its sophomore album ‘Animal.’ This album expands on the world music influences of Elektric Voodoo’s 2016 self-titled effort by trading in layered guitars for afrobeat horns, banjos, bouzoukis and percussion mixed with Tournet’s signature fuzzed out psychedelic dance sensibilities to tackle the theme of human versus animal and the overlap that exists in between. Elektric Voodoo will be touring the US in support of ‘Animal’ September to October.

Tour Dates:

Sept. 26 The Rhythm Room

Phoenix, AZ

Sept. 27 The Liberty

Telluride, CO

Sept. 28 Globe Hall

Denver, CO

Sept. 29 Zoo Bar

Lincoln, NE

Sept. 30 7 Oaks Music Festival

Omaha, NE

Oct. 3 Ortlieb's

Philadelphia, PA

Oct. 4 Sally O'Brien's

Boston, MA

Oct. 5 Nectar's

Burlington, VT

Oct. 7 Portland House of Music

Portland, ME

Oct. 9 Funk 'N Waffles

Rochester, NY

Oct. 10 Funk 'N Waffles

Syracuse, NY

Oct. 11 Arlene's Grocery

New York, NY

Oct. 13 Martin's Downtown

Roanoke, VA

Oct. 14 Ambrose West

Asheville, NC

Oct. 15 Smith's Olde Bar

Atlanta, GA

Oct. 16 Maple Leaf

New Orleans, LA

Oct. 19 Shipping & Receiving Bar

Fort Worth, TX

Oct. 20 Sahara Lounge

Austin, TX - Grateful Web

Scott Tournet’s new ensemble of psychedelic cowboys, Elektric Voodoo, has released an ambitious self-titled debut album that evokes the cinema of the American West through a cosmic lens. After parting ways with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Tournet has assembled an eclectic outfit that draws from a diverse tapestry of musical influences, featuring Evan Lucas on bass, Mark Boyce on keyboards, Matt Bozzone on drums, and Ty Kiernan on a rather creative blend of percussive instruments . Such projects often run the risk of devolving into a overworked jumble, yet Elektric Voodoo manages to perfect a strange marriage of latin and afrobeat rhythms that provide the foundation for a combination of indie, classic rock, and western grooves.

Elektric Voodoo’s opening track, Secrets, is an energetic commencement that provides a snapshot of the hybrid of styles that define the remainder of the album. Ethereal vocals dance over the delightfully organic afrobeat drums, and a series of rhythmic crescendos propel the tune forward. Partway through the song, we are treated to a haunting Ennio Morricone-esque melody that is echoed in several of the other tracks, giving the entire album a decidedly spaghetti western feel.

Ball and Chain features an impressive interplay between latin guitar and creative percussion. The influence of jam-band sensibilities is present here, as Tournet and his bandmates navigate a succession of peaks and valleys, allowing the energy to build to a climax before snapping into some truly funky grooves.

Mercy is another highlight, although it eschews the afrobeat and latin sensibilities of the rest of the album in favor of a more industrial drum section. Elektric Voodoo induces a dream-like state on this track with floating vocals and droning western guitar. This reverie is finally shattered by a primal outro that is lengthy and soaring, providing a climax that will undoubtedly serve as an excellent canvas for improvisation in a live setting. The Other Side brings back the eclectic percussion, as well as featuring wailing psychedelic guitar leads and another furiously energetic outro.

Elektric Voodoo takes firmly grounded rhythms and uses them as a canvas on which to explore melodies that can best be described as a psychedelic interpretation of spaghetti western soundtracks. This is a compelling musical pairing, as it ties the frontier theme of the American West to the exploratory nature of psychedelic music. By drawing from a rich variety of musical traditions, Elektric Voodoo has crafted a cohesive album that blurs the lines between genres and eludes classification. - Grateful Web

Scott Tournet has recently let his hair down again: in more than one way. After 13 years with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as a founding member and lead guitarist, Tournet is now exploring a place rhythmically and lyrically that would never have appeared had he not made a change. While Grace Potter and the Nocturnals were getting more produced and sheen, Tournet was itching to explore different genres, song structures, sonics and adding an oomph to his rhythmic ideas. Musically Tournet wanted to fill a creative void that was briefly filled with 2013’s Ver La Luz (his second solo album) and his on again off bluesy roots improv band Blues and Lasers,

