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Next week, NJ emo/rock legends Armor For Sleep will be sharing the stage with Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, playing a series of shows in NJ, PA, and NY as part of the Hello Gone Days tour. Armor For Sleep recently released a new single entitled “How Far Apart”, off of their upcoming album The Rain Museum, which drops September 9th via Equal Vision Records…
Read moreOn June 30th, New Jersey pop/rock artist Mistine will be releasing her debut EP, “Fade”, on all streaming platforms. Having toured with such pop acts as Conan Gray, WizTheMC, and Zeph, Mistine is ready to share her new nostalgia-inspired tunes with the world. She’s already released two singles from her EP (“Temporary Feeling” and “Everett Park”), both of which have over 24,000 plays on Spotify…
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By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Saturday, May 7, 2022
Matthew Kessig has been releasing his fuzzed-out and introspective rock and roll under the name hollowboy since his first single under the name in August 2019. Since then, Matthew has released a handful of more tunes, ranging from early-era Weezer to modern bedroom pop. Throughout these releases there has been a constant with which hollowboy gets its unique sound; that constant being Matthew writing and performing all the instruments on his recordings. His latest single “something in the air” was self-produced and part of the Voices of Freedom: Artists in Support of Ukraine put together by local NJ artists Luke Lenczuk and Nicolas Palermo (Have a Good Season). I reached out to Matthew to tell me more about hollowboy and his songwriting/recording process. Thanks again, Matt!
Honestly, there are a million bands that I could say I have taken inspiration from, but my friends have been my biggest influence. So many of my friends are incredibly talented creatives and push me to be a better musician at all times. There's almost a sort of mushy-competitiveness about it where we all are trying to achieve our own versions of 'success' while also supporting each other. I'm really, really lucky to be surrounded by so many great people that also happen to make great art, so it feels like my music has been shaped by those relationships. But also 1994-2001 era Weezer.
hollowboy essentially began because I was sitting on a stockpile of unreleased songs. I have been in a few bands in my life and loved all of those experiences, but I was never the core songwriter for any of them. I just wanted to have an outlet where I'd have 100% creative control over the music and not have to try and fit my pieces into somebody else's puzzle. It's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it's nice to have another mind to keep yours in check, but I find myself more attached to these songs than anything else I've done because of it.
I would say almost all of my songs are written on acoustic guitar. I am an enigma in that I am a musician that gets anxious about being too loud, so if I'm playing at home it's almost always acoustic. That being said, drums are lowkey the most important thing to me. I spent so many years playing drums that it's just a part of my soul now, can't be separated, so while I'm writing the guitar parts I'm envisioning what the drums will be in my head. It's not until I lay down the guitar and drums in GarageBand that I start to figure out any additional parts, which there are typically many of.
Two of my very close friends Nic and Luke put together this compilation. Luke approached me with the details and asked about possibly contributing a song and obviously there was no other answer than yes. 'something in the air' was one of those previously mentioned stockpiled songs that I had written at a time when the world just wasn't feeling right to me. It, unfortunately, felt relevant again, so I sent it over to Luke. They did such an incredible job putting this compilation together and got so many great artists to be a part of it. I recommend everybody please go check it out and donate to the cause. It would mean a lot to us.
The advantages/disadvantages are essentially the same as the band vs solo question. Working by myself is nice because I have complete creative control and unlimited time to be able to tinker it to how I hear it in my head. Explaining the sound in your head to someone is not easy. The downsides are that I have no idea what I'm doing and nobody can help me.
I've always tried to make hollowboy at least somewhat collaborative throughout. I always send my music to friends and encourage them to give me feedback or even contribute some parts if they have ideas. Speak of the devil, you've ripped a few guitar solos and bass lines on hollowboy tunes. It would be a massive waste for me not to utilize all of the talent I'm surrounded by, so whenever I get the chance I try and get my friends to add their own touch to my songs.
The thing is that I don't have any plans at all. I pretty much have been operating on my own out of necessity. I sadly don't have unlimited time to dedicate to music even though I wish I could drop everything to do it, so gathering members and regularly practicing is not easy. hollowboy may be a 5-piece one day, who knows, I'm honestly just here to have fun. The second it stops feeling fun is when it'll be over.
I'm always trying to listen to new bands. Fast, slow, light, heavy, whatever. As long as it's catchy or makes me feel something, it's going to make me want to write a song of my own. “Baby Bye Bye” by Beauty is a hell of a song, though.
You can keep up with all things hollowboy here and support Voices of Freedom here!
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Monday, April 25, 2022
Kqhyt Kqhyt has to be one of my favorite bands to emerge from Asbury Park since I started writing for Jersey Indie. Whether you know how to pronounce their name or not, you have no doubt caught them playing their booze soaked rock and roll throughout Asbury Park. Since forming in 2019, their long anticipated first single “Carey Bronson” was released April 8th of this year. Accompanied by a great music video, their self-titled release came out April 22nd and is available to purchase here. I recently reached out to lead guitarist Alex Rosen and the band to talk about the beginnings of the band and their upcoming plans. Thanks again, Alex. <><>
In early 2019. It is a bit of a long story, but the short of it is I had gotten Brian and Brendon down to jam. I went to Brendon's house and Bronson came down and asked when practice was. That was pretty much that.
Brendon pretty much has a couple albums worth and growing of songs. So he brings some to practice and we just kind of work ‘em out. Or he has older fully realized tunes and we all just work it to full band. I have contributed some songs and Brian has a few up his sleeve. It is a mostly collaborative effort. You hear this a lot with bands, but it is always cool to see how the idea you had for a song completely transforms when you bring it to other people and jam on it.
Brendon wrote "Mullica" and I really dig how everyone kind of added their own little mark to it. Brendon had the song already done, but each member added themselves to it. Lyrically, it is great as well.
Not sure if we have a favorite of all time since we are pretty new. But places like The Saint, Asbury Park Yacht Club, and Bond St. have always been good to us.
We worked with Pete Steinkopf at Little Eden. The experience went great, and I am really so happy with how the tunes sound and how everything came out. Pete knocked it out of the park!
No comment at the moment.
I went to my bud Mike Brown (Phasor Video) who is a really interesting dude. Does a lot of touring with big musicians as well as has a bit of a cult following in the WWE or wrestling world. I asked him if he would do a music video for us. We just gave him free creative control and that was that. I sent him, I think, three songs, and he picked “Carey Bronson.” It is cool just letting someone have their own vision on something you did. Kind of shows you how a song can mean different things to different people.
