www.facebook.com/taubnernaut
From: Cincinnati, OH
Sounds like: Psychedelic Metal
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Taubnernaut" and is there any meaning behind it?
Nathan: Vincent sent me a message on bandmix.com. He wanted a bassist for his psychedelic jam band in the style of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. I agreed, despite having a metal band. I feel he brings the chaos, and I bring the metal. There's no meaning behind our name. We were spitballing ideas, and one of Vincent's suggestions was a shortening of my last name: Crump. I said no. He suggested his last name, Taubner. I agreed and then added 'naut' at the end.
Vinny: Taubner means “deaf” in German and -naut means “of or pertaining to the sea.” So, I guess you could say the name means “deaf sea” or “deaf ship.” And Taubnernaut’s sound is, like Nathan said, a blending of my jam band sensibilities with his metal. In fact, Nathan reignited my interest in metal, and I’m glad he did.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
Nathan: A drug-free high.
Vinny: An experience they remember.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Nathan: Like Sabbath fucked the Grateful Dead.
Vinny: Elements of doom and sludge mixed with long ambient jams.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Nathan: Electric Wizard, Andrew W.K. and Coheed and Cambria.
Vinny: Space Coke, Earthdiver and Kyuss.
5. What are your three desert island albums that you'd never get tired of listening to?
Nathan: Rust in Peace by Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction by Megadeth and Piece of Mind by Iron Maiden.
Vinny: Junta by Phish, Kid A by Radiohead and Welcome to Sky Valley by Kyuss.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Metal?
Nathan: It's going to be rough for the band that wants to be the next Metallica or Iron Maiden. With so many options, it's going to be near impossible to funnel metal heads to one huge band. Once the old guard dies or retires, we will be left with millions of tiny bands. Not saying this is good or bad. It just is what it is.
Vinny: Like many other genres, metal has split off into many subgenres, like a family tree starting with Sabbath. People can get very tunnel visioned when it comes to supporting a certain sub genre, like only listening to doom. It can be hard for a band like Taubnernaut to find open-minded listeners who are willing to branch out and try something unique to the genre as a whole.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in Ohio?
Nathan: I don't know. I've only been to four shows, and I played in two of them.
Vinny: I haven’t been to any shows in Ohio since moving here last year. But there’s a strong metal presence in Cincy, Columbus, and Cleveland.
8. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
Nathan: You can't fight it. Unfortunately, music is the one thing that's really hard for a musician to sell. Fortunately, online streaming makes illegal downloading less prevalent while allowing bands to still get some kind of money. Why risk getting a strange virus when you can just listen to Spotify or Amazon music?
Vinny: I think if some fans knew how much bands depend upon the legal downloading of music they might realize that buying music is essentially supporting the thing, the band, the people they love.
9. What’s next for Taubnernaut?
Nathan: We are still dealing with Covid-19, so a tour or even local shows are out of the question. We are planning on making an EP. We are going to try something special for this one.
Vinny: Yes, this EP will really be a highly curated piece. We’re really going to stretch our wings on this one. Expect longer jams, intense song writing, and experimentation.
10. Any shoutouts?
Nathan: Shout out to my neighbors who've never made a noise complaint.
Vinny: Shout out to my wife who went from tolerating our music to supporting it. And shout out to Nathan’s neighbors!
