Groovy, fun and energetic.
These are three words that Music Director and UNC junior Oliver Chen said he would choose to describe the University-based a cappella group The Tarpeggios’ new EP, "Push to Start.”
“I like to think about it being the 'push start' of some sort of roller coaster,” Chen said. “I think we bring the listener along a very varied emotional journey through the songs."
The first track, “Hallucinate,” originally by Dua Lipa, is an upbeat pop performance. He said the next track, a cover of Bren Joy's “Sweet,” has a similar feel, but the final two tracks — takes on “Rose Leaves” by Bailen and “Flesh and Bone” by Sammy Rae & The Friends — are stylistically different.
Kyle (Kai) Turik, a tenor, is most excited for listeners to hear “Flesh and Bone.” They said the song, which closes the EP, “grows” throughout due to the strong voices and unique a capella aspects.
The group recorded the EP over the summer of 2022, with Chen and Sindhura Kondaveeti, The Tarpeggios' president, leading the process. Chen said scheduling and coordinating with the group's 16 members was difficult at times, but that their close bond made things easier.
“Everybody contributed to helping me get everything done because I think everybody was so passionate about the music,” he said.
Throughout the recording process, Chen and Turik said that they each struggled with perfectionism and that it was easy to get wrapped up in the logistics rather than enjoying the process.
Turik specifically recalled a memory during the process when they could not hit a note that they usually could. After trying over and over again, taking throat lozenges and still being unable to hit the note, they eventually just had to laugh about the situation with Chen and Kondaveeti.