We have a full-length out on vinyl and digital on 4/22. It is self-titled and limited to 100. In late April, we are going to record our new record with Mike Mobius at Moonlight Mile. We also have a live album recorded, actually the final show at the Brighton Bar, just been slow-moving with it. We have some shows in Buffalo later this year and May 15th at Red Tank brewery. I would like to get a brewery to do a beer for us, get a tattoo gun and maybe give Bronson another nickname. Just try and make up for some lost time.
We have a bunch of merch we are working on and if you would like to grab our record and future items please check out our Bandcamp: kqhytkqhyt.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @kqhytkqhyt
You can find our stuff on Spotify and all that stuff too.
Thanks again.
You can listen to and support Kqhyt Kqhyt here <><>
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, April 15, 2022
Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son are no strangers here on Jersey Indie, and we are always anticipating their next release. Their work ethic is unmatched and their appetite for songs with big choruses and hooks just seems to grow more and more with each new single. Bobby and his band had been hard at work for their newest release, “We Go On” (which premiered on 4/8), and we can now hear what they have been working on these past few years. To help celebrate this momentous release, they hosted a two-day Release Weekend at The Saint in Asbury Park with a handful of talent from up and down the East Coast. I caught up with Bobby to take a closer look at their latest singles “Moth to the Flame” and “Lay It On Me”, as well as what’s next for the band. Thanks, Bobby!
We started writing these songs in fragments in the later half of 2019. They have definitely been a slow-burn. There are other ideas that have been around longer, but I felt strongly about these as they came together, so they got to cut the line a bit.
This record was collaborative with all four of us, James McIntosh, Andrew Saul, Jon Chang-Soon, and I writing together. I would come up with skeletons/outlines/hooks in acoustic demo form, then I brought them to the others for us to flesh out as a group. The actual pre-production was done remotely, or in-person but masked and socially distanced due to the pandemic. James and I jammed through songs on his electric drum kit, Andrew and I made home pre-production Logic demos, and Jon and I discussed overall “vibe”, soundscape, structure, and arrangement at length ahead of recording as well. We didn’t know if it was going to be an EP, or the first half of a full length, but we felt the five songs we chose really stood on their own, and were a dense, impactful twenty minutes of music.
”Moth to the Flame” is extremely autobiographical! It is about our need to create, despite all the factors that try to deter us from doing so. My favorite thing about playing live is when all the hours of practice and prep come together so I don’t have to think, I can feel. Which sounds silly, but I think there is a Keith Richards quote about something like that. When the four of us lock in, we can ride the energy, follow gut/instinct, and do what we know we can do. There are so many hours of things that are NOT playing the guitar that go into being a musician, so when we get to actually do what we signed up for for 20-60 minutes, and connect with people who care about what we do, it makes it all worth it.
I think it would have been a nice change to come back to shows with people being a bit more respectful of other audience members and the performers, but I don’t necessarily think that has happened. I think if anything, we are all now less likely to take it all for granted, at least I would really hope so. Before the pandemic, I caught myself taking live music for granted, and after losing it for over a year, I am extremely thankful for any chance I have to go see a performance or to perform myself. In a lot of ways, nothing has changed, yet everything has changed. We are still in weird times, but things are healing.
We recorded “We Go On” with our good pal Joe Pomarico in his parents' basement in Holmdel, NJ. Aside from home demos and some pre-production phone meetings, we actually only rehearsed these songs a handful of times as a unit before we began tracking in Fall 2020. I wanted the songs to feel fresh, live, real, and given the circumstances, I wanted to capture the basic sound of people playing music in a room together. We tracked drums, bass, and rhythm guitars live over one weekend, and then spent a year overdubbing when we were able to get together, and doing Zoom editing/mixing/production meetings remotely! It was a weird way to make a record, but for this record — these songs, at this moment in time — it worked and I am very proud of what we were able to create.
The songs are “classic Seventh Son” — catchy with loud guitars and drums — but they have a new spin with this current line-up working together that led to some of the most exciting and unique songs we have ever recorded. We definitely wanted to push ourselves in every aspect to put out an EP that we felt represented what we do, and where we would like to go.
I started taking notes for what became “Lay It On Me” while visiting Paris in August 2019. In the lobby of a hotel, they had old American Western movie posters on the wall, and I wrote some titles and taglines down. Many of our favorite songs were inspired from cinema, and many of the best songs are movies in themselves. Incident at Phantom Hill was too good not to note, and Fistful of Dollars is a classic. The irony of going all the way to France to be inspired by the American “West that never was” isn’t lost on me.
“Flower power and violence” is directly about the protests we saw in 2020 for the murder of George Floyd, the fights many Americans have had to wage on our own soil in order to secure their own rights/freedom in our history — painfully recent history — and present. Who the fuck is anyone to deny another human being the same rights they themselves desire and demand? “Will we find redemption?/Tune in next week.”
The song ultimately is about recognizing our own boundaries, and how much each of us can take on at once without being burnt out, burned, or burnt alive.
Musically, I wanted to focus on dynamics- starting very quiet and then gradually getting louder and louder, until it becomes one of the heavier moments on the EP.
Thanks to everyone who has supported myself and this project over the years. We are excited to share with you all, and excited to see what the future holds!
~
You can keep up with Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son here.
Stanhope, NJ band The City Limit is cooking up new music for 2022, drawing on a diverse range of influences, from blues to pop, rock, funk, jazz, and folk. I interviewed bandmates Scott Lewis, Anthony Ambrosio, Sean Farrelly, and Mike Casson twice last year to ask them about their future music plans. Just a little over a month ago, they teased on Instagram part of a new single, which we may get to hear on April 22nd when they perform at Newton, NJ's Greek's Bar. Then, on Saturday, May 14th, The City Limit will be traveling down south, performing for the first time in North Carolina at Wampus Cat Music Festival.
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Photo credit: Emma Murphy
In February of this year, Asbury Park alt-rock songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sara Abdelbarry (a.k.a Teen Idle) released her first single in 2 years, entitled “Burning”, and this Friday, 4/15, she’ll also be releasing the official music video for it. With the exception of drums recorded by Simon Ogilvie and Danny Murray, Sara played all the instruments featured in the song and recorded them in her basement. (Shoutout to Andy Schichter for mixing and Kramer for mastering.)
Read morePunk n’ roll band, Thrill Ride, brought some much-needed joy to passersby in South Orange-Maplewood (SOMA, for short) when they decided to move their practice sessions outdoors during the pandemic. I spoke with Paul Haley (guitar/vocals) and John Ramsburg (bass/vocals) of Thrill Ride at the end of March 2021, and now, almost a full year later, it’s interesting to see what things have changed and what has stayed the same. Paul and John are both cool guys, so it was a blast to learn about the inspiration behind their sound, their songs, and how their music has been received locally as well as internationally.
