SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: BARD – ANGELS GOT HIS BACK

BARD – ANGELS GOT HIS BACK

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE

Today we are pleased to present the debut album from a New Jersey music collective known as BARD. With its inspiring name, Angels Got His Back comes to use by way of Magic Door Records, and it is a wonderful smorgasbord of songs in the ilk of Van Morrison, Doobie Brothers, The Grateful Dead, My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes.

Being that the band calls Montclair, NJ home, it should come a no surprise that recorded, mixed and mastered this album with Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Elk City, Luna, Gramercy Arms), at the Magic Door Recording studio.

Previewed by the singles “Angels Got His Back” and “Dread Not The Ferryman”, this album is a captivating exploration of American musical heritage. Its rich and soulful sound, infectious rhythms and sense of timelessness creates a listening experience that is both nostalgic and uplifting.  There’s a certain charm about their music, like something unique from a bygone era. This music and the guitar work involved ticks every box qualifying it as classic rock, recalling some of the best music output of decades past.

Formed in 2017 by college friends Jamie Pagliaro (acoustic guitar, lead vocals) and Michael Schreiber (keyboard, organ, vocals). After losing touch for two decades, BARD’s lineup grew to include Dave Menez (bass guitar, vocals), Mike Potenza (electric guitar, vocals) and David Kolk (drums, percussion, vocals),collectively creating a fusion resulted in a rich texture of sounds, enhanced by a cohesive approach to dynamics, tone, and articulate sound mix.

With a soulful groove-rock sound, BARD craft uplifting music that inspires and unites through a contagious rhythm. Initially inspired by Shakespeare, BARD’s vision of setting poems to music quickly expanded to include works from poets like Robert Browning, Langston Hughes, in addition to original poems by Jamie Pagliaro. A product of their collaborative process, each member makes their own unique contribution to the structure and composition of each song.

BARD’s music is as much inspired by soulful singers like Marvin Gaye and Van Morrison, the funky sounds of the Doobie Brothers and Grover Washington’s jazz as they are by classic rock influences like Neil Young and The Band, the Allman Brothers’ southern rock and the jam band style of the Grateful Dead, not to mention a touch of country sensibility.

In contrast to their 2002 debut EP Come Back Often, which leans on their indie-folk roots with elements of country and rock, BARD’s new album represents an evolutionary step forward, highlighting the incorporation of funk and soul elements, while also allowing space for more improvisation and textured percussive elements.

As of October 4, the Angels Got His Back album will be available everywhere  (including Spotify and Apple Music). It can also be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.

ALBUM CREDITS

Written by Jamie Pagliaro
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem
at Magic Door Studios, Montclair, NJ
Jamie Pagliaro – acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Michael Schreiber – keyboard, organ, vocals
Dave Menez – bass guitar, vocals
Mike Potenza – electric guitar, vocals
David Kolk – drums, percussion, vocals
Album artwork by Nourhan Sandouk
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

BARD
Angels Got His Back
(Magic Door Records)
Release Date: October 4, 2024

Live Shows

Dec 14  Denville, NJ – Diamond Spring Brewery
Dec 28  Montclair, NJ – Bard For The Holidays

Artist Links