Feb 29, 2024
After many years together as a band, we have come to a harsh realization: we are very bad at social media. Back in the day when music muckity mucks would demand we “post more content!” we would typically respond with a poorly framed picture of a crappy van. Maybe one reason we’re so bad is…
Jan 23, 2024
The other night at the Millennium Stage was special. Not just because of the special guests that joined us on stage (friend! wife!), or because there was fierce crowd competition with Frozen the Musical, or because of the infinite space and beauty of the Kennedy Center. The real reason was that there were all sorts of kids…
Dec 20, 2023
The world is crap right now and it’s sometimes hard (for me at least) to stay focused on what’s right in front of me, and getting up on stage – in a beautiful venue to boot – is a nice reminder of how awesome things can be. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that…
Sep 29, 2023
Naseem here, with a confession: sometimes it’s hard to remember lyrics. Normally, they’re so engrained that it’s not a problem. You’ll be on the stage playing a tune and they just pour out of you the way you intended when you first wrote them in your bedroom or on the subway. You take advantage of muscle…
Jul 06, 2023
One day, I was sitting at the New Jersey kitchen table of my parents-in-law, eating my eighth plate of homemade Indian food, when something came on the tv. I don’t remember what it was exactly. Some sort of news about some sort of bad thing happening in a far off place. I remember my mother…
Apr 19, 2023
Naseem here. At some point over the past bunch of months, you may have wondered – “whatever happened to that band I kindasorta liked? They had that one song in that thing? There were beards, sometimes hats?” In other words, we haven’t written a newsletter in a long time. We’ve only played a few shows…
Oct 12, 2021
I didn’t start writing songs I was proud of until I was 30. Before that, it was all trial and mostly error. Trying to write like Waits. Or Lucinda. Or Bruce. The songs that came out were possibly charming, possibly even interesting, and definitely derivative. In trying to find my own voice, there was always…
Sep 15, 2021
Look! Here we are playing instruments! Real ones! In the same room! This happened last week, when we did this strange thing we haven’t done much ever, called ‘rehearsing’, ahead of our first show since Lord-knows-when next week in DC. We didn’t sound half-bad, and will be releasing so much pent-up energy at our favorite…
Jul 08, 2021
For some strange reason, we haven’t played a show since 2019. Naseem did a livestream thing from his basement, but because he was not able to awkwardly and madly hop around on a stage, it hardly counts. As we wipe the dust off our instruments and blankly stare at them like cave-dwellers examining fire, we’re not 100%…
Jan 20, 2021
Matt V. was our biggest supporter and greatest friend. I think about him often: when I put a scratchy record on, when I (often) eat too much ice cream, when I make fun of Coors Light while drinking Coors Light. Here’s a little thing I threw together for him on this, what would’ve been his…
Jul 05, 2020
It’s the 5th of July and, hey, we’ve got a song about that. Very much inspired by my own family, my wife’s family, and a naturalization ceremony I went to a few years back, where people who had worked their butts off for years to become US citizens finally accomplished their goal. I remember being…
Jun 11, 2020
It’s stressful and tiring out there, and maybe you need (just a little) break. Our former drummer and beloved friend Travis – you may remember him as “guy who tried to obliterate drums” every show we played – actually did something productive during his stay-at-home orders, and recorded a song. So happy that he was…
Apr 27, 2020
Friends, Naseem here. Don’t worry, this won’t be another one of those messages that starts with “these are challenging times…” * I’ve been off social media for a while — collecting my thoughts, changing diapers, etc. While I’ve been writing new songs and we as a band have been messing around with them, it has taken a…
Jun 11, 2019
Last week, I sent you all an email indicating that there’d be two changes going forward. The first is that Travis is taking a break, and Benny is resuming duties hitting things really hard.* Here’s the second: (But wait, two shows are on the books in the next few weeks, one in Somerville, MA and…
Jun 05, 2019
Last week we announced Trav taking a break and Benny playing with us instead. Just thought we’d share one of Travis’s most Travis performances ever. He’s a beast back there.
