New EPÂ âSilhouetteâ Out Tomorrow: Catching Up with Tortuga
With a soulful style, all their own Tortuga's been hitting the local scene in a big way after their performance at The Bluebird Theater in February. Consisting of Ryan Mahrer and Tyler Arndt the duo, local to Colorado, has a new release in the works entitled âSilhouetteâ with Philos Records out of Kansas City that you donât want to miss. In case, you didnât catch our last interview âGet to Know Tortugaâ click here to learn about their early musical influences and how the group came to fruition.
From ending ski season in Summit County with a performance at Lake Dillon Tavern to talking Backwoods Music Festival youâll only catch up with Tortuga in this interview.
Aryonna Richard: Your new EP Silhouette is dropping April 12th what can you tell me about teaming up with the nationally acclaimed Philos Records in Kansas City?
Tortuga: Weâre certainly excited for this release. Philos Records has been amazing to work with. Jordan and the crew over there really know what theyâre doing. Excited to be added to their roster along some of the national acts theyâve worked with previously. Jordanâs been there throughout the creative process for Silhouette - both the music and the art. Heâs given great insight and has been an all-around awesome guy. Tyler put together the visuals in case anyone is wondering.
AR: How do you believe this EP will be different from others youâve released?
Tortuga: Silhouette is definitely a more hip hop based release in comparison to previous works. This is also why we partnered up with Philos Records for the release. But we wouldnât say itâs all that âdifferentâ from how weâve created previous tracks. Weâre just always looking to bring new sounds, elements, and melodies into our production - mostly because we like to see what happens. These turned out pretty funky, so we thought Philos may be interested. Thankfully they were, and Silhouette came to fruition. But we have a number of formulas for the way we create the music we release though. A lot of the sounds in these tracks are coming from a place of inspiration. We find a melody we like within ourselves or within something someone else has created and build off it. That melody can come from anywhere.
AR: How does it feel to have such a large goal come to fruition so quickly?
Tortuga: âAt this point we canât say weâve done enough to feel satisfied. A lot of amazing artists come out of Denver - many paved the way for what weâre attempting to put together right now - so we try to stay very conscious minded of our âaccomplishmentsâ in that sense. Weâre going to keep our heads down and keep doing what weâre doing, though. We hope you all like it!â
AR: It looks like you have an upcoming performance in Summit County. What can you tell me about joining the Nocturne Entertainment Crew?
Tortuga: âThey have been awesome to work with. Derek, the owner, reached out to us recently, and we were really excited he did so. Weâre also really excited to see what we can do with them in the near future in the local area. As for the show this Saturday, itâs our first in Summit County and first at the Lake Dillon Tavern. Nocturne Entertainment could not have picked a better weekend. Ski season is winding down, and everyone should be ready to get out and have some fun. Should be one for the books so please join us!â
AR: Anything special lined up for this performance?
Tortuga: âWe never like to spoil the surprise.â
AR: How does it feel to be hitting the local music scene in such a big way?
Tortuga: âIt feels amazing, but we honestly couldnât have gotten this far without the support from you and the I Get Down family. Working with you guys has been amazing. Thank you again for everything youâve done for us. We also have to take the time to thank all of our friends from around the state and country. Really, thatâs been the driving factor behind all of this for us. The support is felt on so many levels for both of us.â
AR: Who else on the (local Denver scene) lineup would you recommend your fans check out?
Tortuga: âWeâve played a fair number of shows in the last - almost - year and everyone weâve worked with has been awesome. To name a few - Decadon; Tkettle; At.Play; DJ TOFU; Digital Beat Down; TwoScoopS out of Fort Collins. Valdeezy is an up and coming duo to watch out for out of the Denver area. All of these artists are worth looking into. All are out of Colorado also. Support your local artists people.â
AR: I noticed Tortuga on the lineup for the Backwoods Music Festival in September how does it feel to be preparing to play for your largest audience to date?
Tortuga: âWeâre excited for this show. Probably the most excited weâve been for anything up to date. Weâve turned a lot of our focus to social media and knowing that a festival of that size feels comfortable endorsing us is fulfilling in that way. Weâre hoping to confirm a few more dates for this summer so stay tuned!â
AR: How do you feel the national exposure will help the movement around your music?
Tortuga: âItâs hard to say exactly. But weâve always felt festivals are a great way to gain exposure to new people. Ideally, you play in front of a new fan and if they enjoy your performance they bring the experience of your music back to their hometown through the music you have available online. An awesome example of this form of marketing is when Zoogma came up with their âWhat the Fuck is Zoogmaâ idea. It seemed to do so much for them as far as captivating people's interest and driving them towards their music both at the festival and afterward online.â
AR: Anything, in particular, you are working on for your set at Backwoods?
Tortuga: âWeâre always trying to come up with new ideas for our live performances. As of now we donât have anything we can share. But, weâre looking forward to it and canât wait to bring the Colorado name to Oklahoma, alongside some amazing national acts. Weâre aiming to make a big impact for our first show outside of the state, though.âÂ
AR: Any hints you can give me about what else is in the works for Tortuga this summer?
Tortuga: âNo hints haha. But big things are in the works. Please stay tuned!â
âThanks to Aryonna, I Get Down Clothing and Apparel and everyone reading, for your time.â -Ryan Mahrer & Tyler Arndt
Hear the soulful vibes of Tortuga this Saturday at Lake Dillon Tavern, a group you have to experience live. CLICK HERE to join the event page on Facebook. With Ryan Mahrer bringing sick guitar licks enhanced and catalyzed by Tyler Arndt's production methods we know their set will be full of good vibes and groovy beats perfect for getting down too. Get a preview via their Soundcloud before heading out.Â
A few of my favorite original mixes are âBangin' On The Systemâ and âStrap Upâ if you're looking for a dope remix be sure to check out âI Canât Stand The Rainâ or âSuicidal Thoughtsâ. Look for Tortuga hitting Backwoods Music Festival, buy your ticket and bring the Colorado love to Oklahoma by CLICKING HERE and donât forget to download their newest EP âSilhouetteâ out TOMORROW.
~Aryonna Richard, Expert.Â











