Jerseyband | fr

Jerseyband plays Lungcore - A new genre that infuses a horn-driven band with heavy metal values

What does a screaming hardcore metal vocalist have in common with a jazz trumpeter? For Jerseyband, it is one in the same. The band's unassuming trumpeter, Brent Madsen intermittently pulls the horn from his lips just long enough to let out his version of an ape on a rampage. One moment, Madsen screams, "Move my carrot!" and the next, your head is spinning because Jerseyband has already exchanged the gates of hell for a jaunt in Peewee's Playhouse. Backed by drums, electric guitar, and guitar synth, Jerseyband's horns (three saxophones and a trumpet) cut through meaty arrangements that shock their audiences into submission. Enthusiasts have compared their sound to Mr. Bungle, Zappa, and Meshuggah but one thing is clear; this band is best categorized under their own genre of horn driven metal called Lungcore.

Jerseyband was born in Rochester, NY during the Spring of 1999. We were all attending the Eastman School of Music and had been friends for a few years.

Ed had some gigs booked for the summer and wanted to put together a group. Several future members (or maybe all of us?) stayed late after a class to play together and the concept was born.

At first the band consisted of four horns, a keyboard/sampler/ turntable guy, and a drummer. The music evolved out of everyones compositions. We rehearsed and prepared for our first shows. Most of the songs that we played in our first rehearsals ended up on our first album, "Tragedi In The Mangky". (the title was born during a late-night trip to the icy shores of Lake Ontario)

Over the next year or two, we played periodically in the Rochester area and continued to add to our repetoire. In 2001, we were given the opportunity to work and live as artists in Residence at Keuka College in Keuka Park, NY. So we spent two semesters there, practicing and writing.

Our first semester there gave birth to the album "Christmasband". (other titles considered included: Night of the Chimney Whore, Rangletorian Galanka, and Santacide)

Our second semester saw our first personnel change. The keyboardist of the group left. Rather than hiring a new keyboardist, we decided to add two guitarists, one of which would play a guitar-synth setup. This decision reflected the evolving concept of the group and spawned even more evolution.

The second semester also saw the recording of the "JAKE" EP. The music for JAKE had been written over the course of 2 years and, in a certain way, represented the closing of an old chapter, and the opening of a new one.

2003 brought another personnel change. We parted with our drummer. Shortly after, we acquired a new drummer and began composing new music and planning for the recording of "Little Bag Of Feet For Shoes" (Grey came up with the title almost instantaneously. Other propositions included: Comb Over and Mo'Hang, Mizpell'd, and Year of the Wagon)

Throughout the rest of 2003 we played shows and worked on new music.

In 2004, three of us took a job in Japan that lasted 7 1/2 months. Obviously, this put Jerseyband on hiatus for a while. There was never any doubt about us reuniting though.

Since the return of the three, Jerseyband has come back to life. We are playing and writing with renewed ferocity and the music continues to evolve. We are in the process of planning a recording and many gigs, so beware.

In Conclusion:

Jerseyband is not a band designed to be one thing or another. All of the changes we have gone through have come about naturally. Over the years we have learned to embrace the natural changes that occur in both our individual and collective musical sensibilities.

A short history of the term LUNGCORE:

At some point, Brent had a dream that our music was called "Lungcore". After he told us, we realized that Lungcore was the perfect word. As Akira Kurisawa said, "Every man is a genius when he dreams".
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