Fitz and the Tantrum

Throwing guitars and autotune out the window, six killer musicians, five dapper suits, irresistible songs, and one vintage organ is all that Fitz and The Tantrums need. Drawing on a melting pot of influences spanning three decades, from 60s and 70s Motown acts through to New Wave bands such as ABC, Talking Heads and Style Council, this LA based, Dangerbird Records signed band have created a classic, soul driven sound with a 21st century twist.

In less than 18 months, Fitz and The Tantrums have gone from jamming in their living room to playing a headline sold-out nationwide US tour and performing on some of America’s highest profile TV and radio shows. They’ve played to thousands at Colorado’s world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, shared the stage on New Year’s Eve with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, enjoyed heavy rotation from the likes of esteemed KCRW Radio and performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Last Call With Carson Daly.
Now, after the recent UK release of their ‘Breakin’ The Chains of Love’ EP and the band becoming the creators of the soundtrack to Friends With Benefits, the buzz on Fitz and The Tantrums is building this side of the Atlantic. And so, we send Ryan Houston to catch up with Michael Fitzpatrick, lead singer to find out more about the band that’s making waves.

Where did the name Fitz and the Tantrums come from?
The name of the band comes from my name, which is Michael Fitzpatrick, all my friends call me Fitz and the band, well they throw quite a few tantrums on stage…

What inspires you when writing music?
If I’m totally honest, the same as most musicians – Got to be an ex-girlfriend.

Who inspires your music?
Darth Vader… Slightly strange but that’s the point of the band, we aren’t a copy of everything else that is already out there on the market.

One of your songs that is filled with emotion is ‘MoneyGrabber’ – What’s the story behind that?
It’s the true story of when I woke up one morning and realised that the person I was in a relationship without love and so I looked into the reasons for the relationship not working and created ‘MoneyGraber’.

What can fans expect from you this year?
We’ve been performing all over America for the last 2 years and are ready to conquer the rest of the
world. We head to Australia next week and are looking forward to several festivals across Europe.

The band’s debut album ‘Pickin’ Up The Pieces’ is out now!