The Fleetwood Mac tribute band Tusk consists of five friends from the Northwest Jersey music scene who’ve been performing together in various configurations for four decades. Pictured from left to right are bassist Randy Artiglere, vocalist Kathy Phillips, drummer Tom Nelson, vocalist-keyboardist Kim Williams and vocalist-guitarist Scott McDonald. PHOTO COURTESY OF TUSK
Tusk has been criss-crossing the country since 2008 as the classic Fleetwood Mac tribute. The five founding members have a rich history that spans more than four decades and cultivates an intimate familiarity with each other’s musical nuances that shapes their performances with precision and unspoken understanding.
Two of the members met while playing Little League baseball. Two others met in middle school band and marched in lockstep through high school. All five have been playing music with one another over the years in various configurations of original bands, jam bands, singer-songwriter circles and alternative rock groups.
Tusk is more than a band. They are a family whose time, trust and close friendship have created a synergy that elevates their performances beyond the sum of their individual talents. Their intuitive connection allows them to anticipate and respond to reach other’s subtle variations on stage without missing a beat.
Vocalist Kathy Phillips, vocalist-guitarist Scott McDonald, vocalist-keyboardist Kim Williams, bassist Randy Artiglere and drummer Tom Nelson chatted with me about the band’s history and success to preview their upcoming shows, which number about 100 per year. They include Feb. 7, Strand Center for the Arts, Plattsburgh, NY; Feb. 8, The Cabot, Beverly, MA; Feb. 13, Historic Park Theatre, Cranston, RI; Feb. 14, Barre Opera House, Barre, VT; Feb. 21, State Theatre, Falls Church, VA; Feb. 22, Maryland Theatre, Hagerstown, MD; March 7, Paramount Theatre, Middletown, NY; March 8, Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center, and April 13, The Kate, Old Saybrook, CT.
We’ve all been friends for nearly 30 years, so I know that Kathy is a huge Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks fan. But how and why did the rest of you want to pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac, and how did Tusk evolve out of that?
We were all big fans of Fleetwood Mac and were performing their songs in our respective projects when a mutual friend suggested we get together and form a tribute. We thought it would be fun, and since we had never done anything like that before, we agreed and 17 years later, here we are!
What is the significance of the ‘Tusk’ album or that period in Fleetwood Mac history that made you want to name the band that?
The choice for the name was more of a desire to find something unique that was identifiable to Fleetwood Mac. We figured using the name ‘Tusk’ would help people identify our band more easily.
At this point, do you all make a fulltime living with Tusk or do at least some of you still work day jobs?
We are all basically full-time musicians at this point. One of us still has a job and some of the others do part time work here and there, but we are fortunate enough to be able to make a living performing in this group.
All of you have led or played in original bands in the rich and fertile Northwest Jersey music scene. How did those experiences help navigate the success of Tusk?
We still love composing original music and continue to do so. We did record an all-original album called ‘Stockton Bridge,’ which is still out there and available to hear. Coming from that scene did enable us to insert some of our creativity into the song arrangements. That keeps the show fresh for us and hopefully interesting and exciting for the listener.
Is Fleetwood Mac’s music timeless? If so, why and how, and does that factor into Tusk’s success, as well as your passion for the music?
Fleetwood Mac music is still all over radio. Their album ‘Rumours’ continues to sell very well all these decades later. We are noticing people bringing their kids to our shows now which is so wonderful. A whole new generation is discovering their music, and that speaks to its power and longevity. We also still love their music to this day, and we are grateful to be able to perform the songs.
Out of all the Fleetwood Mac tribute bands in the world, why is Tusk the most successful and popular?
Well, whether or not that is true is not for us to determine. We just try to do the very best show we can every single time we play. We incorporate a lot of energy into our live performances along with a consistently evolving stage show to give people the most entertainment we can for the time they are there. Our goal is to make people smile and sing and have a great time, and for a few hours, help them leave their troubles behind.
What else would you say are the most contributing factors to the success of the band?
