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The Hangout rundown: Tontons turn tales from road into new album

Posted by Stephen Centanni | Apr 16, 2014 | The Rundown | 0 |

The world has been given another preview of what to expect at Hangout Fest 2014. The official schedule has been released, and many have been busy mapping out how to experience the most bands.

Festival organizers have made it easy with the custom schedule tool. Many will be checking out some of the Hangout Fest veterans who will be returning to this year’s festival. The Tontons will be back to Gulf Shores with a batch of new material ready to go.

In 2010, this Houston-based alt rock band introduced itself to the world with their self-titled debut. This release was quickly followed by the “Sea and Stars” EP. As the band’s popularity began to grow, their tour schedule began to fill. The group was on the road for three years and developed a wide following, until something occurred to them.

In their eyes, the songs that were once brand new had become old. The Tontons headed into the studio to begin laying down tracks for what would be become their new album “Make Out King and Other Stories of Love.” This album was built upon the concept of three years’ worth of individual and group memories as they toured. This nostalgic concept made itself known after the album was complete.

“When we got into the studio, it was refreshing to have all these new songs,” said bassist Tom Nguyen. “It happened naturally, and after we were done we were like, ‘Whoa! That was weird. All these songs are about all this.’”

Being from Texas, it was only natural for the band to retreat to Austin for the album’s creation. While there, they employed the services of producer David Boyle (Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Iron & Wine). Nguyen explained that a majority of the album was already written when they approached Boyle. However, Boyle proved to be extremely helpful as the band wrote the final songs in the studio.

“We did all this awesome pre-production,” Nguyen said. “Some of the songs stayed the same, and some were shaped differently. It just changed out sound a little, but I think it was for the better. There’s thing we did that we wouldn’t have tried on our own.”

Nguyen will admit they were nervous to release this album. It had been some time since they had had this experience. Ultimately, everyone was satisfied. The fans cannot get enough, and the critics are singing its praises. Luckily, this is a good thing for The Tontons.

“I don’t think we went in with the idea that we wanted to please everyone,” Nguyen said. “We wanted to please ourselves.”

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PreviousThree bands provide great reason to go hear tunes during the week
NextSweet sounds flowing from University of Mobile’s new recording studio

About The Author

Stephen Centanni

Stephen Centanni

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s. He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing. While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer. His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade. As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children. Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.

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