By Ava Van’t Hof
Staff Writer
The blasting sound of drums and guitar comes from the music room- it’s Soul on Tap.
Jane Fishman, Noah Viklund, and John Sullivan are three soulful students who have grown up in Manhattan Beach and share a passionate love for music. Collaborating together and infusing their own individual styles since middle school, these young artists have brewed the soulful band called Soul on Tap.
“I love getting to make music with my friends and entertain our audience. That’s what playing in a band is all about,” Sullivan said.
Fishman and Viklund briefly played together in middle school. Their paths crossed again in high school, and they started playing together again. They began by calling themselves The Duo, but later brought in Sullivan, creating The Trio.
“Being in a band is like being in a relationship, sometimes you have to make sacrifices and do things that other people want to do,” Sullivan said.
Later on, Fishman, Sullivan and Viklund changed their name to Soul on Tap. They came up with Soul on Tap because when musicians play the horns, it’s called soul on tap.
“We also came up with the name by thinking what our music embodies the most- soul. There is an overflow of it. Almost like we can pour our soul out,” Viklund said.
The Soul on Tap band members all have something different to contribute: Fishman sings, Viklund plays guitar and Sullivan plays the keys. For some gigs the band hires other musicians.
“Some musicians we hire per gig, some reoccurring some not. The two people we continuously use are Clayton Caravaggio and Matt Kennedy” Fishman said.
Soul on Tap plays at private parties and restaurants and also played at some bigger venues which include opening at the Manhattan Beach Summer Concerts and opening at the Earth Fest Festival for the band Ambrosia.
“Playing all the local gigs and opening at concerts in the park were all great experiences,” Sullivan said. “We’d often meet and hang out with the other bands playing. It’s always great to see locals show up to our gigs.”
They have also recently played at the Spyder Surf Fest in Hermosa and the Feel Good Fest. In addition, the band is involved in a reggae side project with The Brown Bag Band.
“Playing for others is the best, that’s when you really get to experience what it’s like to be a musician,” Sullivan said. “It’s the best feeling when you look out in the audience and you see one dude that’s just really loving it.”
Sugar Shack, Viklund’s basement and music room, is the place where Soul on Tap Rehearses. Here, they jam out with each other, make up new songs, and rehearse for upcoming events.
“Rehearsals are some of my favorite times with the band, especially when it’s just our trio,” Viklund said. “There is really no other time like that. Music organically happening, bouncing ideas off one another. There are some days where we will just rehearse the entire day.”
The three talented musicians started this Soul on Tap because they all love music and want to pursue careers in music. They love playing and hope to have a career in the music industry.
“There’s honestly nothing better than jamming, whether it’s in a garage or on stage,” Fishman said. “Playing music gives you the best mindset and I enjoy playing because I get to play with some awesome musicians.”
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