Elektric Voodoo is Tournet’s new band based out of his current home of San Diego, CA that blends Afrobeat, deep space blues, Latin, psychedelic, and vintage rock & roll into something he calls “what would happen if Lennon, McCartney, Hendrix, and Fela made a soundtrack for a Clint Eastwood film.” With Elektrik Voodoo he’s doing just that and stirring up the pot, so to speak. This five piece ensemble is centered around the drums, percussion, and bass as all of the songs were built on driving rhythms that are undeniably propulsive. On top of the beats, layers of guitars, vintage keyboards, and undefinable sounds swirl and build into emotional peaks and hypnotic drones.

Tournet wanted to go musically where he’s never gone before and wrap it with an undeniable rhythmic pulse. He started by making imperfect loops from old wooden percussions found at yard sales around town: maracas, tambourines, shekere, congas, etc. Soon he’d play guitar or bass over recorded rhythms until he found something that felt right, then later the melody and lyrics hit. After recording the majority of the album, he connected with some like-minded musicians who loved what they heard and the recording project morphed into a proper band. Elektric Voodoo is Tournet (vocals, guitars, keys, harmonica), Mark Boyce (John Spencer Blues Explosion/G-Love- keyboards), Ty Kiernan (percussion), Matt Bozzone (drums), and Evan Lucas (bass).

Elektric Voodoo’s self titled debut album comes out today (9/27/16), and unlike other albums that take an unnecessary time to reveal its true self- this, one hits immediately with an uppercut and bites below the belt in all the right spots. Tastes of The Flaming Lips, Santana, Fela Kuti, Tame Impala and The Arcade Fire break though atop this soulful collection of songs that are birthed with unlimited potential. It would be wrong to say Elektric Voodoo isn’t a live band, but this album makes for as an important first statement as any debut. Glide had a chance to talk to Tournet about all things Elektric Voodoo and give us a first listen of the new track “The Other Side” below…

Embed for The Other Side

What most people may not be aware of is that before you formed the Nocturnals you had a monstrous pedal board and was pretty deep into “far out music.” You simplified very much over the past decade plus. Can you talk about your musical aptitude during the pre GPN days and how you most got your “weird on” in the early days of being a musician?

My most “weird” period probably consisted of going to a clothing optional and grade-less college in Vermont. Our version of partying was basically playing endless free-form jams and trading off on instruments until five in the morning. I had the keys to the music building and the school was in the middle of the woods so was a free for all. We had a Gamelan and there was a class just on Sun Ra. It was pretty amazing. For my senior thesis I put on a big concert which started with a fiddle, dobro, and guitar playing some instrumental pieces I wrote. I kept adding musicians and shifting genres until it all culminated in a 12 person ensemble with a horn section doing some hybrid of rock, jazz, and afrobeat. The music wasn’t really weird as much as it was very diversified.
After listening to the album in full it feels like Elektric Voodoo is going to be an expanding project with room for more percussionist, singers, etc. I’m sure you’re taking it one step at a time but do you envision this becoming an “orchestra or sorts” down the road?

Yes! I would love a horn section and some pedal steel. I’d be into a little more percussion and backing vocals. We shot a video with dancers that was really fun and fit the vibe, so that’s a possibility. That being said, I don’t want to mimic an Afrobeat orchestra. What was exciting me when I was making this record was that I was fusing world music grooves, popular song structure, fuzzed out guitar solos, country & western elements, analog synths, etc. My thinking was like, “what would happen if Lennon, McCartney, Hendrix, and Fela made a soundtrack for a Clint Eastwood film”?

elektrickAs a guitarist what is your role in Elektric Voodoo? It appears your playing more in a rhythmic style to drive the songs beat rather than lead a melody with a solo. Does playing rhythmic limiting at all knowing that you have played leads and identifiable chords for a long time?

