Recently The Badger Herald spoke to Todd Whitener, guitarist and vocalist of the band Tantric.

“Hi, this is Todd Whitener of Tantric. Is this Nate?” he asked with a slight southern drawl, reflective of the band’s roots in Kentucky. It was scheduled to be an interview, but ended up being more of a conversation. It was an honor to speak with one of the people responsible for some of the greatest music I have heard in years.

Since the release of Tantric’s self-titled debut in February of 2001, my obsession with the band has grown, and my love of their music has never tired. The band came together after the break-up of Days of the New, who you might remember by the song, “Touch, Peel, and Stand.” The three former band members’ instrumental prowess (Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest and Matt Taul) combined with Hugo Ferreira’s vocals and production by Toby Wright (Korn, Alice in Chains) to create a sound that is distinctly Tantric.

It has been about three years since Tantric’s first album dropped. “What took you guys so damn long?” I asked Todd, regarding the lengthy span between the band’s debut and its amazing follow-up, After We Go. The main problem, Todd explained, was with songwriting. During the band’s two-year tour, it didn’t relegate time for songwriting. As a result, the musicians found themselves in quite a rut when trying to force the issue after the tour ended.

“You can’t force yourself to write good music,” he explained.

Whitener agreed that the lack of writing while on tour was due to “having a little too much fun,” when I asked if that was the case. He said they hope the time in between these two albums will be the longest time between any of their albums from now on. Hopefully, this means we can expect another release in the near future.

Speaking of which, they are thinking of doing an EP of previously unreleased tracks and have thus far recorded six songs that have not been released in America. One song, “Cliché,” was released in Australia on the band’s first album, and it was mentioned as one of the songs that might be included on the aforementioned EP. In an effort to prevent writer’s block this time around, the band is bringing recording equipment on the road and writing as the inspiration comes.

Todd discussed how living through pain and hard times can sometimes be the greatest inspiration. On Tantric’s debut album, this theme is apparent in the hits “Mourning,” “I Don’t Care” and others. And pain continues to pervade the band’s songs on After We Go, including its most recent single “Hey Now.” Todd explained that rough times force people to “blow off all the bullshit and look at all the positive things and not sit around and contemplate on the negative side of situations that we can do nothing about.” That is one of the many messages they try to convey in their music.

Tantric’s debut would be a tough act to follow, but the band took that in stride, coming back with an album that is equally great, if not better, Hugo remarked in a recent interview.

“We were still discovering our sound when we made the first album … but two years on the road really helped us grow as musicians and tighter as a band. As a result, we went into the studio with a stronger sense of what we wanted to achieve this time around,” Hugo remarked.

This album definitely reflects Tantric’s newly refined sensibility. Some of the best tracks include “The Chain,” a Fleetwood Mac cover that taps into a more soulful facet of the band’s diverse sound. “Hey Now,” the first single from After We Go, harkens back to its first album with a sound that is somewhat reminiscent of their biggest hit to date, “Breakdown.” And the new album’s title track holds special meaning for Todd and is one of the top tracks on After We Go.

Tantric will play this Friday night at 9 p.m. with Shinedown at the Annex. Tickets are $15. I’ll see you there.

Grade: A