We personally get along great as friends. It is still the same five original members for the entire existence of the group. This translates into a chemistry on stage that is organic and gets better and better every time we play. Our sense of joy and fun is on display when we perform and hopefully that is contagious.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TUSK
How many shows do Tusk perform per year?
Approximately 90 to 100 shows per year.
When you first started Tusk, you were balancing day jobs and part-time gigs largely in original bands. At what point in your 17-year history, did the band shift to touring more intensely, and how and why were you able to do that?
Around 2018, we reached a point where we had so many opportunities to perform with the band, we were able to slowly transition from our respective day jobs to becoming full-time musicians.
How often do you perform Peter Green-period Fleetwood Mac, like ‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Man of the World,’ and do you ever perform ‘Brown Eyes,’ the ‘Tusk’ song to which he contributed guitar?
We still do perform some Peter Green songs – ‘Oh Well,’ ‘Green Manilishi,’ ‘Black Magic Woman’ -- in our shows fairly regularly. We have also done some Bob Welch songs – ‘Hypnotized,’ ‘Sentimental Lady’ -- and some earlier Christine McVie songs from the ‘Bare Trees’ era. We have not performed ‘Brown Eyes.’ but we are aware of that song, and we love it.
Tom and Randy, among all the great rhythm sections of the world, how do you rate Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and what do you like most about representing them?
Tom: Mick is one of the greatest drummers in rock ‘n’ roll history. He comes from the blues, and so he plays the drums very loose, groovy and spontaneous, which is right in my wheelhouse. This approach allows me to drive the band while expressing myself musically with the same spontaneity that Mick does ... lots of fun and creativity so that every show is its own unique performance from me ... you never know what I might do.
Randy: Mick Fleetwood together with John McVie is one of the best rhythm sections in the business. With roots in the blues and playing together since the mid-’60s along with their development of different styles through the decades, Fleetwood Mac's rhythm section is always locked together and play a major part in maintaining the band's longevity. And, of course, that is the back-bone of the Fleetwood Mac sound.
What I like most about representing them is just that. They are great and put the most fitting things in every song, along with their individual nuances. When we started this band, we studied the drum and bass parts meticulously to recreate the FM sound as closely as possible. It wasn't long into the journey when we were comfortable enough to sprinkle in our own individual styles and our own style as a rhythm section. After all, Tom and I have been recording and performing together for a decade prior to Tusk's formation.
Kim, do you still teach music, and in what capacity?
When I retired in 2018 after 25 years teaching middle school orchestra, I had a few private string students. As they aged out of high school and moved away to college, I decided to step away from teaching for a while. During the pandemic, I started working part time for a company that delivers fresh produce boxes to subscribers year-round, curated from local farms in New Jersey and the surrounding area. Having grown up only a mile away from my grandparents’ 185-acre farm, I have always had a love for gardening and the outdoors, so I really enjoy being a part of the organization.
Scott and Kathy, are you still pursuing your original music? If so, what’s coming up for each of you?
Scott: Yes, I am slowly releasing new original music as we speak. I recently recorded over a dozen new original songs and will be sharing them over the next year. My newest single, called ‘One Mistake I Can’t Repeat,’ premiered on all platforms Friday, Jan. 31. It’s available here.
Kathy: I still try to fit in some gigs where I can perform my original music. Alba Vineyard in Milford has been very supportive of that. And I hope to do more writing and recording this year!
Is anyone else in the band pursuing original music projects, and can you please provide details about them?
Tom our drummer writes and releases music under the artist name tMas, which can be heard on streaming services. He is currently working on new music to be released in 2025. Here is a Spotify link.
Tusk will perform March 8 at Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center. PHOTO BY JERRY WATSON
What are you looking forward to most about playing Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center and why?
We absolutely love when we get to perform at a venue we have never played at before, and we have never been at this particular theater. The fact that it is also in our home state of New Jersey is the icing on the cake. We can't wait for the show!
Collectively, what has been the band’s favorite or most memorable gig and why?
We have a few: We performed in England for approximately 10,000 people in front of a castle. We get to perform with The Palm Desert Orchestra in California for the third time in spring 2025. We performed in Hawaii, which was a wonderful experience.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected].
