TWIDDLE play Teragram Ballroom Oct. 28; photo Jay Blakesberg
Twiddle shall again be gracing California with another appearance at the Teragram Ballroom on Oct. 28 as part of their current tour.
Founded in 2004, Twiddle has remained one of the musical circuit’s most lively groups known for their unique mixture of musical genres and, above all, always striving to relay a constant message through their work.
“Our message is a message of hope and being good to each other and positivity,” exclaims Milhali Savoulidis (lead vocalist / guitarist).
It’s a message that continues to this day and has resulted in the group spawning a fanbase referring to themselves as “Frends”, a nod to “The FRENDS Theme” and the lyric: There Ain’t No I In Frends.
Savoulidis makes up one quarter of the four-man group which first began in the state of Vermont. The foursome, after meeting at Castleton State College, began at the bottom of the music ladder as a simple local band playing at whatever venue would have them.
But though the group did begin in Vermont, they truly began to take shape in California, a place Savoulidis says is part of Twiddle’s roots. It’s a place that’s also “special and refreshing” every time they play there.
“Los Angeles was just one of our favorite places to go visit and hang out in,” Savoulidis said. “We spent a lot of time when we were younger there specifically in Venice.”
The group played at local bars and venues in the area before their perseverance paid off by becoming contracted to the musical label JamFlow Records. They’ve since remained consistently busy, something Savoulidis says helped Twiddle enter the professional circuit to begin with.
“We’ve been touring for the last 12 years consistently, 200+ shows a year. I think it was just through hard work and dedication that got us noticed by the industry to begin with.”
Twiddle remains very proactive, especially at their live showings. The group is noteworthy for its hefty combination of different music styles ranging from reggae, jazz, bluegrass to rock.
Savoulidis owes this quite simply to the unique musical tastes of each member of the band which has helped make Twiddle one of the most prolific jam bands playing today.
“We all came from different musical backgrounds and I think that makes up our sound and I think that’s why it’s so diverse.”
Savoulidis cites Twiddle’s keyboard player Ryan Dempsey’s enjoyment of jazz, specifically Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, as important to Twiddle’s sound and bass player Zdenek Gubb’s love of musicians like Les Claypool being a big contribution to its utilization of rock.
As for Savoulidis, he isn’t shy in revealing his musical tastes that help fuel the band’s unorthodox musical style.
“I grew up really loving reggae and some of the more singer/songwriter stuff like Dave Matthews. Even grunge music was huge for me. Kurt Cobain and Nirvana was a huge influence.”
Their music is also guaranteed to be very different at each live show. This is due to Twiddle’s unique improvisational and free flowing style. Savoulidis and his bandmates hold that any song, no matter how long or short, is open to improvisation once they are added to a setlist.
Savoulidis describes the process as a team effort saying that all songs begin on one specific musical key. Once in play, that’s when things shift into different gears.
“Essentially the keyboard player and the bass player in the band, Zdenek and Ryan, they start to communicate with each other within that key, up a third, down a fifth, whatever. They are creating soundscapes and chord progressions and different moods on the spot that me and the drummer [Brook Jordan] will follow. Or I will lead a jam. It depends on sort of who is leading.”
This extends to their recordings, most notably their two most recent albums PLUMP: Chapter 1 and PLUMP: Chapter 2. They’re Twiddle’s most unique albums due the genuine teamwork put into each one of its songs, something not done on any of their previous albums.
“We all got together and worked on these songs and that is the difference. These are products of all of us putting our heads together.”
The hard work and group-based efforts of Twiddle shall continue past their current tour and albums. Savoulidis promises all manner of upcoming announcements, brand new content and even improving on Twiddle’s vibrant, fluctuating music.
“We’re always looking to try and change what we’re doing on stage and I think in the next year, as always, we’ll evolve the sound a little bit with each year that passes. That’s always exciting.”
For the present though, Savoulidis simply promises live concert goers who attend their upcoming shows are in for a good time.
“You’re going to get great musicianship, a nice message, a nice crowd, and just an overall feel-good environment.”