Tantric

By Katherine Turman

Mar 9 2004

Tantric has had some dramatic ups and downs since forming as Days of the New in 1998 and quickly going platinum. As soon as success hit, so did trouble, and guitarist Todd Whitener, bassist Jesse Vest and drummer Matt Taul left DOTN and headed home to Kentucky.

"We could've fallen apart very easily and each gone our own way," says Whitener. "The fact that we were able to stay together says a lot about the band's spirit and determination." Indeed, the trio's new singer, African-born Hugo Ferreira, was a perfect fit, and the new lineup emerged as Tantric in 2001 with a Toby Wright-produced (Alice In Chains), self-titled debut on Maverick Records.

Singles, including "Mourning" (Top 20) and "Breakdown" (#1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart), and tours with 3 Doors Down, Creed and Kid Rock propelled the newly minted lineup, making Days of the New a distant memory. TV appearances on The Tonight Show and songs in TV and films (including Warner Bros. Salton Sea ) insured Tantric's place as emerging stars.

At once sonically somber, aggressive and sensual, in the years since their debut, Tantric has honed its heavy acoustic-rock signature sound. February 2004 marks the latest Tantric disc, After We Go, which features the first single, the active rock hit "Hey Now." A cool cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" is also on After We Go .

The Louisville, Kentucky-based quartet follows up their debut without a worry about the oft-talked-about sophomore slump. “You can’t go into the studio worrying about writing another hit or selling twice as many copies as the first album,” says Ferreira. “All you can do is make music that moves you and hope that it affects others the same way."