There are definitely a lot of afrobeat/James Brown style guitar parts on the record and I think that’s what you’re hearing. That being said, there’s also a whole lot of full tilt lead guitar on it too. It’s the most lead playing I’ve done on an album by far since Blues & Lasers. Songs like Mercy and The Other Side have blown out psych rock solos whereas songs like Ball & Chain and Secrets have cleaner tones but they are still solos. I tried a different approach to soloing with Expectation where I take what would be a traditional blues rock slide solo and I loop it, build it, and then reverse it which was fun. With this record I feel like I really ended up using the whole palette of what I can do on guitar. There’s a bit of everything I know how to do in there.

Afrobeat is the front sound that people will derive when listening to the album with psych following. Can you talk about your relationship to that genre and world music in general?

I first heard Fela Kuti and afrobeat in college and I immediately loved it. People talk a lot about Punk music and often the reason they loved it was because they felt like it was something they could play and relate to because it was simple. I felt that way about afrobeat. The parts are pretty easy to play and they just repeat over and over again. You can stop thinking and just meditate on the part. Something about me really connects to music where you’re allowed to do that.

As far as world music goes, I’m not particularly advanced or studied. A monumental influence for me was seeing the Santana performance from the Woodstock movie. That still moves me. I’m pretty “Americanized” in my tastes and my pedigree. Really all I’ve done is flip the switch on the rhythms. I reached a point where I just got bored with American rhythm. Especially these days when it seems like almost everyone is doing the computer based dance music thing. It’s always the same re-purposed disco beat. I just don’t find it interesting when there are all these other exciting rhythms to explore.

You seem to have really gotten comfortable as a lead singer- singing this beat driven music that you can kind of float your vocals on, vs being an eccentric frontman appears to be a natural fit. Did you have to work or architect yourself into this format as the voice?

Thank you. Singing is funny. I think there is this idea in our culture that you just open your mouth one day to sing and you’re either gonna win American Idol and be a star or you’re terrible…no in between. I think for years I struggled with this mentality because I didn’t have that kind of big, immediately transfixing voice. I also am not a loud and dominant personality in the way that lead singers often are. Despite all this though, I write songs…a lot of them. I’m intensely passionate about it. I have to do it. I love it. That drive has pushed me to stick with it and over time I found my voice. I look to guys like Jeff Tweedy or Beck who don’t have traditionally amazing voices but who found a way to combine their voice with music in a way that’s compelling.
The first track “Secrets” combines Afrobeat over pop rock structures- usually more heavily rhythmic music doesn’t balance rock or pop elements effectively but you’re able to pull it off. How did you put these two together?

This song probably best embodies what I was going for on the record. Oddly enough, it was the easiest and quickest song to record. It just happened. I came up with the main guitar part, then the part where the voices go “whoooaaah”, and then I added a few chords for the chorus. The base rhythm never really changes. I added some pedal steel and harmonica which gave it a bit of a western vibe as well. It was like making soup and you just keep throwing in whatever you have in the spice cabinet!
Than you have a track like “Mercy” that reminds me of the psych prowess of Tame Impala – very current and relevant. “The Other Side” is expansive and jubilant with a significant solo. What can you tell us about those two songs?

“Mercy” is a cathartic journey. Musically, it started with an obsession I had with three different songs by The Flaming Lips, Secret Machines, and Alberta Cross. In all of these songs there was a pounding and totally repetitive rhythm where the bass and drums don’t change but the chords over it do. The guys in the band have taken to calling it our “death march”. It’s militant for sure. There’s a bunch of free form noises throughout the track I got by overdubbing analog synth and heavily effected guitars and picking out the most interesting moments. I also had the horn players play free form over the middle section and created a kind of sonic collage with all the elements which was fun. snagged that technique from a Jay Bennett solo album; I’ve always thought he was brilliant.

“The Other Side” is the only other song with horns and the guys did a great job on this track; I love the way this one came out. John Staten’s drumming is beastly. It’s my favorite bass playing I did on the record. The song is honest and fun at the same time which isn’t always easy to do. It concludes with another filthy fuzz solo. It was really exciting to record.

