Up and coming jam acts The Jauntee and Cycles just came off a co-headlining tour with one another, which featured powerful original sets from both bands, as well as plenty of cross-pollination with members taking turns sitting in with each other throughout the course of the tour. Both bands have been working hard the last couple of years, hitting the road as much as possible, refining their sound, flying off the handle from an improvisational standpoint, and delivering some eye-opening performances along the way.

With fans driving and flying hours out to follow these bands on the run, we’ve compiled an interview with Cycles guitarist Patrick Harvey and The Jauntee bassist John Loland to see what they thought of the tour. Here is what they had to say….

L4LM: Overall how do you think the tour went?

Patrick Harvey: The tour went well. It really flew by.
John Loland: I think the tour went extremely well. Our personal best. We played very well and had great turnouts at pretty much every show. No problems. Great tour.

L4LM: Did you guys end up getting along with each other?

PH: It turns out the Jauntee guys are A+ dudes…some of the most down to earth and laid back guys I’ve met. Touring can get overwhelming at times and their easy going attitudes made all the difference.
JL: The Jauntee and Cycles got along together extremely well. I expected us to get along well, and it far exceeded my expectations. It was all love, all tour.

L4LM: There were quite a few different sit-ins between members of both bands, can you tell me about your favorite one?

PH: “Fame” (David Bowie cover) from Indianapolis and “I’ve Got a Secret” (Cycles original) from Boulder. It’s way too much fun playing with them. It’s like you throw any idea at them and they just run with it, total freedom. There’s a very good vibe on stage with Caton (guitar, Jauntee). We get along well and play well together (we have the same birthday, same year too).
JL: It was great watching Caton and Tyler play with Cycles. They all crushed it. It’s cool to see/hear members of your band play while you’re not playing. You can pay extra attention to them. But I’d say my favorite sit in was when Pat sat in with us on “Fame” in Indianapolis. I love watching Pat play guitar, so being able to watch him play while contributing to the music was awesome. Plus, the crowd was eating all of it right up. Lots o’ fun.

L4LM: Did watching the other band play inspire or influence your own playing at all?

PH: Yes, very much so actually. I was just listening to one of the recordings yesterday, our Lazy Dog (Boulder, CO) set i think. There was this one moment at the end of The Ruminator where i was thinking, “Wow.. The Jauntee has really rubbed off on us!” Those guys will not stop until an awesome jam is made. I had heard it before from friends but after watching them every night discovering these new places and themes, it was confirmation. Also, gave me faith for improvisational music in the future.
JL: I was inspired by Cycles. Especially as a bass player. Tucker (bass, Cycles) is a bad, bad boy. Also, I feel like I watched them grow a lot (as a band, musically) in a short time. So that in itself was inspirational.

L4LM: There are some stark differences between the styles of each band on this tour. Do you think that your fans enjoyed the other band and vice versa?

PH: Yeah, I think so. We compliment each other really well. Where we tend to get dark, heavy, and intense, they do a lot of really tasteful, dynamic, jazzy stuff.
JL: I do think each bands’ fans enjoyed the other band. In Denver a lot of Cycles fans came up to me and praised The Jauntee. And I heard a lot of my friends who are Jauntee fans praising Cycles. Like you said, we do have differences, but together we make a great pair and I look forward to working with them in the future.

L4LM: Did you learn any lessons from the other band about touring?

PH: I learned that if you believe in your sound you will bring the gear to make it happen. Tyler (keys, Jauntee) pulls out all the stops: Hammond, Leslie, Moog(s), Nord, Rhodes…you get the idea. They all help him out and help each other load the gear. It was impressive to see. They are pros and have been doing this for some time.
JL: No ‘lessons’ per say. But It was really encouraging to see another ‘band of brothers’ much like us. Again, it was all love, all tour. We’ve played with a number of acts in which this sort of comradery isn’t as strong and it was refreshing to see that with a band that we were on the road with for so long. It makes touring a lot smoother!!

L4LM: What was your favorite city you stopped in and why?

PH: I enjoyed the whole tour, but i loved Indianapolis, Chicago, the sold out Stanley’s Cinci show and Minneapolis.
JL: I have to say, Nederland is one of the coolest places we’ve ever been to. It was beautiful. The people were beautiful. Frozen Dead Guy Days is an amazing festival.

L4LM: Would you guys like to play with the other band again? Can we expect to see that being announced anytime?

PH: Most definitely.
JL: I think we all agree that we would all like to play together again. I’d say keep your eyes out for a show or two being announced!

L4LM: What is the best hybrid name you can come up with for the two bands?

PH: The Jauntsicle / The Jycles
JL: We talked about it. It comes down to “Jauntycles” (pronounced Jaunt-icles) or “Cycee” (pronounced “sigh-key”) Tucker and I chose Jauntycles because it sounds like part of a new sexual, reproductive organ spawned by the two bands.

L4LM: Who would you nominate (from the other band) as MVP of the tour and why?

PH: Erwin, our agent, for putting this whole thing together. Also Caton for his incredible parking skills!
JL: This is hard honestly. I’d say Tucker. He sings well and often, drives a lot, kills the bass, and is overall driven. The other guys are all driven too though. So yeah, it’s hard to choose. but I’ll go Tucker!

L4LM: Thanks for your time guys. Best of luck with everything in 2017!

Be sure to check out Cycles and The Jauntee‘s and Cycles Facebook pages for all upcoming tour dates and additional information.

[All photos courtesy of Ryan Lewis Photography]