Read moreSouth Jersey drummer, songwriter, and studio owner Ryan Hilsinger, also known as Sleepy Rye, last month released the first single off of his upcoming debut EP. Blending together multiple influences, his EP A Bit of a Non-Person has a little something for everyone. In addition to getting ready to release his own music, Ryan is also working on a musical compilation via his studio AGL Sounds in Cherry Hill, NJ to benefit multiple charities (reach out to him to get involved). Be sure to check out his EP which drops tomorrow, March 2nd, and to learn more about Ryan and the ways you can collaborate with him, check out our interview below.
Read moreNJ’s Chelsea Carlson has been keeping busy during the pandemic as a multi-genre singer/songwriter, member of the Renaissance Faire-inspired trio Bardy Pardy, and as a music teacher giving virtual and in-person lessons to students K-12. On Friday, February 11, you can also see her perform live as she opens for the band The Wag at The Coffee House in Edison, NJ. Chelsea has a ton of new music coming out later this year, as both a solo artist and through Bardy Pardy. So how has she been able to juggle all these creative endeavors while remaining so upbeat?
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By Gregory Burrus | Posted Thursday, April 29, 2021
There is no doubt that the Coronavirus Pandemic wreaked havoc on the live music industry, not just around South Orange but all over the world. Musicians went from traveling and performing 2-3 times a day to zilch, nada, zero performances, as large music halls and small restaurants with a single stage, all had to shut down. After all, what is live music but a communal and social interaction experience, but the virus pointed us all in the exact opposite direction. We entered into the world of necessary and forced social distancing in order to live and to survive.
The Summer of 2020 saw us all cautiously returning to a new normal life while committing to all the preventive and precautionary measures required to survive. This, for some, meant not coming out and for others it meant wearing masks, social distancing, no hugs and no hand shakes. For the return of live music, we added in six feet apart circles on the ground at our events and sitting far apart from each other, and we also learned elbow greetings along with never ending hand washing.
Since 2010, we usually start our Downtown After Sundown live music season during the last week of May and usually at two locations in the evening. With the pandemic, that was not happening, but in July 2020 we came together and scrambled back outside. Part of the mission was to help businesses that were shuttered for months survive. We put together a live music season based on that and decided to progress by watching the COVID numbers on a week to week basis.
We found some truly cool bands with fans, found a new stage located with the businesses, and a very large parking lot so folks could space out as much as they wanted. Since we couldn't all be together because of the COVID Pandemic, spreading out was the name of the game. For our daytime events, we also added a component to place the music around town in what amounted to live music pods adjacent to our businesses located all around South Orange. Then we started booking bands on a week to week basis, identified as Making Live Music Around South Orange, NJ While Adjusting for the COVID-19 Pandemic. And guess what? It worked out very well, as many folks came out, stayed safe, and enjoyed the music.
Well, we are now announcing a new 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays born out of last year's learnings. This year, we are starting our season almost a month earlier, extending it a month later, and formally using our new outdoor restaurant patio as our stage. In addition, we identified almost 14 locations for live music all around South Orange, NJ. For our performances, we charged up the lineup as 50% of the bands are new to our performance lineup. Check it out here: SOVillageCenter.org.
The 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays Live Music season will feature blues, jazz, rock, latin, pop, country and more all around our town.
Highly requested returning favorites are MPAC Band, Los Trafficanos, Andy Lackow and Mess Around, Harmonic Conversion, Lynette Sheard Entertainment, Organist Radam Schwartz, Gene Ghee, NXSTAGE Music, Carlos Frias & Circulo Social, Mama D and Vexations, Stuff Bros, Dwight West and Spirit of Life Ensemble.
New to the Main Stage, as of this writing, for 2021: Meant To Be Jazz Quartet, Mike Lee Jazz and his Jazz Jam, the fabulous Big Train Band, Forget The Whale will finally grace the main stage, Alan Paul's Big In China, Jacqueline Harmon Johnson Jazz & Jam, pop rocker David Easton, Rafiki led by Norman Man, Sir G. Earl Grice and the truly awesome 19-piece Maplewood Community Music Big Band which is too big for the stage so they will be sharing the parking lot with us.
In addition, around town we’ll also have some of your favorites returning, like Hal Keshner’s Piano Lounge, Bossio Ukulele, Leonieke Scheuble Trio, Alex DeLazzari Jazz, The Zoos, Howlin Poets, Kyle Younger Jazz Group, Charlie Apicella, Mike Choi, New Jersey DJ Services, Laredo the Band, Joel Cotton and, yes, even Opera in the Park if we can work it out, and a number of other events that we will bring onboard throughout the summer.
As you know, due to COVID, most celebrations of life were canceled or postponed, but we remember. Hence, lest we forget, not everyone made it through the 2020 year. We had tributes during the 2020 Live Music Season and into 2021, where some of our musical friends left us while others fell victim to COVID, such as Lee Boswell May, Darryl Clark, Holli Ross and many, many more. All of our memories, our live music season, and a few musical tributes are listed below.
Thank you musician Caylen Bryant for performing at Reflecting Together: South Orange, Maplewood to Remember Lives Lost to COVID-19, March 21. My thoughts during this SOMA Ceremony - Tribute to Darryl Clark Holli Ross and Lee Boswell May and Many More and their families.
March 6, 2021, the Township of South Orange named a street in Lee Boz May’s name, called “Boz Way.” I reported on that here: A Tribute to Lee "Boz" May -- Live Music Advocate Making South Orange, NJ Black History and Women's History. Long live “Boz Way.”
We celebrated with a ceremony. Thank you to our musicians for your tributes to our fallen live music advocate, jazz lover, wife, family lover, community lover and more, Lee Boswell May.
We hope to do more to honor them as COVID restrictions loosen up.
As we try and move forward, all of us here in town feel a sense of joyful anticipation about the 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays season. We will once again make music for our devoted audience members. It promises to be a season to be remembered and cherish. Please join us.
