The Donna Tritico Band – Interview – Xperience

The Donna Tritico Band – Interview – Xperience – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: What’s new with the Donna Tritico band? Any new recording projects, collaborations, or additions to the repertoire?

DTB: There will be some changes to our set list. You can expect a lot more R&B and funk added. The emphasis will be on keeping the dance floor full.

RRX: It’s a new year, time for everybody to either make resolutions, or to think about them because it’s a thing in our culture and nobody can escape it. What resolutions would the band have if they’re considering them?

DTB: There will be a greater effort to put on a show. I’m adding a lot of interesting elements that hope will make us stand out a little bit.

RRX: Again, it’s a new year. What are the big projects, big events this year coming up? Do you have anything booked out already beyond just maybe this month? Any spring or summer gigs you have your eyes on?

DTB: We are excited to be performing at some new venues. We’ve expanded our radius, and we are playing further north. We have our usual outdoor concert series gigs (those are my favorite) and of course the Listen Up Awards.

RRX: Tell us a little bit about the band. Not the promo-type stuff that you have on the website. Tell me something unique about each member, something not musical. Let our readers get to know you.

DTB: Well, Joe Lowry, our guitarist, who is highly regarded in this area, is extremely humble, very laidback, and a very private person, he keeps his circle small. Donna was a professional belly dancer for a very long time. She even shared the stage with Sting during a performance of “Desert Rose” at SPAC. The less said about me the better.

RRX: We’ve been through a lot since the Donna Tritico started out, yet you go strong. What do you think is the key to an artist’s ‘rolling with the punches?’

DTB: You can’t be self-indulgent. You have to find a compromise between what you like to play and what people want to hear.

RRX: Every band; hell, every group of people has at least one friendly ‘difference of opinion.’ It could be Coke or Pepsi, maybe ‘tastes great, less filling,’ or Sox, Yankees. Does the band have one, and has it ever gotten interesting?

DTB: We can’t do this without the talented people in the band, so I don’t often make unilateral decisions, therefore, things go pretty smoothly.

More from Liam Sweeny…