For New York-based rock-fusion band TAUK, the road to success has been a long one. During an interview with The Daily Free Press, guitarist Matt Jalbert recounted when the band met all the way back in middle school.
“We’ve been playing music together for what feels like our whole lives,” said Jalbert, one of the four-piece ensemble currently on tour. Jalbert met bassist Charlie Dolan and keyboardist Alric “A.C.” Carter as a child, and the three made music together for years.
While the band broke off when they went their separate ways in college, Jalbert said they always kept in touch, and about four and a half years ago, drummer Isaac Teel joined the fold and formed what is now TAUK.
The band released their new studio album, “Sir Nebula,” in September, which their website describes as steering “their music into bold new directions” for their typically free-form inspired tunes. According to Jalbert, “Sir Nebula” is unique for the band because they “knocked it out in one fell swoop” — that is, they took a break from touring to focus completely on recording and mastering the album.
“That process really let us dive headfirst into the music,” he said.
Speaking of their music, Jalbert said the material on the album is a good mix of songs TAUK had previously played live, songs that had been fleshed out before entering the studio and songs that were nothing more than “basic ideas.”
“Nothing is a conscious decision in the style of music we play,” Jalbert said of the band’s library of all-instrumental “jam-tronica” tracks. He called the decision to refrain from vocals in their music a “happy accident.” Jalbert also said that the style of music they play is a reflection on the growth of the band.
In fact, despite being far from the mainstream with the absence of vocals in their songs to the heavily atmospheric and funk-laden rock sound, TAUK has grown quickly in recent years, as their popularity has skyrocketed due to a lot of coverage on SiriusXM radio. The band toured for nearly a year with jam band Umphrey’s McGee, and are now headlining most of their own shows, with support from bands Thievery Corporation, Galactic and Lettuce.
Now, they’re teaming up with Lettuce, a Boston-based jam-funk band, once again for a special New Year’s Eve show at the Boston House of Blues.
“We’re definitely different bands, but I think that we complement each other musically a lot,” Jalbert said of the dynamic between the two bands, which have worked together for years now. “I know that we’re really excited for this New Year’s run and the shows we have coming up … When you’re with musical peers at that level, it really pushes your energy.”
The band also has a short three-show run coming up with Lettuce in the New Year; after that, they’ll be taking a short break in January and February, Jalbert said, to flesh out some new music before they hit the road again.
But for now, Jalbert said, the band is focusing on what their current tour means for them. In the past, TAUK was mainly an opening act, but now it’s their turn to headline.
“This was really the first super-long tour in a while where it’s our run, where we’re headlining all the shows … so with that, and then having all this new material with ‘Sir Nebula,’ [this tour] really felt like a great opportunity to challenge ourselves,” he said.
And, of course, this tour was also a great opportunity for their fans. The band played on the West Coast — an area Jalbert called “new territory for them” — over this run, and have been able to connect with many more fans.
On both coasts, Jalbert said, the crowds and the energy they’ve brought to the band’s performances have been incredible. Now, with their new album, their energetic fan base and more opportunities to play coming up, TAUK can only get bigger from here, Jalbert said.
“We’re always looking for anyone and everyone to find something they like in our music,” he said. “I think we’ve really hit our stride.”