Gregory Burrus is writing about his first love, the creative people, towns and events all around South Orange NJ, Essex County and Beyond. Gregory continually observes, participates in, reports and writes on local community news, live music and the arts and entertainment scene of the JerseyNYC landscape, right here on Jersey Indie as JI blogger Gregory Burrus. Contact Gregory Burrus to promote your business or nonprofit across various social media and blogging platforms. http://gregoryburrus.me
PRESS RELEASE | Posted Monday, February 15, 2021
Every Damn Day celebrat[ed] its 30th Anniversary by releasing a digital single, “Audio,” on February 12, 2021. The instrumental tracks for the song, recorded 30 years ago, were recently discovered via a transfer from tape to digital. Vocals and additional guitars were added late last year. The song pays homage to a high school senior with a cool nickname, a fake ID and a sense of adventure. [Check it out] it on Spotify!
Founded in 1991, EDD became a staple of the Hoboken, New Jersey music scene, appearing frequently at the downtown club Live Tonight! and later Maxwell’s. They also performed in New York at CBGB, the Hard Rock Café, The Cat Club, Desmond’s Tavern, Kenny’s Castaways, Bond Street Café and the Lion’s Den; in Asbury Park at The Stone Pony and The Fast Lane; Brighton Bar in Long Branch; and The Court Tavern in New Brunswick.
Every Damn Day recorded two full-length CDs and several EPs before going on hiatus in 2007 due to scheduling conflicts.
For more information, visit MikeDaly.com or EveryDamnDay.com.
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Thursday, February 13, 2020
Be Gentle is the latest record from Wall Township’s Grin & Bear. Forming in 2014, the group has undergone line up changes throughout the years, leading to this latest effort from Brian Perrino. This album, while under the name Grin & Bear, has become more of a collaborative/solo project for Perrino. The record is an absolute powerhouse and a favorite of mine to come out this year. Be Gentle is self reflective and positive, perfect timing for we could all use a little extra positivity today. I reached out to Brian to pick his brain about the making of this record and he was kind enough to do an interview. Thank you again, Brian!
Grin & Bear first formed in 2014 during a time when we (Brian, Chris, Will, and Gavin) were all in college spread out over a few different states. I had been working on some songs, and we all naturally started sending ideas back and forth, and it turned into our first release "Range Wars" which ended up being a massively group-oriented effort. We self-recorded and released it in 2015.
Since starting the band, we never ended up living in the same place at the same time. We met up when we could and played when we could. We operated that way for a few years and released "Range Wars" and "Everything is Gravy." I had been writing so much and in an effort to get more music out there started recording some acoustic tracks, which turned into "Hair Shirt Pt 1" and shortly after that release, Gavin (bass) made a long-term move to Georgia and we made the decision to end the band.
One day in 2018, I got back into writing and ended up with a few songs that I really loved and wanted to hear full band, so I reached back out to the band to ask if I could transition Grin & Bear into more of a solo project/collaborative effort. That is when Be Gentle began.
In September of 2018, I wrote the songs "India" and "Not Bad" and became 100% sure I wanted to write an album. Every song (with the exception of “First Reaction”) came after that . We went into the studio in July of 2019 and were writing up until the day we left for the studio.
Every song started with an acoustic guitar. I would mess around until something caught my interest, and then I would immediately start trying to sing whatever words and melody came out (sometimes using a note in my phone, mostly just trying to see what happens on the spot. There's so much boppin’ around up there, sometimes a pleasing guitar part draws something potent out). If I liked it enough, I would record a demo and then walk around my neighborhood listening to it until I heard something new, and then I would run into my house and record the new part.
This was the most fun I have ever had writing music (I remind myself often that those experiences in themselves are all I need to "get" out of this album). I heard a lot more than just my demos, so I reached out to a lot of my friends to see who was interested and had time to contribute. Some came over and we wrote together, some wrote totally on their own, and one part I didn't even hear until the second to last day of recording. These contributions made the album what it is. They kept it light and fun. I called the album Be Gentle because gentleness made this album possible. I had to remind myself to be gentle a whole lot (and still do).
We recorded Be Gentle in Bayonne with Adam Cichocki at Timber Studios. It was the absolute best! Adam's studio is furnished with 2 dogs, 2 bean bags, extremely kind engineers and hosts, and is in close proximity to vegan "chicken" wings that are absolutely fire. Adam is so good at the technical aspect of recording an album that he's able to put you in a creative, stress-free, and positive environment right off the bat. This is not a paid ad for Timber Studios. Be Gentle would not sound the way it does without Adam and I love him!!
Okay, here we go.
Your boy (Brian) played a little of everything.
Chris Calabrese (drums, a little vocals)
Gavin Fischer (bass, a lot of backup vocals)
Will Avon (bass, lead guitar)
Matt Baker (bass, keyboard, backup vocals)
Nigel Whitley (bass)
Zach Henry (guest vocals)
Connor Mcarthur (guest vocals)
Stephen Kelly (guest vocals)
Tim Mullooly (guest vocals)
Grace Fox (trumpet)
Adam Cichocki (random stuff here and there, sleigh bells, post track clapping)
Bowser (double bean)
I think my favorite track is "India." The bass line at the end (Gavin wrote it) is my favorite part on the album. I danced a lot writing it and lyrically dug into a personal hang-up (pride) that has kept me from enjoying some important aspects of my life.
Working to be more kind and gentle with myself and everyone else. And writing more music with my friends/biggest influences/people I love.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2019
On October 19th, Central Jersey indie trio Silent Tides released their debut EP Fruitless Enterprise. Check out our interview, below, with Liam and Gus to learn about the inspiration behind their music.
Our names are Liam Hughes and Gus Mirabella. Liam is from Westfield, NJ and Gus is from Milltown, NJ. We met while attending St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, but we’re now based in the New Brunswick area.
We are the members along with our friend Jesse Silva, who plays drums and sings backing vocals. We both write and sing lead on our own songs, so the band is a mix of our songwriting styles and personalities.
Our sound is a cross between indie, garage, and psych rock. Our influences are Tame Impala, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, The Smiths, and The Beatles to name just a few.
The inspiration behind this EP was to make a succinct statement on what Silent Tides is all about. This is our debut EP, so we wanted to capture the wide range of sounds we play, as well as touching on different themes that have captured us in recent years—personal growth, independence, religion, the ever-changing social climate, etc.
As we both write songs, there is an ebb & flow both in theme and style throughout the record. Fruitless Enterprise may very well live up to its namesake, but regardless, it is a statement of growth and has been anything but fruitless for us.
LIAM: For me, my favorite is “Who Knows.” It’s a song that means a lot to me and it took a few different sessions to get right. It starts as a series of questions like: What should I do with my life? Is following a dream a good idea? And the second half is a kind of self-assurance and love song. Basically saying that although there’s confusion, and things seem meaningless I can find peace and meaning in knowing how I feel and believing in that feeling, whatever it’s towards.
