Local Artist Spotlight w/ Amateur
A decade in the making, Rochester’s own Amateur has been quietly building something special. What started as a casual collaboration between Chris and Brody at Cafe Steam has grown into a full-fledged band with serious staying power. Add a few more Tauzell brothers, throw in Jake, and you’ve got a group that’s been rocking stages across Minnesota for ten years now.
Their sound? They call it “Indie Soul Rock”—and if you’ve caught one of their sets at Riverside or watched them light up the Xcel Energy Center at a hockey game, you know they’ve got the chops to back it up. With a new album in the works and a decade of experience under their belts, we sat down with Amateur to dig into their story, their creative process, and what keeps them rooted in Rochester.
Give us the backstory — how did you come together, and what’s the journey been like so far?
It started as Chris and Brody when they played a show at Cafe Steam. Then a couple more Tauzell brothers joined, along with Jake, and we were called “New Planets”. It’s been 10 years since our first gig!
What music shaped you? Are there artists or albums that made you want to pick up an instrument or start writing songs?
Every member has very different tastes, but we all love these groups: Dawes, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, Black Keys.
Do you remember the first time you performed live? What was that experience like?
We played in Waubun, Minnesota at a festival called Earth Rhythms. We played in an old dilapidated barn with a leaky roof. The drums fell apart, and Chris played drums for a couple of songs. It was something!
What’s a show you’ve played that really stands out in your memory, and why?
Both of our Riverside shows, and the show we played at a hockey game at the Xcel Energy Center. We also played Rhythm and Brews at CHS Field, which was cool too!
If you had to describe your sound in a sentence or two to someone who’s never heard you, what would you say?
It really is very diverse. But ultimately, we could boil it down to “Indie Soul Rock”.
Walk us through how a song comes together for you. Do you start with lyrics, a melody, a jam session — or something else entirely?
Usually Chris comes with a fully or partially written song, and the rest of the band puts their parts to it. However, as of late, it has been a much more collaborative process, and has been starting with jam sessions, or a single riff from someone in the band.
What’s on the horizon for you? Any releases, shows, or projects in the works?
We are writing for our next album! We don’t really know what that will look like, but we are loving the songs that are coming out of rehearsals. It could lean a little on the heavier side of things.
Amateur performing at the Riverside Concert Series – Photo by Kate Klaus Photography
Is there an artist — past or present — you’d jump at the chance to collaborate with or grab a beer with?
We would love to collaborate with Dawes! Their music has been an inspiration for all of us!
What keeps you playing in Rochester? What do you love about the local scene, and what would you like to see change?
We love the music community that exists in Rochester. A lot of these bands and musicians are so talented, and we really enjoy seeing those bands succeed. We would love to see Rochester music be exposed to the world in an even bigger way!
Where can people listen to your music and keep up with you online?
Our music is on any music streaming service that you may subscribe to, as well as YouTube. We are decently active on Facebook, and we make sure to post any public shows we might be playing in the near future. We will also promote new music whenever we release it!
Huge thank you to Amateur for taking some time with us and letting us get to know more about them. Ten years in, they’re still evolving, still creating, and clearly still having a blast doing it. If you haven’t checked out their music yet, now’s the time—because you’ll have a chance to see them live at the Rochester Thaw Music Festival!
