November 5, 2013


Neo Soul Group Fitz & the Tantrums Defend Spotify While Prepping for Show

While Thom Yorke and David Byrne slam music-streaming services like Spotify for allegedly underpaying artists, up-and-coming bands without a built-in audience often see it differently. When Fuse followed indie soul act Fitz and the Tantrums for a day as they prepped for a show at the soon-to-be-closed Roseland Ballroom in NYC, the group's two vocalists weighed in on the issue.

"The music industry is evolving," Michael Fitzpatrick tells Fuse. "I'm not sure anyone knows where it's going to land. But maybe if someone is streaming music on Spotify, they'll get turned onto your music, whereas they wouldn't have bought [the record] it before. All of a sudden, now they're listening to you; now they're a fan; now they're coming to the show and dropping $25 on a ticket and buying a t-shirt. You've converted a fan."

Co-lead singer Noelle Scaggs agrees. "I think people have lost the idea of supporting artists they love," she says. "Even if it's that half penny [from listening to one song], that adds up to a whole lot of us being able to continue what we're doing."

Earlier in the day, Fitzpatrick showed us a picture of his five-week-old son and talked about the difficulty of being on tour so soon after his baby's birth.

"He smiled for the first time and it's sad not to be there for it," Fitzpatrick admits. "It's different. Being on the road can be really exciting, but sometimes it's just a grind." As for his son, the soul singer explains naming him Theodore Ignatius Fitzpatrick: "We wanted to give him as many syllables as possible so he will always be good at spelling."

Watch the video above to peek a picture of Fitzpatrick's son and to see the band prep for their concert.