I’ll start with a musical idea, record it, and listen back to determine how it makes me feel. I ask myself, what does this song evoke? and I find a subject that works with the music.
GUS: My favorite song on this record is “Grey Eyes.” I had written the first section independently, but it wasn’t until Liam and I worked on it together that it took its current form . It is our most collaborative song, and you can hear it—both Liam and I sing lead in different sections.
I don’t have one method, it differs from song to song. Sometimes it starts with a riff or a drum beat, then the other instruments and vocals/lyrics follow. Other times, I have lyrics that I want to use and so I base the music off of that. I think having a concrete method is dangerous so I try to let the song just happen without overthinking.
We [had] our EP release at FM bar in Jersey City 10/17 (https://www.facebook.com/events/561024154713558/), and after that we’re taking a break from shows to put our focus towards the second record. We are opening for Delicate Steve at the Stanhope House on December 21st.
Well, we are in no position to give advice, but I would recommend finding other people with the same passions as you. Community is so important and having a group of people who can relate to you is one of the most valuable things in this world, don’t take it for granted.
We’ve got all the typical stuff. We finally got our website up—it’s still a work in progress but that’s our home base where you can find everything you need to follow us: SilentTides.com—nice and easy. We are on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.). Some additional links:
Facebook: Facebook.com/silenttides
Soundcloud: Soundcloud.com/silent-tides
Bandcamp: Silenttides.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @silenttidesmusic
Support local music! Also, shoutout to the longtime friend of the band and my (Liam) personal mentor EJ Gaub. I would not be here in so many different ways if it weren’t for him. He recorded this EP for us, and was a tremendous help throughout the mixing process.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Bergen County singer-songwriter Rory D’Lasnow has been part of New Jersey’s music scene for well over a decade. He recently performed a solo acoustic set as part of Asbury Park PorchFest, earlier this month he was interviewed on Danny Coleman’s ROCK ON RADIO, and he also recently shot a music video for his new single “Never Be Mine” featuring Jamie McClanahan of The Victory Drive (coming soon). Rory released his first EP When All is Fading in 2011, followed by an Acoustic EP in 2015. Last month, he formed a new alternative rock band, Black Rose Revival. Check out our interview with Rory, below, to learn about his journey and the inspiration behind his music.
My name is Rory D'Lasnow. I'm originally from Englewood, NJ and grew up there for sixteen years. I spent some time in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and California - but now I'm back in North Jersey over in Teaneck. The people are a lot friendlier everywhere else (just kidding), but my heart is here.
I have been singing, playing guitar, and writing songs since I was in kindergarten but picked up the guitar upside down and backwards - which is how I still hold it. I actually recently found a home video of my father, who also played guitar, encouraging me to turn the guitar right side up as a little boy, but I seemed to gravitate toward playing it wrong - with the low E string at the bottom, not at the top. I also play a little piano.
I would say I gravitate between an acoustic singer-songwriter style and a harder alternative rock vibe, especially with my band - Black Rose Revival.
My influences are pretty varied. I grew up on The Beatles, Everly Brothers, John Fogerty, and other older music. I would say my music is influenced by them to a large extent - but I also am inspired by some more modern rock like Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Say Anything, and Jimmy Eat World.
A lot of my inspiration for my music comes from things that have impacted me in life. I often explain to people that I lost my mother when I was fourteen and this strongly shaped my world view and provided a lot of the ideas behind some of my sadder songs. I write a lot about love - shocking, I know - as well. I aim primarily to write songs about things that touch us on a deeper level, but hopefully in a way that hasn't been done a hundred times before.
I would say my music has progressed in that my songs have become a bit more contemplative. My first song was called "Nana's Still Askin' For Milk" about how my grandmother was displeased with what my father and I had picked up from the grocery store. I hope I address more complex issues than that these days, but then again - that definitely was a difficult topic ha!
My sincerest wish is that people feel something when they hear my music. Some of my greatest joy has come from people walking up to me and saying that one of my songs resonated with them. I do have simple pop songs, too, but I probably most value the songs that are raw and emotional.
As I alluded to before, I've actually been playing guitar since I was a little kid. My mom and dad encouraged me to play little concerts at the Englewood Library or Borders Books (back when they were in business), and I often participated in talent shows on cruises when I was younger, as my mother was a travel agent and we used to get discounts. This kind of love of performing was instilled in me at a young age. Music has been in my life since I was a little boy, and I was about as Beatles-obsessed as they come (I was Team John, now I'm more of a Paul guy!). I would listen to anything I could get my hands on, and I think I knew right out of the gate that music was my passion.
I would say my primary goal is just to reach as many people across as many places as I can. Music to me is about connection and people are what make life so interesting, so I most look forward to sharing my experiences and sharing in others experiences along the way.
On a more practical level, I hope to be able to be a self-sustaining original music artist. I recently made the jump to becoming a full-time musician, and I've found that playing cover gigs has been financially sustainable for now (knock on wood) and has really helped me stay sharp. That said, as much as any songwriter would respect a song like “Sweet Caroline” - eventually you do tire a bit of playing it!
As far as people I'd like to meet - I'd say if you're reading this interview - I'd like to meet you! In all seriousness, there isn't one kind of person so to speak. I've found that no matter what your background or where you're from, there are often more commonalities than differences between us. That shared human experience is what makes connecting with others so special.
Boy, as far as collaboration goes - the list is long! I'm sure I, along with everybody else, would dream to some day work with Paul McCartney. I also greatly admire a lot of the musicians I listen to - Max Bemis of Say Anything, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Ben Platt, Regina Spektor. I'm one of those people who really delves into what inspires people and what peoples' stories are. I'm not writing fan fiction or anything (though if you're into it - I can't knock it!) but I do enjoy trying to get to know the people behind my favorite songs.
On Friday 11/15, I'll be taking part in a Citywide Charity Event sponsored by NorStep Productions down at Bourre in Atlantic City. On Wednesday 11/20, I'll be at Havana in New Hope, PA as part of Pat Foran's Music Showcase, and the next day - Thursday 11/21 - I'll be opening for Nick Clemons at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ with Mike Rocket.
Oh man - I actually have a lot to say about this. I spent almost ten years second guessing music as a career path. Please - don't doubt yourself. If you love something - pursue it with reckless abandon. And here's the biggest reason why (besides all of the YOLO stuff I could say and the preaching I could do about how life is too short): things do get easier.
