Rumblecat at Heavyfest 2013

Words by Ben Fox. Photo courtesy Rumblecat.

Sitting down with Rumblecat at their rehearsing space just off North Avenue in Burlington, sipping water out of a generously provided plastic goblet, I got to know this exciting newcomer rock band to the Burlington music scene. They got their start as Rumblecat in September 2012, and maintain a lineup of Kyle Rosenblad on guitar, Trevor Michalak on drums, Luke Fox on bass, vocalist Evan Jones and Taylor Johnson on keys.

They have released a demo since their inception, and have played four shows, all at Nectar’s in Burlington. Their very first show happened to be on First Night of last year, and have played three times at Nectars since then. Their style, while being based in good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll, is certainly something more. “I would describe it as ‘soulful rock,’” said keyboard player Taylor Johnson. Included in their sound are elements of jazz, funk, afrobeat, blues and even hip-hop, diversifying into a unique sound. “We try to incorporate a lot of different musical styles,” Rosenblad said. “Our goal is diversity and a varied sound, and to focus on originals, rather than covers.”

Fox, Rosenblad, and Michalak started out playing music together in high school at CVU, so they have a healthy chemistry together. When forming Rumblecat, they met vocalist Evan Jones through a Craigslist ad and also added a keys player in Taylor Johnson. Jones is also a solo singer/songwriter and performs at Radio Bean now and then with a group doing Motown classics. “I’ve been singing all my life, since I was very young,” she said.

With songs such as “Dr. Toboggan” and “King of Dirt,” this five-piece rock group is on the rise. While they are still working out logistics and such, they have plans and the desire to start touring and recording more. In the meantime, you can catch their performance May 18th at Heavyfest, at the Magic Hat brewery, or visit their web site http://www.reverbnation.com/rumblecat.