Let’s Meet: Tomar & The FCs

Tomar & The FCs celebrate 10 years together with a new album

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Welcome back to Studio 1A! I’m pretty sure the last time the FCs performed at KUTX was in 2020 for the release of your last album, Rise Above, so we’re very excited to have the band back to share some new music! Can you get us up to speed on your latest work and whether anything has changed with the band since we last talked?

Thanks for having us back! We released Rise Above in February of 2020 and then the Pandemic happened. It wasn’t the best time to release a record. That said, Andy Tenberg, the guitarist in the band, built a studio during the pandemic and we started working in the studio. This new record, Soul Searching, is the product of 4 years of studio work. We also added two new members, Jorion Dawson (tenor sax) and James Rodman (keys). 

The world can be a pretty scary place, but your music always feels positive and upbeat. Are we imagining this, or do you intentionally set out to create uplifting songs?

I agree that the world can be a scary place and that our general vibe is positive. Even when we’re tackling a difficult subject, it’s generally from an uplifting point of view. Soul music comes from Gospel music and I think we’re intentionally carrying on the tradition of making uplifting songs. Tomar and Andy Tenberg are the primary lyricists in the band. They tend to write about what they’re feeling or have felt. They aren’t afraid to tackle difficult subjects like race relations (Rise Above), addiction (Day by Day), or relationship tension (Enough is Enough). In fact, our first two records have a lot of break up songs. We used to joke that we were the first ever Emo Soul Band. Our new record, Soul Searching, is a mix of all kinds of different subjects and emotions. I would describe it as an uplifting record, until the last two songs, Lose My Mind and No More Pain, which are pretty Emo. 

The FCs have been making music together for the better part of a decade. Has your songwriting process evolved over the years? How does the band collaborate to flesh out a song?

Yes, this month marks 10 years for us! We have three basic song sources. The most common is that we, The FCs, come up with a groove or song idea and Tomar writes a melody and lyrics for it. Tomar and Andy also bring full song ideas that are slightly tweaked with FCs flavor. Paul Kresowik (drums) serves as a kind of editor for the tunes and annoys everyone with suggestions.

We had to evolve after Nikolas Bouklas (original tenor sax) and David Earl (original keys) moved on from the band. They’re both excellent songwriters, whose creative contributions were hard to replace. Andy Tenberg really stepped up on Soul Searching with three songs, Don’t Mind the Joneses, Time Stands Still, and Partner in Crime. He also recorded and mixed the record.

We’ve also gained creative input from Chris “Spanky” Alexander (Bass) on the song Gotta Give the People and James Rodman (Keys) on Come On With Me, Baby. Jorion Dawson (tenor sax) laid the foundation for most of the horn arrangements on Soul Searching. Having a regular horn player in the band has definitely helped the sound and songwriting process. 

Sorry if this is an obvious one, but what do the FCs of Tomar and the FCs stand for?

The Funky Condiments! At the very first FCs rehearsal, there was a red shirt, yellow shirt, and white shirt. So Paul Kresowik (drums), called the band the Funky Condiments. The rest of the band hated the name, so different suggestions have been made over the years, mostly Funky Caucasians, but that’s the real story. 

What’s next for the FCs? Anything exciting coming up we should know about?

Yes! Soul Searching comes out on 2/28/25 with an album release show at Antone’s. We’ve got some great shows booked for SXSW and then a Midwest tour in June. We’re working on some new video content, an Instrumental Record, and already have four new tunes that should be ready for live performance soon. We’re also working with strings on some shows. You can hear the Strings at Antone’s or at Saxon Pub shows we’re doing every 4 months or so. 

Are there any local artists you think we should have on our radar?

Absolutely! We’re big fans of Greyhounds, The Soul Supporters, Sugaree and Cold Sweat, Motenko, Brother Thunder, Gypsy Mitchell, The Last Jimenez, The Watters, Dave Scher, and Barfield the Tyrant. 

Does the band have a favorite Austin music experience you can share with us?

That’s really tough, there are too many to count. You mean besides our Studio 1A sessions? I’m looking at the poster right now, so I will say opening for Booker T at Antone’s. Booker T’s era at Stax Records is a massive influence on the band. It was surreal to get to share the stage with him. Dreams really do come true in Austin! There’s an uplifting way to end.