Woody Guthrie, Peter Seeger,
Odetta, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I
started to learn how to fingerpick
like Mississippi John Hurt, and al-
though I’m not as good at it, those
rhythms and chord structures
turned me into a sort of folk singer
I guess. It’s what feels the most
natural to me as an individual.
Alan: We are primarily a rock
band, but I think our style jumps
around within rock ‘n’ roll. Surf,
swing, funk, punk, country, folk.
We even have a few polkas. I’m
not sure why that is so. When we
start writing a song or record, the
styles evolve from the feel of the
songs as they’re being written.
You’ve all been involved in the
New Jersey music scene for quite
a while. In the past five years, has
the scene gotten better for origi-
nal rock acts or worse, and why
and how?
Jesse: From where we’re stand-
ing, I’d say better. The local com-
NJ STAGE 2017 - Issue 40
munity gets more intertwined
as the days go by. Bands make
friends and play fun shows. More
new bands form all the time. It
builds upon itself. My favorite part
about what’s happening is that NJ
has become more welcoming to
DIY touring acts. As more of us get
out there and see the country and
meet bands from Elsewhere, USA,
more artists come through our lit-
tle rock ‘n’ roll town on the Atlantic
Ocean and share new sounds. Mu-
sic fans have been very generous
to our touring friends lately, which
keeps them coming back and puts
Asbury on the map in the greater
American independent music
community.
Joe: It’s gotten better in ways.
Tons of venues. Myriad opportu-
nities to play. People are coming
out to eat, drink, and see LIVE MU-
SIC instead of going to a movie or
just drink in a bar with no entertain-
ment. That’s amazing! You can get
paid to play your heart out. That
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