Fitz and the Tantrums just want to shine | Arts & Entertainment

The first thing to know about Fitz and the Tantrums, the Los Angeles indie-pop neo soul band, is that they have close to 2 billion streams on Spotify — that’s 4.5 million streams for every person who can fit in Belly Up Aspen, where the Tantrums play Sunday night. 

Since their founding in 2008 and their first release, 2010’s “Pickin’ Up The Pieces,” the Tantrums have consistently released upbeat, catchy songs backed by eye-popping videos that have drawn millions of listens and views on streaming services and YouTube. 

Fitz and The Tantums is the brainchild of lead singer and principal songwriter Michael Fitzpatrick. The genesis of the band goes back to 2008. 

Fitzpatrick, who had recently begun taking piano lessons, got a call from a friend who informed him their neighbor was selling a church organ for $50. “Buy it,” Fitzpatrick responded, “I’ll pay you the $50 later.”

Fitzpatrick moved the behemoth into his living room and it was love at first touch. He sat down and wrote the song “Breakin’ the Chains” in five minutes. Sensing he was on to something, Fitzpatrick called some friends and “five phone calls and one rehearsal later” the Tantrums were formed. 

The Tantrums have occupied similar space in the last 15 years as the Black Eyed Peas, Pharrell and Daft Punk. Their songs have appeared on countless commercials, TV shows and commercials and their song “Clap Clap” has become a reliable stadium anthem at sporting events. 

It didn’t take long for the Tantrums to pen their first anthem, as “Money Grabber” became a breakout hit right out of the gate from their “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” 

In 2013, the band signed to Elektra Records, which released their second album, “More than Just a Dream,” which features the song of the same name that clocked more than a billion listens on Spotify.

The Tantrums eponymous third album was released in 2016 and features “Hand Clap” which is probably the band’s signature song. “All The Feels” followed in 2019 and 2022 saw the release of “Let Yourself Free.” 

Last year, the Tantrums released their seventh record, “Man on the Moon,” and the title track continues the band’s impressive streak of great songs and eye-popping videos that are bound to find their way into the pop lexicon.

There’s always a risk in choosing a song title that has the same name as another iconic song (“R.E.M.’s “Man on the Moon”), but the Tantrums’ “Man” plants a solid flag on its “Moon.” It spawned a psychedelic video that bears repeatable viewing.

“This might be one of my most favorite albums we’ve ever made,” Fitzpatrick said in an interview from his home in Los Angeles, where he has lived most of his life. “When you’re a band that has had some radio hits, the label is always like, ‘Where’s your radio hit? We need a radio hit.’ But nobody knows what’s a hit anymore. 

“I just had this attitude that since nobody knows what the rules are anymore, I’m going to let myself be a little more subtle and let me live in some ‘vibier’ moments and I’m just gonna make the record I want. And that’s what this is.”

The Tantrums’ “I Just Want To Shine” is a life-affirming song that has pulled people from the ledge, according to what Fitzpatrick says he’s been told. He said his goal is to bring joy to his audience. 

“There’s so much power in seeing that joy on people’s faces when we play live,” he said. “Life is stressful and when I’m performing and I see people have joy and laughter and a smile — or I can literally see the stress leaving their bodies from whatever they’re carrying in their life — that is what I hope to get when I perform. If I see people having joy, some levity, maybe the awkward white guy dancing in the corner, then I’ve won, and I’ve succeeded, and what a gift to be able to do that.”

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