MEMBERS: Brennan Taulbee (lead vocalist, keyboards); Alexander Schultz (vocals, multiple instruments); Danny Agosto (percussion)
St. Pete-based Polyenso grew from late post-hardcore band Oceana, and this “new” project finds musicians who are virtual scene vets deeply dedicated to delivering their own unique sound and vision. Impressive sophomore effort Pure in the Plastic dropped earlier this year, and is full of high production values and sounds that are ambient yet groovy expanses with pristine harmonies and percussive sections in break-beat and jazzy time signatures.
Next show date: July 16 at Jannus Live, St. Petersburg, with Brother Cephus (free).
RIYL: Radiohead, Bjork, Bright Eyes, Massive Attack
Self-Styled Sound: Alexander Schultz: “Imagine that all the jazzy hip-hop breaks from the ’90s had a kid with Radiohead’s Kid A, and then that kid met Bjork and had a kid, and then that kid listened to a lot of Paul Simon and hung out with Flying Lotus, A LOT. And then that kid met all of the later Connor Oberst material and had a kid. And that kid would be what we sound like.”
Key Track: “/// (A Pool Worth Diving In)”
How Polyenso is building a fanbase: “Thank god that the internet is what it is today for music. We pay a lot of attention to our online presence and making sure that our band is portrayed the way we want it to be... We just did our first full U.S. and Canada tour over the last month on this record and it was absolutely incredible, it started with Shaky Knees Music Festival… and ended at Bonnaroo. It was the perfect end for the tour and a perfect start for our resurgence.”
Hardest thing about making a career of music: “Finding the patience. Depending on what you’re doing, since there’s so much music out there right now, it’s sad to say, but it does come down to right place, right time, or who you know or who can pull strings for you to get you into the light that you need to be seen in and find those who can appreciate your music. And that sometimes takes quite a long time... a lot of patience is required.”
What have you gotten the most positive response about so far in your existence?: "Transitioning from one band to the other and growing up, our musical tastes were changing and expanding as were a lot of the Oceana fans. Because we were around the same age as most of our demographic, and we found ourselves having a lot of crossover. A lot of people would come up to us and tell us 'Yeah I've been listening to you' since whatever Oceana record. And they would say 'I grew up with you guys' and I think that's really special."
Polyenso’s favorite local artist: “Really love what Brother Cephus is doing. They have a really pure sound about them, and when you meet them and talk to them as people you feel the same thing. I always come back to them.”
Favorite show in recent memory: "Webster Hall in New York City. It's rare that you get that type of room, the beauty, the history, the natural sound of it, and that quality of a PA and gear, it sounded insane."
Favorite town you’ve played? "Lawrence, Kansas. The show was alright there, but the town was really cool and reminded me of St. Pete. It had the craft breweries and antique shops and a strip similar to central avenue. It had the local charm and history to it."
Any big news? What’s coming up? "We have some additional touring plans for October. We just want to get our new record out in front of as many people as possible, we have a great team behind us. We owe a lot of our success to our team who's doing an amazing job. We're touring with Moon Taxi up until Chicago, and eventually Europe is in the works."
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