Biography

Tucker Rountree's Total Slacker moniker has origins so closely tied to bands like DIIV and Beach Fossils that around 2009, both Cole from DIIV and Dustin from Beach Fossils did brief stints as live members of Total Slacker, Cole from DIIV even recording on Total Slacker’s debut LP. Rountree was also one of several original drummers in Beach Fossils. Previous versions of TS have had a more traditional rock band structure, with Rountree as the sole permanent band member. But on his 4th LP; ExtraLife, due May 27, Rountree plays every instrument himself. While his friends' bands continued touring,as the Brooklyn DIY music scene started to evaporate from gentrification, Rountree instead moved to Utah to work with his father, painting houses. His father not being able to retire, Tucker felt a responsibility to help his dad, who is also a singer- songwriter who played in a band called The Western Reflections in the 70s. As he painted houses, a different kind of songwriting emerged. Tucker slowly crafted ExtraLife during this time. The lyrics reflect this; in "Dried Up Well" he sings "the promise of the world is Gold, when every home in the world is sold..We’ll be out here in the cold, looks like this time it's gonna hurt." which describes Utah and other rural areas across America. ExtraLife is the confluence of a person returning home from the big city and hands slowly touching the top of wheat fields in the sun, searching for a better way.