Today we’d like you to meet Whale Tail.
Ethan, Matt, and James, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The entirety of Whale Tail can be traced directly back to the 4th floor of 150 Mass. Avenue at Berklee College of Music. It only took a matter of weeks until Matt Gonyea (lead singer), Drake Faso (pianist), James Paolano (bassist), and Ethan Berkowitz (drummer) found themselves in a rehearsal room writing songs together. Whale Tail’s first semester as a band at Berklee consisted of figuring out each other musically as well as getting raw rehearsal time. Dillan Hoyos joined up on guitar and was soon followed by Arsel (saxophone). All living in the same hallway of the Berklee dorms (with the exception of one member) Whale Tail. We started jamming and it took no time at all for us to click and make music, it was somewhat of a miracle.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The band went through a few changes to get to where we are today. When we first started writing songs together in a 5 person band where our current bass player, James was on guitar. We wrote a few of our songs with this lineup. Some nights going to Allston to practice and write in the Berklee Fordham building. We then downsized to tighten up and added a horn player to bring out some feels. We played a bit and found ourselves wanting to expand our sound. So, we made some changes by adding horn player. Arsel from Turkey. That’s how we got to the group we have today of: Ethan – Drums, Matt – Vocals, James – Bass, Drake – Keyboard, Dillan – Guitar, and Arsel – Tenor Sax. We spent our nights writing and rehearsing for a whole semester. We only had a few shows that semester but things really took flight in September. The band played a large number of shows including The Boston Freedom Rally & Everett Village Fest. We continue to write and perform for many audiences as we begin planning for a follow-up project to our first EP, released July 31st
Alright – so let’s go a little deeper. Tell us more about Whale Tail – what else should we know?
Whale Tail is a seven-piece band composed of seven Berklee students. The music we make is bluesy and soulful with hints of classic R&B and Hip-Hop styles. We perform a variety of songs from classic song covers (with our own spin on it) to original songs written and crafted by the band itself. Every member of the band has come from different backgrounds in different places around the world. Once the band was formed, it was clear that every member of the band delivered the amount of consistency, knowledge, ability, experience and professional attitude that we needed to make a successful band. We work hard to make sure that is expressed in every performance we have and every original song we piece together. We always make sure that the audience is having as much fun as we are playing for them. We connect with audiences through our fun and witty attitudes as well as the moments we leave for audience participation in our songs as well.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Whale Tail always makes its #1 priority music. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but in the end, we’re just writing music for people because thats what we love to do. The band thrives by getting feedback on our songs and connecting with our listeners. I would say the fans are the main reason we’re still making music, there’s no better feeling than seeing someone have an emotional reaction or connection to your art. Our concerts are parties and our band is a family! We always made it a point from the beginning that was in it for the love, the peace, and the music.
Contact Info:
- Address: 150 Mass Ave
- Website: whaletailband.com
- Phone: 7155149132
- Email: whaletailtheband@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/whaletailband
- Facebook: facebook.com/whaletailband
Image Credit:
Brockton Enterprise, Keith Porges
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