Jun 01, 2019
Today and next week, we’re announcing a couple big changes. No, not breaking up or anything. But here’s Change 1: for those of you who have seen us lately, you’ve noticed a different drummer. That’s Benjamin M Grotto, who produced our latest album Neighbors & Strangers, and who is an awesome dude and awesome drummer (and…
Apr 23, 2019
Because there isn’t enough yelling in this world, we wanted to break our relative calm of late and announce two shows. Thrilled to be playing the Summit Indie Fest in Portsmouth, NH on May 11, and head back to our old jaunt The New World Tavern in Plymouth, MA the night before. These are two of only…
Mar 03, 2019
Here’s a sweaty, post-show picture from a few years back with David Wax. He is one half of the unstoppable, unflappable, undeniable David Wax Museum, probably the hardest working band out there right now (two kids on the road!!). Their IndieGoGo campaign ends tonight at midnight, and they would love your support. Check out their…
Jan 30, 2019
This dark, somewhat cult-ish screengrab is from a video I made of a classic tune. I did it not because I’m in a cult (shhh…), but because I’m a proud supporter of The Winter Walk, which does an amazing job of fighting homelessness in Boston. On these brutally cold days, supporting this org is more important…
Nov 24, 2018
Two days late here, but Thanksgiving knows no bounds. One thing we’re grateful for is being surrounded by talent. You’ve seen our trumpet/keys/generally-everything player Chris prance around on stage. Now imagine him prancing with a Santa outfit on. He and his partner Kate record holiday songs in their spare time as Space Cranes (aka Chris -n- Kate); this…
Aug 22, 2018
I love when people say “stop singing about politics, stick to the music!” Our songs have always been political; I don’t really know how to write otherwise. So it’s only fitting that we embrace this dynamic and put our money where our mic is. On Sept. 7, we are supporting a candidate for Massachusetts State Senate by…
Aug 04, 2018
This is Ted. Ted has a podcast called The Tour, and he invited me on. I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and had no idea Ted would ask some of the best questions I’ve ever been asked as a musician. The end product paints a full, vivid picture of our band from…
Jul 16, 2018
It’s been a little more than a month since Neighbors & Strangers came out, and screw it, we’re taking a bow. We’re proud of this one, and are thrilled that Pete Chianca of Gatehouse Media wrote a thorough, thoughtful review. What a thrill when a great writer spends time with something you put out there….
Jul 05, 2018
My immigrant parents-in-law love America. They marvel at the National Parks system. At their right to openly critique their government. At the New York Mets. At giant Buicks. My mother-in-law has said more than once, “This is the only country in the world where the word ‘happiness’ is actually written in the founding documents.” Today…
Jun 22, 2018
Shirt? Check. Hat from 1989? Check. Bobblehead from 1986, complete with cracked, superglued head? Check. Sh$&-eating grin in anticipation of playing at Fenway park on Sunday before the Red Sox play the Mariners? Check. Only a few tix left. Get em here.
Jun 14, 2018
This is big: WE’RE PLAYING FENWAY. On June 24, we’re playing on a beautiful rooftop at Fenway Park before the Sox slay the Mariners. Your ticket gets you into our show and the game, and allows you to pretty much have the best day ever (according to us). There are limited tix for this so get them now! Can…
Jun 14, 2018
Each time we play DC we take this photo. Each time is better than the last. Thank you Pearl Street Warehouse – and of course the amazing, rowdy people of DC – for the grand time.
Jun 06, 2018
Our fourth full-length, Neighbors and Strangers, is out today. Here it is on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.It’s funny, when you create something and put it out into the world, there’s this tension. On one hand, you could care less if anyone listens to it because you’re proud of this thing that you have created from scratch, that now exists in the…
May 22, 2018
New show! North Shore! Cool venue! Great bands! Okay enough exclamation points. This will be a great, early summer show at a cool venue in Salem, along with Jenee Halstead and The Rationales. We are really excited to be playing songs off our new album, and the live show really feels like it’s working. Come…
May 18, 2018
NEW SONG(S) ALERT. We are thrilled that the excellent Vanyaland is premiering three (!) songs off of Neighbors and Strangers ahead of our hometown show tomorrow night at ONCE Somerville. There’s a slower tune, a faster tune, and a punch-yourself-in-the-face tune. Try to guess which one’s which.