If something scares you because you've never done it before - well guess what - it's only the first time ONCE. For the longest time I thought "Oh, I want to play in Hoboken, but I'm kind of nervous." I started with open mic’s and met some of the best people I've ever known. Then breaking into NYC a bit seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. Now I play shows in New York all the time and have come across tons of wonderful people over the course of different events I've attended. I'm hardly the world's biggest success story and I hope my journey isn't close to its end yet, but at the end of the day I think I embody pretty well the idea that you should just go for it because the pieces come together along the way. What is at one point anxiety-provoking and replete with possible obstacles can often become second nature. And then - it's a lot of fun.
I'd just like to say, please don't hesitate to reach out - not just about music! I'd love to hear from you as I love people as much as I love music. And keep an eye out for my new band, Black Rose Revival. We just got started last month, but it's myself with three other veterans of the NJ Music Scene - Phil Beam and Roy Brunston of RESURGE and Sergio Arsenio on drums.
The best place for people to reach me is Instagram (instagram.com/rorydlasnow) or on my band account (instagram.com/blackroserevivalofficial).
My music pages are also on Facebook (facebook.com/rorydlasnowmusic) and (facebook.com/blackroserevivalofficial).
I have a couple of solo EPs and a single on Spotify and SoundCloud under my name and hopefully some BRR tunes will be to come as well.
Youtube and Twitter I have been trying to use more, but both are similarly able to be found by looking up Rory D'Lasnow or my band name, Black Rose Revival.
In addition, my official website, rorydlasnow.com, has a comprehensive list of all of the events I'll be a part of with press links/photos/videos etc - all that good stuff. Thank you for your time!
~
You can also listen to Rory’s music on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, May 17, 2019
In 2013, Bergen County singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Joe Mifsud released his sophomore album, Stay Calm And Carry On. Drawing from a variety of influences, his music has a decidedly alternative/rock/pop bent with new folk/lo-fi elements via his side project, Here for Now. (On top of that, Joe is also a standup comedian. Check out his Facebook page for upcoming performance dates.)
Now in 2019, Joe is ready to jump back into the scene, writing new songs, playing shows, and meeting/collaborating with like-minded creatives and music lovers. Before you listen to his new work, be sure to check out some of his past gems, as well as our interview below to find out more about his personal journey and hopes for the future.
My name is Joe Mifsud. I was born in New York, New York but grew up in Harrington Park, NJ in Bergen County. I currently reside in Harrington Park.
I've generally described my music as a cross pollination of several influences, but if I HAD to describe it to people I usually say my sound would be if The Beatles met The Foo Fighters. Or just very Foo Fighters-like in nature.
Musically, I play guitar, bass, drums, sing, write my own lyrics and music. I do enjoy a lot of different types of music. Growing up, my dad really enjoyed Motown music, Doo-Wop music and the Jazz and Soul Singers. My mom listened to all different types of Spanish Music and top radio hits of the 80's. My sister listened to a lot of jam bands like Phish & Dave Matthews Band along with early 90's Alternative Rock. My brother was listening to 80's Metal and Progressive Rock like Rush when we shared the room together when we were kids.
My childhood best friend Kevin and I listened to a lot of 90's Alternative Rock as we grew up as well as a lot of Classic Rock. We would raid his parents' Classic Rock collection. My influences are many to name but a short list would include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Black Sabbath, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Foo Fighters. More importantly to me were the local influences, musical peers and my brother (who used to play guitar and bass in a band) and my dad (who used to sing in a barbershop group with his friends on the street corner).
The main inspiration behind my music is relationships.
Not always a romantic love relationship,
but it comes from a very literary sense.
Man and nature.
Man and woman.
Man and himself.
Man and society.
I appreciate the very therapeutic value of songwriting. I tend to write very autobiographically as a way of coping and understanding myself and the world around me. I have been fortunate to use music and songwriting as a way to develop my personal and artistic voice. I hope that people find a connection and comfort in what I bring to music. Music to celebrate the good times and good memories and bring people together. Music to find solace and comfort in during the hard times. I hope that people are able to connect with the music on some level that strikes them even if it is just the tone or sonic soundscape or the lyrics and message or all of it.
Ultimately, I would like to give back to music what it gave to me. Music gave me a sense of home, comfort and purpose.
My personal journey started when I was young. My earliest memories of music were listening to Spanish music in the living room and tapping out the rhythm on the conga drum with my dad. The first song that really struck a chord with me was The Beatles' “Lady Madonna” because of the ragtime-type groove and the cartoon-like vocal section that reminded me of a Looney Tunes song. I loved when there would be classical music in cartoons when the characters would have a play off of classical songs on piano. Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” is my favorite rock song of all time. Nothing quite captured my imagination in so many ways about the possibilities of Rock than “Bohemian Rhapsody”! As I got to be about ten or eleven years old, the first band that I was able to claim as my own was Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its accompanying music video blew me away! When I saw Dave Grohl playing the drums, I knew that I wanted to do that! Play Drums! Play Music for a living ! I felt empowered by Nirvana and their music because, similarly to The Beatles' effect, they were just normal people making great music. I felt like I could do it, too, and that it wasn't totally beyond me.
I discovered that I loved music very early on in my life and that it became a goal and a challenge that I accepted to be like my heroes. I wanted to learn to sing, write lyrics, play instruments and write my own original songs with a level of proficiency.
My goals as an artist are to have the music reach people and touch their lives in a positive way. By the end of the year, I would like to have accomplished jumpstarting a life in music and sharing music that I've written with as many people as possible and through multiple channels such as live shows, interviews, social media, streaming services, reviews and podcasts, personal connections, etc. I would like to reach people that genuinely love, support and appreciate music and the arts. I am open to meeting people that are creative, passionate and awesome! There are many artists, bands or producers that I'd love to collaborate with one day. At the top of my lists would be Rick Rubin for producer and Dave Grohl for Musician.
I do not have any shows coming up, but I am looking to plan shows for 2019 and beyond and will keep you updated!
Words of advice or encouragement that I would give to someone who wants to follow a similar passion or is maybe facing obstacles similar to what I've faced: Believe in yourself. Trust your voice. Trust the process and trust that an audience will be attracted to your vision. Always stay true to yourself and the original vision because when it's all said and done you have yourself to be accountable to.
DO! Don't let anxiety or insecurity or excuses counteract productivity. Your older self will thank your younger self.
Create, Create, Create! Hopefully you get a job where you have the time and income to fund and realize your art without interference.
It may take time but stick with it!
I will be your fan!
