Dreaming in Real Time
Cover Story | By PAMELA DEY VOSSLER
From left: Martin Schmid, Andrew Trautmann, Quinn Tuff, Miles Clyatt and James Crafford
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT IN ROCK AND ROLL, major in accounting. Okay, not really but that’s the road Andrew Trautmann, Darien High School (DHS) Class of 2015, was on until he quit his accounting job in finance about a year ago to dedicate himself full-time to music as the bass player for the seriously soaring Band Memo.
Though formed scarcely a year and a half ago, the Brooklyn-based five-member Band Memo is already playing locally, regionally and up and down the east coast in an ever-expanding tour schedule.
Drawing from the legends who inspire them – the Dead, Zeppelin, the Stones, the Beatles, Jon Fishman and Phish, Chad Smith and the Chili Peppers, Levon Helm and the Band, Marshall Tucker, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Little Feat and others – their skill, musicianship, confidence in each other and chemistry come together in a wide range of original songs and covers. Infused as it is with Americana, jazz, funk and folk, The Band Memo is still 100% rock and roll in a sound all its own performed “in bounds” in studio, and “beyond the borders” on stage in inventive jams that turn their concerts into parties—an effort to give a new generation of fans a rock band to call their own.
“I don’t think there’s been rock music that’s been strongly associated with a generation since Nirvana,” observed Andrew. “(That’s why) a lot of people, now more than ever I think, primarily listen to old music. There’s been 15 years of people wanting rock music but not having a contemporary band to identify with.”
The Band Memo means to change that.
Of his career change, Andrew explained, “It became more and more clear to me that (accounting) is not what I was made for.” Andrew majored in music as well as accounting at Elon University, where he attended college. A guitar player, he won the Music Department Chair’s Award which is given to just one student per year for excellence in musicianship and academic performance. In high school, Andrew played in the DHS Jazz Band. His senior year, he competed with the honors jazz band at the Berkeley Jazz Festival in Boston and took home the award for outstanding soloist for the ensemble and outstanding musician within his category.
When the universe is speaking that loudly, it’s best to listen, as James Crafford, DHS Class of 2016 has as well. He came to The Band Memo and a career in music by way of a philosophy and religion degree from William & Mary. He has only ever worked as a musician since college, gigging five to six times a week spring through fall at local country clubs, yacht clubs, private events, corporate gatherings, weddings and more—often bringing Andrew to round out the sound. It’s something he still does in and around leading vocals and playing guitar for The Band Memo.
James Crafford / photos courtesy The Band Memo
“I graduated college with the intention of pursuing music as a job,” said James and though he has long since achieved a sustaining following with his gig work, he concedes, “It’s hard to figure out a way to make a living doing it.”
Harder still to really hit it, which is what The Band Memo is aiming for.
“We consider ourselves so lucky to be able to do this for a living,” said James, speaking for Andrew and his other bandmates – all of whom work as full-time musicians—gigging and teaching as well as playing in The Band Memo. “But we’re not yet where we want to be,” he added. “We have big aspirations.”
It takes guts to dream in real time like this. Though perhaps fewer than you might imagine given the collection of musicians who make up The Band Memo.
There’s Andrew who began on viola in the third grade at Holmes School then happily switched to the trumpet in fourth grade. He moved to the guitar in middle school, helped along by lessons at Crescendo Music in town.
James started as a drummer, learning from James Allen at Ox Ridge Elementary School. He picked up the guitar in middle school when a bad report card temporarily halted his drum privileges and set him on a path to discover his dad’s old guitar in the back of a closet.
He played drums to Andrew’s trumpet in the DHS jazz band where the two solidified a friendship begun in Little League years earlier.
“That was formative,” said James of playing for DHS Jazz Band Director John Grauer. “He made us stay on top of things and take ourselves seriously. That instilled a kind of regimentation and seriousness needed to become a good player.”
Though he now appreciates the programs, resources and teachers that set him on his path, “I took it for granted at the time,” said Andrew of his experiences with the music programs in the Darien School System. He acknowledges as well what he calls “the Darien-ness” of it all. “I think it ultimately helped growing up around so many people that almost to a fault hold themselves to such high standards. Because whether you know it or not, it affects you as a kid. You hold yourself to a higher standard. It’s what everyone else around you is doing,” he clarified.
