Local Band Expected to Make it Big
March 2019
Kelly Brennan
With the introduction in the past couple of years of music platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, the appreciation for live music and small artists is declining. Local bands are all over the place, working their tails off in order to earn some recognition and support, yet very few are well known.
If a person were to sit in on a practice for local band A Boy Named John, one would see them pouring their hearts into working on each song until perfection. Lead singer Christian Singh combined with bassist Nick Spillert, guitarists Jacks Lips and Josh Lustig, keyboardist/guitarist Paul Singh, and drummer Brandon Martinez, the six young men are a force to be reckoned with. As written on their website, "A Boy Named John establishes a tasteful mixture of explosive punk rock and post-hardcore components with gentle indie elements to concoct a progressive take on a classic Jersey alternative rock sound" (aboynamedjohn.com).
The band got started in 2014 with the release of their debut EP. Jack Lips said that the three members who have been involved since the very beginning of the band are Josh, Jack, and Chris, "it started off playing basement jams with little to no clue what we were doing, just playing covers and what not. 2014 is really when we got serious with the release of our debut EP, so you could say that year is really when A Boy Named John was fully formed and ready to be a part of the music scene." The band got its name from the guys' middle school music teacher, John.
The band members go way back and have years of history together. Nick Spillert commented, "the relationship is definitely interesting due to the fact that we're made up of six members. It's also important to add that Chris, Jack, Paul, Josh, and I all grew up together in the same town and went to high school together. Having that strong bond is crucial when it comes to being in a band because we learn how to live with each other and understand how to cooperate with each other. [...] When times get tough and things are in chaos, we remember that we're all friends in the end that just want the best for one another."
Though there are many venues throughout New Jersey, Jack Lips revealed to Jersey Sounds that his favorite has to "be Starland Ballroom [...] it's one of the most iconic Jersey venues ever. And ever since we've been playing it's always been a huge [deal] to play there and [...] we've played there about three times with some major acts." Boontunes in Boonton, New Jersey is also a "home-base" for the band.
Although it's not Starland Ballroom, the band played a phenomenal show on January 21st, 2019 that took place at Flemington DIY in Flemington, New Jersey. The venue is a non-profit community art space that welcomes all ages for live music, art classes, and workshops. Headlining the show was the band Belmont, along with Halogens and A Boy Named John. The sold-out show was vibrating with energy as the lights dimmed and the guitars strummed. The band played their most popular songs like "Circuits" and "Gentlemen" along with some new songs like "Fancy Fingers". The crowd was mesmerized as Nick Spillert wielded on the bass and Christian Singh poured his heart out into the microphone.
Keyboardist Paul Singh pondered the difficulties in booking different venues and gigs saying, "it definitely varies. If we're trying to book a show locally, we are usually very fortunate. [...] However, if we're trying to book somewhere across the country it's a different story. We're essentially at the mercy of Facebook groups and vague acquaintances. This past summer when we went on tour we booked it ourselves and parts of it were like pulling teeth. [...] You can have someone respond in five minutes and confirm a show and then cancel it right before you get to the venue, [or] you can wait three months for someone to get back to you and then they'll contact you saying they can help straight out of the blue." The six members are very familiar with the idea of touring. Christian Singh shared that the band has been on four tours total. Jack Lips told Jersey Sounds that his fondest musical memory with the band "is probably this last summer [of 2018]: we went on the biggest tour we've ever done. We hit a lot of new places and met so many new people." He also told viewers that "one thing I want our audience to know about our music is that it's all pretty much based off of life experiences that we've all had."
Although the tour life is fun and wild, the practice comes first. Nick Spillert shared that the band will spend sometimes hours or sometimes weeks at a time writing, practicing, and recording. "We're in a writing phase right now [so] a lot of time gets dedicated to starting new songs, finishing others, and recording demos. We recently spent a couple weeks living at my house writing new songs. Some sessions take several hours, [sometimes] even days to write or record."
The band is still reaching for its goals though. Nick shared three major dreams, "in the future we see ourselves establishing this band as our full time career. It's been our dream since we were kids to take this to a professional level and now that we have the experience, connections, and a higher level of musicality, it's definitely possible. Specifically, one of the [loftier] goals of this band is to tour the planet playing music together. We all have a travel bug that we can't shake off and being able to say 'We just toured Europe' would be a massive achievement." He added one more dream, saying, "another one of our goals is to be able to play a show with a live orchestra," adding that he believes their music would be a great fit with a live orchestra.
"One thing I want our audience to know about our music is that it's all pretty much based off of life experiences that we've all had." -- Jack Lips
All bands have strengths and weaknesses. Drummer Brandon Martinez spoke up to say that he believes, "one of our biggest strengths as a band comes from how different we are as people. Our personalities range from reserved to extremely outgoing, serious to light-hearted, etc. It's good because it kind of acts as a check and balance system between us without any of us clashing. This is also the same with our musical tastes and upbringings." He added in that the band is a mix of "people who were classically trained and grew up playing in concert bands, and [...] people who were [...] self taught." This widens the approach to their writing process.
On the other hand, he added, "as for our weaknesses, I think being the size that we are makes it difficult to keep organized. Working around our schedules is probably the hardest part about that. We have some people who work full time, some people who go to school full time, some with internships, and some who teach music lessons. [...] We try to make it work however we can, even if it means practicing in a garage, at a friend's house, or into the wee hours of the morning."
The band's next tour is up in the air as of right now, as the members are heavily focused on writing and recording new material right now, making that process their priority. They are slated to release a brand new EP in 2020.
A Boy Named John is a band to watch out for. Keep an eye out for upcoming shows and music within the next couple months, and make sure to follow them on Instagram and Twitter @aboynamedjohnnj.
- Graphic courtesy of Kelly Brennan
- Logo courtesy of aboynamedjohn.com
- Photo courtesy of Alex Collins of ajcphotographee.com
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