The Amalgamates, Tufts' oldest co-ed a cappella group, are now again represented by the San Francisco-based record label A Cappella Records (ACR), the group announced this month.
According to Amalgamates Music Director Justin Roth, ACR contacted the singers a few months ago after the release of the Amalgamates' twelfth studio album, Hands Off the Mannequin! (2011).
The group attracted the label's interest after winning Best Mixed Collegiate Album for "Hands Off the Mannequin!" and Best Mixed Collegiate song for "Boy Lilikoi" at the 2012 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards(CARA),Amalgamates President Morgan Babbs, a sophomore, said.
"We decided that it would be really good for publicity and that it would make us more official, since A Cappella Records produces tons of great music," Roth, a sophomore, explained. "They do tons and tons of collegiate a cappella groups across the country and independent artists, including the Beelzebubs, the Jackson Jills and the Dartmouth Aires."
Former Amalgamates president Foster Lockwood said that the group had been represented by ACR in the past.
"[The group] took a year or two where there was a hiatus because [ACR was] sort of a fledgling company and they didn't really come through on the stuff they said they would," Lockwood, a senior, said.
After recently reorganizing its management, ACR negotiated a contract with the Amalgamates that would let the group handle all mechanical and digital rights on all albums they release, Lockwood said.
"They also helped us update an artist page [on iTunes], so we'll have an artist page in the future, which is pretty cool," he said.
The 'Mates will rerelease Hands Off the Mannequin! at the end of this month, after previously working with CB Productions Producer-Engineer John Clark, Roth said. Another upcoming studio album release with around 11 to 12 songs is also in the final stages of the editing process, according to Babbs.
"When the time comes [for the album release], there will be flyers to links on iTunes and posts on Facebook pages, so look out for that," she said.
The 'Mates will also be performing at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin over spring break and have several shows scheduled at other colleges, she said. In addition, the group is having two shows at Tufts in the coming semester, a winter show on Feb. 22 at Sophia Gordon Hall and a spring show on Apr. 26, Roth said.
"In the second semester, we have fun with really bad puns," Lockwood said about the concert themes. "We haven't decided on a theme yet, but the winter show traditionally is more produced and should be exciting."
The Amalgamates have been holding spring auditions this week and will be adding new members soon, Babbs said.
According to Lockwood, the group, which was founded in 1984, sees a lot of change each year with new members and different personalities.
"It's really cool to see how each year the group can change in such a way but also
remain just as important and just as exciting as it always has been," he said.
