In the wake of Daylight Saving Time and longer, sunnier days, we share with you a band who are set to make the warmer months a bit more rock and roll with a summertime record on the way.
TEMPT, the rock outfit based out of New York City, are delivering an eighties sound at the moment, adding to their rock and roll repertoire. They consist of vocalist Zach Allen, guitarist Harrison Marcello, bassist Chris Gooden, and drummer Nicholas Burrows, and the band’s debut album, Runaway, is an ode to that decade’s glam rock scene.
Both Burrows and Marcello had similar gravitations to music. “There was always music in the house and I knew it was a language I wanted to speak,” shares Burrows. His father is drummer Jeff Burrows, who is known for his incredible work ethic in the revolutionary band The Tea Party.
“I grew up with a lot of music in the house, as well,” Marcello adds. “My parents were both musicians. I started relatively early on. Then, in middle school, I discovered the Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne tribute album. From then I really wanted to learn how to play guitar. I played classical guitar and went to school for classical music.”
TEMPT is 1/4 Windsor, Ontario thanks to Burrows and 3/4 Big Apple with the other three musicians finding themselves gathering after high school. “Zach and I met when we finished high school. Zach was just finished working with Jack Ponti, who worked with Bon Jovi. Zach found me on YouTube and we played shows now and then until I was done with school. We wanted to make it a serious endeavor. We both known Nick Burrows and we opened the invitation to him and he knew Chris Gooden, our bass player,” Marcello explains.
The band’s sound echoes that of the big hair and glam bands, which includes those young Bon Jovi days. “I think the early stuff we did, there was an influence from the rock great from the eighties and the seventies. Now with our new record, we are trying to create a sound that has never heard before,” the guitarist shares. However, one of their favorite moments is still their chance to support the band behind “You Give Love A Bad Name” at the Garden in 2018.
Queen is another favorite of TEMPT’s. “We were touring in Europe and we finished our shows in Europe with ‘We Will Rock You,’ Burrows notes, but explains that they received Brian May’s blessing to record a cover. “The first show we played on the European tour we got a great response from it. We wanted to make a tribute to the fans by playing Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You.’ We had a friend who was a friend of Brian May’s, who we met in Camden. We used this opportunity to thank Brian and he hence gave us permission to record it.”
The band has been playing overseas to build reception and the drummer tells us that “the European tour was a huge highlight.” Also sharing, “A lot of people had no clue who we were. Watching the crowd grow as you play was amazing. The Europeans appreciate live music like no other.”
TEMPT’s sophomore LP is due out this summer. “We finished the record that is coming out in the summer – it was 2019 [and] that’s when we got our management. Chris Lord-Alge mixed our music. Early 2020 is when COVID hit. We have been holding onto this record for two-and-half, almost three years. It’s a development of our sound that is totally unique.”
Marcello continues on, admitting that the method to their musical madness is not linear. “We find inspiration to lyrics everywhere and we don’t have set roles to our writing either. Our writing process is very open.” This has worked out well, though, as the music is powerful. As Burrows describes, “It’s rock driven, but a more modern sounding album.”
The band is already used to bouncing ideas off each other. “If we are bringing an idea to the table, you’re bringing it because you know the other is going to play off it,” the drummer says. “You grow and figure things out.”
This NYC foursome started out playing Arlene’s Grocery, evening performing so much that they finally got an offer to play a slot at the coveted Mercury Lounge. “We graduated from Arlene’s Grocery to Mercury Lounge,” jokes Harrison. “Mercury Lounge is really fun, but playing Madison Square Garden with Bon Jovi topped it off.”
KEEP UP WITH TEMPT BY CLICKING HERE AND VISITING THEIR WEBSITE!