Official Music Website: https://www.mifmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeMifsudBand
Bandcamp: https://joemifsudband.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1l3m0OFBgPLMmgssBl3cBO
Instagram (Seldom Used but I should use it more): https://www.instagram.com/mif95/?hl=en
Twitter (Seldom Used but I should use it more): https://twitter.com/JoeMifsudBand
YouTube (Videos including live, promo and music videos that I've uploaded): https://www.youtube.com/user/davidbedert/videos
YouTube Official Music from the Albums:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyz5pd9_aSOU0ROmAMHGWlg
For the Streaming Music, the music is available on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon, Tidal, Google Play, etc.
My side acoustic/indie/folk project is called Here For Now. The album is called Letters Home.
Here For Now Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/herefornowband/
Here For Now Bandcamp : https://herefornowthereforlater.bandcamp.com/album/letters-home-there-for-later-edition
Also available on all streaming music platforms - Here For Now Letters Home
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Thursday, December 20, 2018
What are you doing tonight? At 8pm, you could be enjoying the first-ever kick-off show of the “True State Presents:” concert series, at The Wooden Spoon in Bloomfield, NJ. Performing acts include pop-punk band Boy Blue, alternative rockers Wave Break, alternative/emo/shoegaze band Rémis, and Dover/Rockaway rock band Champ. Admission is free. Check out our interview below with concert series organizer Derek Garabedian of the artist development company True State Management.
My name is Derek Garabedian. I am originally from Massachusetts, and I am now based in Mountainside, New Jersey.
True State management started only about 6 or 7 months ago (early summer 2018). The bands we have on roster right now are Hang Tight (@hangtightband), Black Caddy (@blackcaddynyc), The Summoned (@thesummoned), and Cat in the wall (@catinthewallband). All the bands are different genres — pop punk, hip hop, prog metal, and indie rock, in that order. The reason we are working with all genres is to expand our reach as much as possible. We are learning a lot within in each genre and it allows us to be in tune with everything going on. We believe in working with talented people, and talent exists in all genres of music.
I think North/Central Jersey in general is lacking in live music venues especially for local bands. Bloomfield is a city that has so much going on and is a very diverse place. The opportunity to have different genres and bring a lot of different people together is very appealing to me.
The reason I am starting the “True State Presents:” concert series is to help create a thriving music scene and community, while at the same time expanding my network to make everything True State is doing reach a larger scale. The goal of the concert series is to create scene that is willing to help each other and bring excitement about local music!
We are scheduled to one show a month right now but will be expanding in the near future.
Right now we are starting out with Pop-Punk and Indie style bands. With that being said, we are looking to book for all genres in the future. If anyone out there is interested in booking with us please reach out, we would love to talk!
I would love to bring in all types of passionate and contributing music fans.
The way I got started in music is a pretty typical story, I think. Me and a bunch of friends used to skateboard and listen to music. We all decided to get different instruments and start a band. The rest was history; I never stopped playing.
My journey is that after years of playing in different bands, I was lucky enough to end up with a record deal and got to tour the country. After that fizzled out and I got a little older, I started a family and took some time off of music. Eventually, I missed music too much and since I can’t tour myself I wanted to use what I learned to help other musicians on their own journey, by using the things I experienced in the past. Now we are here doing what I hoped to accomplish: helping bands!
Our biggest hurdle was to just pull the trigger and get started. I have been working on ideas for a long time, years even, on how to execute and what kinds of paths to take. The key is to just do it and roll with what comes your way. Utilize your passion to help others and make yourself happy.
You can find everything about our bands, us, and our shows on our website www.truestatemanagement.com and our socials (@truestatemgmt) on all platforms.
The thing I always stress to our bands and music fans is to always support in any way you can and to work as hard as possible to make it happen. I always tell bands, you should be trying to work harder than us (it won’t happen), but that should be the mindset. Help other bands get shows, go out to shows, even if you aren't playing (I know it's a crazy concept). The more friends you make and the bigger the network you have, the better you will do!
By Sean McCall | Posted Friday, November 30, 2018
Wild Dust is an authentic Rock n’ Roll / Punk Band from South Jersey / Philadelphia area. The band consists of Derrick Robbins on vocals, Connor Rothstein on the rock stick, Eric Labar on the other rock stick, and Dave Girolami on drums. Their self-titled EP was released on August 1, 2017. Wild Dust recorded at Gradwell House in South Jersey.
Wild Dust opens the EP with “Open Graves” which is immediately energetic and punk as hell. I really enjoy the rhythm guitar work in this song, because it truly is pure rock n’ roll. This song is definitely a spooky one. It opens up with “a ghoul appeared to me in these waterless canyons- went by the name of God,” and ends with “I can’t be sorry that my hands were the last hands your cold, dead eyes have seen.”
The band seamlessly transitions with a hot baseline to set the mood for the second track, “Devil’s Water.” Lyrically, this song goes way harder than raining blood. “If it’s raining and it’s pouring, don’t slip in mud, because if you do, you’ll slip in blood tonight.” That’s hard. I noticed a lot of the EP has a variety of bass/drum grooves and breaks which I personally really appreciate. “Devil’s Water” has a sweet instrumental break around the 2:45 mark and ends perfectly. Definitely a track you should peep if you have yet to listen.
The third track, “Red Magic,” has my favorite guitar part on the entire record. It opens with this chorusy guitar riff that strangely reminds me of Nirvana in a good way. I really love the emotional in this song when they chant, “There’s not a soul here to save me” followed by some authentic rock n’ roll solo riffage. I also really loved the feeling of musical exhaustion towards the end of this track. If that doesn’t make sense (most things I say don’t), then check it out for yourself.
The second to last track, “Mojave Flower,” continues the energetic feeling and theme of blood, death, the devil, and most importantly, rock. “I’m a brushfire howling in the night, estranged gunslinger, I’ll murder you tonight” is a bold hook, and I f**k with the vision. This song also has another classic rock solo that’s definitely recorded with a Les Paul, in case you were itching for riffs.
The record closes with “Church in the Wildwood,” which is hands down my favorite title track of a song. This song is a slow jammer at the start. I love the lyrical theme of this song. You can hear the emotion and exhaustion in the vocals, which is a beautiful thing to be able to portray. The idea that you view heaven as “homes built by the Lord,” just to find yourself giving into vices and “finding God” in a bottle is a powerful thing.
Overall, this record is a dynamic journey of aggression, rock n’ roll, and mid-western feeling punk. Lyrically it is very raw, and poetic. I really like how they play with the idea of the Devil and God. This is definitely a record you’d want to throw on if you’re looking to get some aggression out. Also be sure to check out their first single, “Karaoke with the Devil,” from January of 2017.
