Fugato (2)

They have a reggae/funk sound with an occasional rock bass line and psychedelic guitar, and Steele’s girlfriend Tamara Gough sometimes guest vocals with her big diva voice. When playing Steele is always bare foot, Holmes bites his bottom lip and Stevenson’s cheeks get red on his straight face. Holmes and MacDonald have played together before the in bands Port Citizen and Supercar. Steele says he and Stevenson were fans of Port Citizen and Supercar as teenagers. “They were up and kickin’, and listening to music before we were born,” he jokes. “These guys are young pups, I’m an old fart,” 29-year-old Holmes said of Steele, 22, and Stevenson, 23. Steele and Stevenson played in the band Tumbleweed, and MacDougall played for the bands Eyes For Telescopes and The Tuesdays. MacDougall joined the group in August, although he is not on the CD and could not make it to the release due to family commitments. Holmes says MacDougall is an excellent percussionist and brings a new aspect to the band’s sound. “I bought my first set of drums off of Mike.” The band doesn’t really have any creative differences when writing music, says Holmes. “It all comes from Mark in the get-go and then we mold it.” Steele says the credit is not all his own. “I don’t come up with the drum beats,” he said. “Damn right you don’t,” laughs Holmes. The band’s name came about by chance. They were discussing names when Steele said something and Holmes asked, “Did you say Fugato?” “And I said, ‘Fugato what the hell,’” said Steele. Other names discussed for the band were Black Lung Boutique, and Hot Buttered Elvis. “I was pushing Hot Buttered Elvis pretty hard,” said Steele.