#sonoa

New Jersey’s Independents

The Indie music scene of New Jersey is lush with young groups trying to break the surface. Seldom does a band break out, but there are plenty of acts in New Jersey that certainly deserve more attention from the media. Studios like Audiotree, that host and record live sessions with independent bands and artists, are great for the emergence and exposure of young (in this case, New Jersey) bands like Pinegrove and Forth Wanderers. But for bands who haven’t quite reached the threshold of recognition from sources like Audiotree? Hopefully I’ll have acquainted you with some of the up-and-coming New Jersey bands by the end of this article…

Little do many know, New Jersey has loads of nooks and crannies that are lush with young music- bands playing in local venues, bars, and basements for any footing they can get in the music industry at large. The aforementioned bands (Pinegrove & Forth Wanderers), as well as Real Estate and The Front Bottoms, have gained the attention of NPR, Audiotree and Authors at Pitchfork.

Other New Jersey bands such as Flycatcher and Sonoa have a polished sound to compete with acts like Real Estate or Pinegrove. Flycatcher, hailing from New Brunswick, NJ, has a polished, yet heavy tone. Gregory Thomas Pease, the songwriter and frontman for the band, writes catchy, captivating melodies and head-bobbing grooves that the rest of the band executes fantastically. Their breakout single, “Games”, has gained them the most amount of attention starting around 2021, and it’s no surprise, as the song can be a bit of an ear-worm. I can’t say I didn’t have it on repeat for a while. Pease has also released his own single, “Maybe”, which takes on a lighter, almost folky energy, a slight contrast to the heavy, indie rock content written for Flycatcher. Sonoa, also founded in New Brunswick, writes supple guitar parts that compliment a meaty, drum/bass duo that locks everything in place.

Hodera, carries a similar sound to Sonoa, perhaps taking on a thicker, grittier tone. Their frontman, Matthew Smith, leads the band through almost-whispy, guitar meanderings and full-band head-banging. “Breathe Easy” is a fantastic example as it starts low and builds to the chorus, “can you breathe?” breakdown.

From Ridgewood, N.J. Prawn, again, takes on a similar, heavy tone. The band meanders a little more as they’re a little less assertive with vocals, but no doubt, they’re solid and deserve the listen. “North Lynx”, which features stadium-large breakdowns, will draw your whole attention, surely.

You graduated From the role that you’d been playing Your whole life The sudden change Made you feel incomplete And terrified ‘Cause you keep wondering Who you are Who you are And who are you Now you followed the procedure To its end Now nothing’s spelled out And each step you have To second-guessBut you can’t stop wondering Who you are Who you are Who you are, areSave your energy You can’t force…

[Verse] We’ve been at this for hours And I don’t know a thing About how you’re feeling Maybe that’s how it is You keep a tight lid On all of the things that I find interesting [Verse] And when I’m talking to you It’s just like we’re window shopping We keep on scanning the surface And then turn and keep walking So it’s on to the next one Even though we weren’t done I guess you’re just looking…

[Verse] I open my eyes and stare past the ceiling Wishing I could leave behind what I’m feeling When it feels like today will be a waste Even though I’m only just awake [Verse] I reach up to the shelf that sits above my head Drawing in the weight of my existence I’m always searching for that missing sense of optimism But it’s always blacked out by my tunnel vision Knowing… [Chorus] No matter the…

[Verse] I used to make decisions based on logic ‘Cause I didn’t have emotions That were strong enough To drown out all the facts And I just wish I’d known this Before it was far too late And all my mental acrobatics Left us in an ugly state [Chorus] I can’t tell you what I’m thinking Can’t admit it to myself So we’ll keep talking past each other Wishing we were somewhere else [Verse] And I get…