Your prior solo album Ver La Luz was an album of experimental sounds focused around themes of darkness and pain with an overshadow of optimism- Elektric Voodoo seems more of a reawakening and coming back in true form – your vocals even sound immediate and in the moment. Would you describe this as your most realized and true to form effort?

Ver La Luz was heavy. It was deeply personal. I’m proud of it and I needed to make that record but it was very indicative of that particular moment in time for me…I had got sober a couple years before it and then had a pretty bad relapse. I wrote Ver La Luz during the first couple months of being sober again. When it came time to tour I was in a different place and I didn’t want to be up in front of people singing those super personal songs -I was uncomfortable.

I have been sober for a few years now so when I wrote this record I was really healthy and grounded. I had strength and vitality and I think that comes across. I had been off the road for a long time and had some time to really rediscover who I was as a person and a musician. I kept thinking about who I was before I joined the Nocturnals. What parts of myself had I shut off to help that band grow? All these influences that I hadn’t touched on in so long but were still there, waiting. That rediscovery felt good and natural and right. I had access to my whole self.
How have the live shows gone so far and what type of response have you gotten?

They’ve been great! It takes a little time for a band to develop real chemistry. We’ve played about 8 or 9 shows now and it’s really starting to gel. Other musicians particularly seem to love what we’re doing which is always a nice vote of confidence. Lot’s of people from the audience come up after the shows and want to know what kind of music we are playing which I think is cool.

What brought you to the San Diego area? Must be quite a difference from the northeast?

My girlfriend (now wife) lived here. Yes, San Diego is pretty different from Vermont. The weather is amazing, I’m not gonna lie. I’ve got a lot of roots in the northeast so I do miss it though. I miss the fall the most. San Diego is very laid back, which I love. It’s easy to lead a healthy lifestyle here. ‘m still figuring out the regional music scene. There are some serious musicians here but there seems to be pretty strict lines between the beach/reggae scene, Blink-182 style punk thing, indie rock, etc. You can run into that anywhere though. I’ve always disliked that part of the music world. I’ve never really felt like I fit into any “scene” really.

Looking back as being the founding member of a band that might have ended not the way you might have envisioned, would there be anything you would have done differently musically and personally looking back on the past decade prior to going on your own?

Musically- I would have continued to self-produce our records. Personally- I would like to have been less guarded. So many people come into your world so quickly when your star is rising. It became overwhelming to me so I would shut down or check out. Looking back, I would have handled it differently and been less closed off. That being said, I don’t regret where it all led me. I’m a lucky man and I’m very grateful for where I’m at and all that I have. - Glide Magazine

With their ricochet rhythms and swooping soundscapes, San Diego’s Elektric Voodoo have officially arrived with their self-titled debut. The band’s percussive underbelly is the main element that informs the music, giving it a drive and determination that permeates each of these eight tracks from beginning to end. It’s an all-star ensemble—the band’s chief instigator, singer, guitarist, keyboard player and songwriter Scott Tournet co-founded Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, while fellow keyboardist Mark Boyce spent time with the John Spencer Blues Explosion and G. Love. Percussionist Ty Kiernan, drummer Matt Bozzone and bassist Evan Lucas fill out the remainder of the roster. The sound they create in tandem is powerful and propulsive, especially on songs like the steady, surging “Mercy” and the ever-so-catchy “Boyfriend,” which finds Tournet tossing out a series of soaring riffs, supported by an instrumental undercarriage boasting Lucas’ relentless basslines and the steady snap of a formidable backbeat. Beyond the rhythmic thrust of their tunes, there are added hints of cosmic cacophony, and psychedelic suggestions as well. So while the music is in a constant state of overdrive, the movement and momentum are tempered by a swirl and sway that imbues the songs with fluctuating dynamics. As a result, the band effectively distances itself from the computerized approach that often accompanies a typical dance stance, focusing instead on organic sounds and authentic instrumentation. It’s intriguing, enticing and engaging all at the same time—evidence of Elektric Voodoo’s ability to cast a hypnotic spell.

Read more: https://relix.com/reviews/detail/elektric_voodoo_elektric_voodoo/#ixzz5afKlf0ov - Relix Magazine