Today we’d like to introduce you to James Uzzel.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Tourneforte began in 2016 as a side project band, stemming from partnerships across the already flourishing local music scene. I felt like it was a pipe dream because I always wanted to perform as a singer/songwriter in a band, but didn’t believe I had any story to tell in my songwriting. Once I got a foundation of unique and infinitely more talented musicians, we set out to write songs in a way our music scene hadn’t seen or heard until now. Our first release, “Staring at the Sun” tells the less detailed and intricate stories of failing high school relationships and the desire for some purpose in a cesspool of hopelessness. We always knew there was an angle to our music that wasn’t being explored by local artists, so we kept digging to find it and manifest our own local success. After a short life hiatus due to the pandemic and other factors outside of our control, we wrote and recorded our first record, “Swimming Lessons”. That record explores the hardships of pursuing long-distance romantics and the impermanence of your early 20s. I am incredibly proud of the work we have put in to get where we are, and as an individual, I am incredibly proud to stand behind the moniker I made back in 2016.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The challenges of pursuing music are an endless road of worry and financial stress. The biggest factor will always stem back to money. As a 5-piece band with members who help finance our records and merchandise out of pocket, the conversation frequently comes back to, “how can we get the absolute best product/outcome with the least financial hardships in our personal lives?”. It has not been uncommon to ask ourselves the question, do we pay off our record and release it sooner, or pay rent on time and never out the records. Obviously, the clear answer is always to pay our personal bills first and fund the band when it comes easier, but that perpetuates the hardships of pursuing your dreams.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Tourneforte is a Myrtle Beach, SC-based Indie Emo band, known for a very immersive live-show experience, and catchy songs that will stick with you long after you see us live. Personally, I’m most proud of anything we’re currently working on to release next. Overall, we are most excited and proud of our most recent release, “Swimming Lessons”, which came out September 24th, 2021.
The thing that sets us apart from other bands is our persistence. The name Tourneforte may just look like gibberish, but if you live in Myrtle Beach, you will have seen our name somewhere. On a sticker, flyer, shirts around the town, or simply word of mouth. We will be in your face.
What was you like growing up?
Growing up, my family was very music-oriented. My parents both played in a band that would practice at home, and would often drag us along to see them perform across the greater Myrtle Beach area. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by my interests every day while being in such a formative state. I started learning guitar when I was 6 years old and began playing drums when I was 11.
Contact Info:
- Email: tournefortemb@gmail.com
- Website: Tourneforte.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tourneforte/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TourneforteMB
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tourneforte
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5C8nnsJYiL5AbRqzZEq2ES?si=YtKtnML2Q8udTQubx_k7bA
Image Credits
Alex Shodai
Thomas Hickman