Martin, Quinn, James and Andrew
Lead guitarist Quinn Tuff of Wellesley, MA has been playing guitar since he was 7 years old though the fuse didn’t fully ignite until he was 16, playing in his high school jazz band. That’s when he found the Grateful Dead. Drummer Miles Clyatt of Rye, NY picked up the sticks at 8 and immersed in every drumline he could find in high school – in jazz, orchestra and band. He also played in various rock bands in high school and college. Keyboardist Martin Schmid of Rochester, NY can’t remember a time he didn’t play the piano thanks to his music teacher mom. He grew up performing at open mic nights around town, brought to them by his dad – a big classic rock fan.
Though they met randomly, haphazardly, through friends and gigs, The Band Memo has a kind of meant-to-be kismet that gives their current rise a sort of inevitability.
“There had been other scenarios where bands came up, but they never got traction the way this did,” recalled Andrew.
It has the right energy, and the right people, five individual voices that found a way to come together – in songwriting, singing, performing and seeing to the back end of all it takes to run a band. (Every dream has its waking hours – the social media game must be played …equipment loaded, schedules set, calls returned, invoices issued, bills paid, browsers reset when things go sideways.)
James credits the band’s bond and its rising arc to a shared musical curiosity and spontaneity. “I think one of our biggest strengths as a band is that we don’t shy away from the kind of wide genre and different sounds that each of our songs has,” he said. “A lot of groups have the opposite problem. They might do one sound really, really well, but they maybe struggle getting beyond it.”
“With this group, there is always something new and exciting coming down the pike,” said Martin, “whether that’s new songs, ideas or opportunities as a band. I think we all recognize that energy and contribute in our own ways to keep it moving and keep sharing our music with more people,” he added.
“This is the first band that I’ve been in that I truly believe can go the distance with original music,” said Quinn.
But if you want to live the dream, there’s got to be respect.
“Everyone in this band consistently shows up to band practice on time,” said Miles. “It sounds trivial but there are many bands where that isn’t the case and it makes a huge difference,” he continued.
…and commitment is key.
For Andrew, a differentiator for The Band Memo is “getting to be in a position where everyone is committed to working at bringing this project as far as it can go. There’s also no shortage of creativity, new songs and musical moments that the five of us have been able to conjure. It’s been exciting to refine that process and notice ourselves continue to improve.”
The timing too for The Band Memo couldn’t have been better…except maybe for that trip James took to Viet Nam right after he and Quinn decided to really take the step and form the band.
“I left for Viet Nam with the understanding with Quinn that we had at least planted the seed of the idea that we wanted to make a band. By the time I came back two months later, they’d already played two gigs without me,” he recalled, laughing as the other band members continued to rib him about what has plainly become a comical part of their origin story.
The Band Memo in their rehearsal space. clockwise from top: Martin, Andrew, Miles, James and Quinn
The group was not to be denied. The band quickly gelled, creating space and trust to evolve and grow, sharpening their act with each song, each set, each practice and performance.
Through Miles, United Talent Agency vetted them and picked them up. Fueled by the band’s appeal, they’ve masterminded tour stops including Fishers, IN where they opened for Allen Stone at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, the Bitter End – NYC’s oldest rock club, Garcia’s inside The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, the Levitt Pavillion in Westport and stops in Washington, DC, Asbury Park, Boston, Portland, Amherst and Toronto, among many others. In December, they’ll play at Irving Plaza in NYC opening for Dogs in a Pile.
The appeal of The Band Memo is underpinned by the deep understanding every member has of just how much connection and authenticity matter in creating and performing their music.
“The whole thing is about connection,” said James. “It’s about connecting individually to a song or your instrument. It’s about connecting as a band, and then, most importantly, as a group that’s trying to ‘make it,’ it’s how you resonate and connect with your audience,” he continued. “It has to come from a genuine place, with honest energy and resonate with people on a soul level,” he added.
“I don’t think you could possibly have a lot of consistent, long-term commercial success without truly connecting people and being authentic,” agreed Quinn.
Most of all, it must be fun.
“We kind of ride the line between being a rock band and a jam band but the idea is for everybody to have fun, us included, and the audience,” said James. “I think people show up to our shows because it makes them happy.”
Thus the name of the band: Derivative of “memento mori,” a trope rooted in ancient philosophy, it is a reminder of the inevitability of death. “But it’s not supposed to be a pessimistic thing. It’s actually quite the opposite,” James quickly added. “It’s a seize the day thing. Like, you’re gonna die, so let’s have some fun now.”
And that’s exactly what The Band Memo is doing. Living the dream.
For more on The Band Memo, follow them on Instagram @thebandmemo or scan the QR code. Find their tour schedule online at memotheband.com.
