BARD wax lyrical with Roxie. Full interview!

 

And so it was that the BARD did sit awhile with the ROX wench, Roxie. As the ale flowed so did the truth of this fine group of gentlemen 

Okay, let’s get to know each other shall we?Who is in your band and where are you from?

BARD consists of Michael Schreiber playing keyboard; David Menez on bass; Mike Potenza, who also plays in The Melancholy Kings and The Anderson Council, on lead electric guitar and back-up vocals; David Kolk on drums and percussion for the album; and myself, Jamie Pagliaro, on lead vocals and rhythm/acoustic guitar.  We all live in or around Montclair, NJ, a very diverse and artsy town that is a suburb to NYC, where a few of us also work.

When did you form?

The band started to take shape in 2018 when Michael Schreiber and I learned we were living in the same town, after knowing each other back in college many years ago.  We hooked up with Dave Menez, one of the funkiest and most melodic bass players I have ever worked with, and then a mutual friend, Ray Ketchem of Magic Door Studios (where we recorded this album), connected us with Mike Potenza to play lead guitar.  We finally filled the drummer slot in 2021 during the pandemic, with David Kolk, a jazz drummer who we met through Craigslist.  We all have different musical tastes, but were interested in creating original music. 

How would you describe your music?

Well a lot of people call our music soulful and groovy.  I think our varied musical tastes - ranging from folk/rock, funk, jazz, country and even jam bands - make us hard to pin down as a specific genre.  While we often debate “what is our genre” each band member brings something different to the songs and we don’t think about fitting a genre when we create music.  A recent reviewer, Dave Franklin, said it best: “a mercurial blend of home grown genres - a funky groove, a rock drive, scintillating soulfulness, and timeless and nostalgic blues run”, which he concluded typifies the “Americana” musical genre.

Who have been your musical inspirations and influences?

Well we all have different influences, but since I compose most of the songs and all of the lyrics, I’ll take that one.  I grew up on The Beatles, Neil Young and Led Zeppelin.  While today you’d probably catch me listening to Marvin Gaye, jazz radio out of Newark (shoutout to WBGO!) or an assortment of alternative folk-rock bands like My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes.

Citing Shakespeare as a main influence for your album “Come Back Often” is a strange idea.? Are you big fans of his work?

One of the underlying aspects of BARD is that the song lyrics are based on poetry, ranging from Shakespeare to more modern poets like Langston Hughes, and poems I write.  Our first album, “Come Back Often”, features a Shakespeare sonnet (In Sleep a King), along with a Robert Browning poem (You’ll Love Me Yet, My Juliet), two poems by the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy (Hidden Consent and the title track, Come Back Often), and a poem by Vachel Lindsay (Pictures of the Moon).  Shakespeare continues to be a strong influence, just because he was a master of the English language, and the new album features two of his sonnets and a monologue from his play, The Tempest.  When we are playing to a smaller, more intimate audience, we take time to explain this background.  But many times we play crowded bars or outdoor festivals where the audience has no idea what the songs are based on, they just enjoy the groove.  I love that we are secretly delivering them a dose of Shakespeare!

Has reading classic works helped with your songwriting?

Yes, there is a reason that people are still reading the works of masters like Shakespeare 400+ years after his death.  But I enjoy poetry from many time periods and cultures, not just the classics.  One of my favorite things to do on a rainy weekend is to browse the poetry section of a used bookstore, and flip through the pages to see what inspires me… that’s how I “find” many of our songs.   

Were you in bands before BARD?

I played in several duos, trios and loosely formed bands over the years, and also performed original music solo as a singer-songwriter.  The other guys have had a lot more “band” experience than me.  BARD is the first time where I feel like I am surrounded by amazing musicians who each contribute something special to a sound I love!

Tell us about your new single “Angels Got His Back”.? What’s it about?

The song is based on a Vachel Lindsay poem about the loss of a child.  While that may seem a bit morbid, the song is actually very uplifting.  It highlights a sense of hope shining through even the darkest times.

It’s going to be the title track for your new album too I understand? Your first with Magic Door Studios?

Yes, we worked with Ray Ketchem of Magic Door Studios, who produced the album and released it under his label Magic Door Records.  Ray was an obvious choice.  Not only did he introduce us to our lead guitarist (Mike Potenza) several years ago, but he also came to many of our local gigs to understand our sound when performing live. He produced the album with a level of care, and meticulously brought out the best in us by combining our live performance vibe with additional layers of texture that make this album something we are very proud of.

How did recording go?

Our approach to recording is to start with trying to capture the vibe of our live performances.  What you hear on the album is what you will hear when you see us at a show, with some additional texture.  As opposed to laying down each track individually, we started with playing each song as a band, masterfully isolated by Ray for recording purposes.  Since we perform live frequently, it was easy for us to capture the foundation for each song in no more than 3-4 takes, which we did in the first studio day.   From there we worked on layering in percussion, back-up vocals and additional keyboards over several more songs and songs recording sessions.  It was important to me that the album did not sound overly produced.

Will you be doing live shows in support of the album's release in October?

Absolutely!  We have a busy live performance schedule this fall.  We kicked off the release of our first solo with an album release party at a USA Today best bar in America “Tierney’s Tavern” in our home-base of Montclair, NJ.  We are also looking forward to opening Montclair Brewery’s annual Oktoberfest on September 28.  Many other performance dates in northern New Jersey can be found on our website: http://thebardband.com

If you could meet anyone from history, who would you choose?

Well he’s not a musician, but one could argue he was also a master of words: Ben Franklin.  As a Philadelphia native, I grew up learning a lot about Franklin’s contributions to our modern society.  The guy was an inventor, political activist, community leader, foreign diplomat and a gifted satirical writer.  It’s hard to believe he accomplished so much in a single lifetime.  I think he would be pretty cool to hang out with over an ale at the local tavern!  I’d love to ask him what he thinks about BARD’s music, and maybe get some career advice;)

What would you like to say to your fans out there?

Come see a live show!  If you are in northern NJ where we play breweries and festivals pretty regularly, we’d love to have you come check us out.  I am always amazed at how diverse audiences connect with our music.  Whether you are a Dead head, classic rocker, or just appreciate a soulful vibe, I can guarantee you an enjoyable experience.  And if you can’t see us live, download the album and share with your friends who appreciate discovering new bands!