TANTRIC Radio chose 'Chain' cover

The lead singer said group members are all fans of Fleetwood Mac.
By WAYNE BLEDSOE
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Fate or coincidence led hard-rock act Tantric to cover a song by pop legends Fleetwood Mac.
"The record company wanted us to do a cover for the new record ["After We Go"]," says Hugo Ferreira, lead singer of Tantric.
The group members scoured "greatest hits" records, but couldn't agree on a song. Finally, while the band members were gathered in one room, Ferreira decided a decision had to be made.
"I said, 'I'm gonna turn on the radio, and the first song that comes on is what we're gonna cover!'"
The song was Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain."
"We switched channels, and there was another Fleetwood Mac song, 'Rhiannon,' so we all sort of took that as a sign," says Ferreira of the band's eventual decision to cover "The Chain."
'All fans'
"But we're all fans of Fleetwood Mac. And they were a very heavy harmony band, and there's a lot of harmony in our band."
The group is formed from the ashes of Louisville, Ky.-based band Days of the New and Ferreira's Detroit group Merge, which had toured together. When both groups dissolved, former Days of the New members Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest and Matt Taul invited Ferreira to form a new group.
"It was a natural thing for us to do," says Ferreira, "and we were lucky that things vibed real well with us."
Success came quick. "Breakdown," "Astounded" and "Mourning," from the group's debut, all became hits, and the group's music was heard on TV shows, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Witchblade."
Ferreira says that the fact that Days of the New had a good following definitely helped Tantric get a foothold with fans. However, Tantric has its own sound.
"If you hear a Tantric song on the radio, you'll know it's a Tantric song," says Fereirra.
He says that he's known all his life that he wanted to make music for a living, and hopes to make it for the rest of his life. He believes strongly that the health of the music business is seriously threatened by fans downloading music illegally.
"Illegal downloading is no different than a kid walking in a store, stuffing a CD in his jacket and walking out with it," says Ferreira. "I think the penalty should be the same for both. If an artist chooses to let you download for free, that's one thing -- but it should be the artist's choice.
"You can go to our Web site [www.maverick.com] listen to the entire record. We let you test-drive it. If these people are fans of a band, they need to support the band."
Influences
Tantric may never cover another Fleetwood Mac song, but there's no telling what might influence the group, considering what its members listen to. Fereirra says he's been particularly fond of the Gipsy Kings lately.
"We start out our day by meeting at the front of the bus, cracking open a bottle of wine and choosing the CD of the day," he says. "Is it going to be Springsteen or John Mellencamp or Pantera? We listen to OutKast all the time."
Would Tantric have followed through had that fated "first song" on the radio been the Carpenters' "Close to You"?
Ferreira pauses.
"Um, probably not," he says.