The New Originals had humble beginnings – in 2003, Jerry Tourte, the father, and Nick Tourte, the son, decided to collaborate musically. Jerry had been in cover bands before, and Nick had no experience outside of high school band, so it made sense in a number of ways for the two to get together and play music. At the time, ambition to play shows was moderate; moreover, the end goal was to have fun playing. Two other musicians came into the mix – Steve Martinez, guitarist, and Storm, bassist – that helped to shape the direction the band would take. The inclusion of those two members would fluctuate over the next year and a half, and by late 2004, Jerry and Nick found themselves roughly where they started, only now with a solid sense of direction.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith, a friend of Jerry’s, had come with his band Levelhead to record in Jerry’s studio. It was through this connection that Jerry met Richie Cassell, front man and guitarist for Levelhead. Unfortunately, Levelhead dissolved during the recording sessions. Richie and Jerry became friends, and after some consideration, Jerry extended Richie the offer to join the cover band collaboration as bassist and vocalist, and Richie accepted.

The next year and a half was spent with song selection, rehearsing, and a little personality compromise – Jerry has more of a classic hard rock influence, Nick is more interested in technically demanding pieces (and making them so if they are not), and Richie appreciates the importance of modern pop rock to an audience. These three perspectives have fueled a number of band “discussions”, primarily pertaining to song selection and performance, but the trio does have a common ground – a thirst for a hard rock / metal sound, and a desire to “not be the normal cover band”. By the end of that year and a half, 4 hours of music was mastered, and the band was ready for prime time.

Their first show was played in June 2006. As of this writing, it’s August 2010, and the band is still going strong. Wherever they play, the audience has a great time – even if it ends up being just a handful of people. The band has the show down to a science, yet is very responsive to the dynamics of the room and the people. People always come up afterwards or between sets and say “I’ve never heard a cover band play that song”, or “I’ve never heard a cover band sound like that!” The band is truly unique in their sound, mostly because they’re not afraid to be.

The New Originals: Rock Covers Done Justice.