Side-note: Wild Dust’s Live show is also a trip, and I definitely recommend seeing them. Their Next Show is at The Pharmacy in South Philadelphia, on December 15th, 2018 if you’re looking for something to do.
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2018
America Part Two is the newest collaboration between Alex Fabio, Fred Koechlin and Sam Weingarten. The group recorded their first EP, Pure, back in 2017 and have hit the ground running since then. AP2 is one of the hardest working bands I have ever seen in my life. Their energy is unmatchable and they tour relentlessly. Luckily for me, America Part Two was sweet enough to let me bug them with a few questions and I am endlessly grateful they did so. Thank you guys!
The name America Part Two means literally everything to us. America Part Two is a concept already in the minds of this generation’s revolutionaries, we're just putting the pen to paper. Freddie wrote the song, "America Pt. II" first, and when the magnitude of that title hit us, we had to pursue its power.
Fred: I’d say some of my biggest influences as a songwriter are Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, Link Wray, Simon and Garfunkel, Creedence, Biggie, Linkin Park, So Wrong it’s Right, Paranoid, Red Bank, The Orb, Gillian Welch, My Family and Friends in Music.
As a Collective Energy, I think we take a lot of influence from huge electric guitar rock and music with soul. We take influence from everything from Jimi and Janis to the early CBGB groups to a lot of 90s alternative. The political and social climate of the world is probably our biggest influence.
Alex: In middle school, I got enveloped into the late 2000’s Bamboozle scene. All Time Low was the #1 band that, not only stole my heart, but also taught me that I can do this. Also love 90’s bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and Rage Against The Machine. That era saw 6-figure contracts and artistic freedom. What a combination!
Sam: Biggest influences personally are My Chemical Romance, Enter Shikari, The Beatles, Sublime, and August Burns Red.
Alex: “Freedom” & “Split.” Not only are they the newest, but the messages of these songs lyrically and instrumentally resonate with us so much as the band we are right now.
Fred: “Freedom.” It’s one of our newest songs. We exert so much energy in our live set and we’ve been jamming it since the last tour. I feel on top of the world screaming a song this important to us. With it being unreleased, it’s nice to hit people with something they don’t expect during the set.
It’s also so important to me on an artistic level because at the time of writing... Alex, Jake [Newcomb] and I ripped “Freedom” out of thin air. We all had such equal and powerful roles in creating this song. Looking back it really felt smooth, effortless, GIANT and in-control. Like the song was already there.
Sam: “Freedom.” The song is a full journey that somehow ends right where it began. It’s impossible to "go through the motions" playing that one. Raw power, generated by each of us individually, cycling back and forth between our 3-piece dynamic at every note.
Fred: BUY A FORD VAN. Pack extra Undies and Socks!!! Extra EVERYTHING! Extra cables, instruments and anything for hygiene/safety and whatever you need to live out of a van. Don’t pack anything unnecessary (30 t-shirts). Depending on how long you’re on the road… always save as much as possible! Duh! If the van can’t make it home, neither can you! We always stock up on protein bars, granola, cereal and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Always have extra water and a spare tire. If you need to sleep in the van, sleep at Walmart Supercenters.
Sam: We haven't done this yet but a Planet Fitness membership to get a nice shower every day. You're probably gonna wear the same shirt for 3 days straight so load up on undies and socks. Clif Bars, bananas, WATER, GOOD food for energy. You can get your fast food anywhere. It's usually a marathon, not a sprint. And lay it down every night when it's time to play, regardless of who's in the room.
Alex: The original Asbury Lanes will forever have my heart as the best venue in the world! But since that’s long gone, I really love Mohawk Place in Buffalo and Fubar in St. Louis. Great stages and great sound.
Fred: My favorite places to play in NJ are the Asbury Brewery, TCNJ and our spot in Red Bank. Traveling around, we love to stop at State Parks, too. Recently we stopped in Ithaca and really enjoyed our time there. Some of my favorite places I’ve played elsewhere are the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, The Alleyway at Augie’s Coffeehouse in LA, Gold Sounds in Brooklyn, a barn in Iowa. Boaz, Alabama! Fubar in St. Louis, Oregon, Denver and Webster Hall Underground rip!
Alex & Fred: “SPLIT”/”Freedom”
Sam: “Hoedown”
Alex: Nevermind — Nirvana, Blood Sugar Sex Magik — Red Hot Chili Peppers, Floral Green — Title Fight.
Fred: ILL COMMUNICATION — Beastie Boys, G.L.O.S.S. EP — G.L.O.S.S., Floral Green — Title Fight.
Sam: Evil Empire — Rage Against The Machine, Is A Real Boy — Say Anything. Those are the only two I could think to say because we're indescribable.
We’re heading on tour to support “Split,” so if you’re reading this outside of the Garden State, we’re coming for you!
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2018
For fans of: The Menzingers, Turnover, Taking Back Sunday
Modern Chemistry is back and better than ever. After touring with Taking Back Sunday, Every Time I Die and Mayday Parade (to name a few), Modern Chemistry released their latest single, “Take A Second” with a very nostalgic music video as well. Having been a fan for a while, I reached out to lead singer and guitarist, Joe Zorzi, who was sweet enough to answer some questions about “Take A Second,” their music video and future plans. Thanks again, Joe!
Thank you! It was actually written a few months back. I had a little demo station set up at our practice space and wrote it one day before our band practice. It had a really fresh feel to it, so we started working on it as a band pretty soon after.
It's really a hopeful song about dealing with anxieties. It's about those moments where things just don't really make sense and you're just rolling through it all. But also realizing or hoping that something's going to change soon.
We recorded it with Erik Romero. We've been friends with him for years, and it finally felt like the right time to work together on this concept. Erik is incredibly versatile. We explained the vibe we were going for and he completely understood that and pushed us in some cool, new directions with tones and layers.
Thanks! We knew we wanted to make this video ourselves and we knew that we were going to be filming it on a VHS camcorder. After moving through a few different concepts, things really started to take shape once we decided we were going to have a bunch of TVs streaming different pieces of our lives at the same time. The tone was more important than anything and the final result is pretty much exactly what we were hoping to achieve.
I'm Joe, I sing and play guitar. Jesse plays drums and Brendan plays guitar and also sings.
You'll be hearing some more music before the year is out. We've got a few shows lined up that are going to be really fun. (Past shows: October 12th at the Saint with Hodera, Blaise, and Mackenzie Brown. October 28th at the Bowery Electric with Toy Cars). We're constantly writing new music.
We're just happy to be here and happy that people seem to be resonating with the new music. We're really excited about where we are as musicians right now and we're going to try and keep that going the best we can.
