Showbiz Analysis with The Company Men

Not all musical success stories are solo projects. In fact, teamwork is typically part of every showbiz triumph. So it isn’t surprising, when four singing talents leave their egos at the door and join forces, that their music can become exponentially powerful. I was thrilled to explore this concept further with the voices behind the popular mashup group The Company Men — Daniel Tatar, Stuart Ambrose, Shawn Perucca, and Brian Purcell — for my podcast Whine At 9.

Watch The Company Men’s music video “I’m Taking You Home”.

Before America’s favorite mashup group and modern day Rat Pack The Company Men was formed, there were four men with musical dreams and non-musical jobs who weren’t necessarily banking on their entertainment success. Says Daniel Tatar, “We all had these corporate jobs, these 9 to 5 jobs to support ourselves, and our wives, and our kids. But we always loved music, and we found ourselves moonlighting, really, in a Frankie Valli tribute group. We actually performed together only one time–only one 40-minute performance in Vegas. And afterwards, we were sitting there in a hot tub talking after the show about wanting to pursue our own dreams and kind of take control of our own destiny. And especially in Los Angeles, you know, things usually just are talk and kind of end there. But very quickly, and over the course of about nine months, very steadily we developed The Company Men. It came from these corporate jobs, so that’s where the name comes from. But we did it. You know, the four of us kind of held each other to task and we all contribute in our own ways to create this.”

Fascinatingly, the idea that was baked in a Vegas hot tub, became a dream come true for the singers who recognized the skill sets of each member and leveraged them to maximize the reach and polish of The Company Men. Brian Purcell believes this is one of the key factors that has translated into success and visibility for the group. From business acumen and military precision to graphics expertise and entertainment analytics, the men behind the group allowed each person to utilize their talent beyond the vocals to push their success forward.

While it’s hard to pin the artists down regarding their biggest musical inspiration, Stuart Ambrose admits that The Temptations and The Four Tops are in lead positions. “Being a mashup group, we really do draw inspiration from over six decades of artists who have really defined the hits we all grew up loving as musicians.” He also cites modern inspirations like Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, and Prince as Company Men influences. “Each of them has a bit of a throwback element to them,” notes Ambrose.

So, are the four guys who joined forces to become an onstage family, like brothers in real life? Shawn Perucca doesn’t miss a beat. Chuckles the singer, “They are like brothers in every single way. We love each other to the death and we will fight with each other to the death. But in the long run, we are family and no matter what happens, we will do it together. And so, if that’s not a camaraderie of brothers, then I don’t know what is.”

Listen to The Company Men’s album Throwbackpop here.

Listen to Nancy’s interview with The Company Men here, on iTunes, or Stitcher Radio.

Nancy Berk, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, author, comic and entertainment analyst. The host of the showbiz podcast Whine At 9, Nancy digs a little deeper as she chats with fascinating celebrities and industry insiders. Her book College Bound and Gagged: How to Help Your Kid Get into a Great College Without Losing Your Savings, Your Relationship, or Your Mind can be seen in the feature film Admission starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.