Fitz & The Tantrums are back with their sixth studio album, Man On The Moon, and Nashville fans are in for a treat when the band takes the Ryman Auditorium stage. Known for their high-energy performances and irresistible hooks, the band has called this latest record their most daring yet (“We are not afraid to jump outside of the box with every new record”), blending nostalgic nods to their early sound with fresh, forward-thinking innovation.
Co-lead vocalist Noelle Scaggs, who’s lived in Nashville for over a decade, brings a distinctly visual lens to the band’s creative process. “I’ve always been the person that knew a song was done if I could see a full music video, or if I could see what the record art would look like, or if I could kind of encapsulate what it would look like from a visual perspective,” she explains.
Scaggs also helped craft the signature “super voice” effect alongside frontman Fitz, where their vocals blend seamlessly into a unified sound. “We do a lot of unison singing on our records. And often you’ll find I’m doubling him a lot, and it’s really hard to tell us apart,” she says, adding that producers have spent years trying to crack the secret. “It’s literally because I can sing exactly like him on an album.”
Standout tracks like “Waste My Time” and “Motion” highlight the band’s R&B influences, nodding to the late ’90s and early 2000s. “I want to throw [those] in the 90s category of R&B, early 2000s R&B stuff, where you would hear the blend of like kind of hip hop backing in with this kind of stuff. That’s what those songs give me,” she says. The album closes with “One Day” — a hopeful, world-view ballad that offers a reflective send-off.
Fans on tour have already embraced the new material. “I was really surprised to see a lot of folks singing words to the songs pretty early on, especially like a week after the record had come out,” Scaggs says of the tour’s kickoff.
The Ryman show promises a mix of infectious energy, personal connection, and the joy that has always defined Fitz & The Tantrums live. For Scaggs, this one feels especially meaningful: “Nashville is just really special, primarily because it’s a music city. It is a songwriter town. It is built upon the backs of creatives. And I love that we’re finally playing this historic venue with our fans. I just really hope that people enjoy the new songs and get into it like they have every time we’ve played in Nashville.”
With a room full of friends (and maybe even her dog) cheering her on, Scaggs says it will feel like a true hometown show. We’ll be there singing along. Get your tickets here for the Ryman show.
