Awkward Silence

Awkward Silence is not your typical alternative band. Their music and lyrics prove that they are way beyond their years of experience. Their song entitled "Break" has many features that only mature musicians could pull off. Their tones, volume, and techniques vary throughout the song, but fit together very nicely. Awkward Silence has a unique sound, and their music will keep you wanting more every time you listen.

-Cara Ingley, Music Love Bites Promotions - Music Love Bites Promotion

Last night I had the pleasure of watching Awkward Silence perform in Scranton, Pa. I didn't know what to expect but I was impressed. Now, I was definitely the oldest person in the crowd--but no one noticed me as everyone was focused on the fabulous entertainment. The crowd of 200+ loved every minute of it. Awkward Silence was the headliner and what a performance! The crowd danced, sung along and begged for more. What impressed me the most about Awkward Silence was not only their talent but their stage presence. They engaged the audience and were truly having so much fun with their music that the audience had no choice but to be swept away. Only time will tell how far Awkward Silence will go -- they could have a few hit singles that everyone will soon hear on their favorite radio station. - Vicki Howell, Independent Music Reviewer for Electric City

Awkward Silence has a unique sound that will grab your attention immediately when you hear the band's music. With some fun lyrics, catchy hooks, and solid vocals, Awkward Silence is the band to look out for in 2009. Andrew of Awkward Silence recently spoke to our Webzine about the band and what fans new and old can expect from them in the next five years. Enjoy!

Isaac: What was the best part of 2008 for you musically?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Just getting to play music the whole year through is good enough for us!

Isaac: What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment for 2008?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Getting to play with some of our favorite national acts like Bayside, The Ataris, I Am The Avalanche, Jet Lag Gemini and more.

Isaac: Describe the music scene in your area.

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Scranton, PA is blessed with an indie scene supported by friendly interactions between venues, bands, fans, and everyone else involved. The Scranton scene realizes how interconnected its members are, and is able to thrive off reciprocation.

Isaac: What has been the best venue to perform at and why?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: The Abington Youth Center in Clarks Summit, PA. It's nothing fancy-just a back room with a PA and some couches, but it's where we got our start, and where we met our manager Bill Franklin. The AYC is run by volunteers, and only takes in whatever money it needs to keep running. It represents the altruistic side of the music scene, where music isn't made for money or promotion, but rather for the sake of making music.

Isaac: Elaborate a little about whom were your biggest influences in the music industry and why?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: The Killers are a big influence, as they combine unique music with incredible showmanship to produce an image and a sound that is unlike anything on the radio or in the magazines today. They kept it classy, and we love that.

Isaac: Let's talk about what you feel you will bring to the music industry?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: We've always prided ourselves on originality, straying from the standard pop-punk sound and trying to bridge energy, emotion, and musicality. What we bring to the table is a sound and an attitude that is fresh, positive, and (hopefully) noticeably different.

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to work with one artist or group, who would it be and why?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: We would love the opportunity to meet, let alone work with, Bruce Springsteen. A musician doesn't stay in business as long as he has without having some magic formula, and we'd love to find out what's been keeping him going, and going so well.

Isaac: How would you describe your music to others?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: This answer is always given with a shrug of the shoulders and a questioning inflection. We, like many others, claim alternative rock as our genre, and our music is danceable, yet emotionally charged. Some bands we've been compared are Switchfoot and Jimmy Eat World.

Isaac: What type of feedback have you received from fans about your music?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Thankfully, it's pretty much all positive! We have a few close fans and friends who confide in us their personal dislike of one song or another, which we consider constructive. Our fans are extremely supportive and friendly people, both on the Internet and at shows. We like to think that they wouldn't be so helpful if they didn't like the music.

Isaac: Where can fans locate you at online?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Our most detailed and most frequently updated site is our MySpace, http://myspace.com/awkwardsilencepa. We're also on Facebook, at http://tinyurl.com/awksifacebook.

Isaac: What can fans expect from you in the next five years?

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Since it took us five years to make our debut album, they can expect a sophomore release at the end of all that waiting. Hopefully, some more shows in the New England region, too.

Isaac: Time for some shout outs to your family, friends, and fans…

Andrew of Awkward Silence: We've gotta thank our manager, Bill Franklin, our sound engineer, Paul Sinclair, and some of the friends and fans who were instrumental in Awkward Silence's growth-Larry Gilman, Pat Kileen, Justin Bell, Rakel Joyce, Mike Robertson, Joe Poteracki, Matt Kizer, Terri Gildea, Adam and Amanda Walker-Serrano, Mikaela Maria, and so many more.

Isaac: Final words…

Andrew of Awkward Silence: Awkward Silence's debut album "Break" drops June, 2009. If you like us, don't forget about us, and check it out! - Junior's Cave

Awkward Silence puts hot smashing debut album
Alicia Grega-Pikul

It’s the very nature of music to rouse our emotions. The tradition of rock has been to challenge the rawest of those emotions, making no apologies. The genre’s most successful songs have resonated with fans not only for their truths but also for the complexities uncovered by outwardly simplistic combinations of riffs, rhythms, melodies and lyrics.

So why does the modern music industry push our aspiring young rockers to play the part of either emo hipsters who whine about how miserable they are or “alternative” metalcore punks who scream and thrash about how angry they are?

Fortunately, that rich middle ground of genuine creativity has been left for independent bands like the 570’s Awkward Silence.

After finessing its material and building its fan base with live performances, Awkward Silence released its debut CD, Break, at a party on Friday at O’Neill’s on Newton-Ransom Boulevard.

The disc was produced by Radial Noise Records’ Bill Franklin, who has served as a sort of mentor-manager to the band. Each of its 10 tracks are distinct; they are reminiscent more of the euphoria-chasing intellipunk played in the Kevin Seal-era of MTV’s 120 Minutes than anything you’re likely to hear on the radio today. Strains of ska and new wave breeze through progressively edgier tracks. The title song sends you spinning around in circles in a field under the stars until you fall down in the grass dizzy and uncertain.

Performing together since 2006, the band boasts Abington Heights graduates James Sanderson and Steve Zampano and West Scranton grad Chet Williams. Drummer Robert Salazar went to Scranton Prep. They were friends long before they picked up guitars, Salazar and guitarist/pianist Andrew Cutillio actually met in a first grade play.

Awkward Silence is clean-cut, but they’re not Christian rock. They’re not a boy band although they are absolutely adorable — a big plus for teenage girls who like the idea of the Jo Bros but want more substance in their cutecakes.

They admit their angst but they’re not the next-wave of grunge. Neither are they emo. They’re not afraid to be smart without playing into the nerd trend. Sanderson rhymes words like “capillaries” with “canaries” in “Plan,” a song he says he wrote during an Andrew Bird phase.

“I try to not to make it cliché, because that to me is too impersonal,” he shared.

There’s no doubt the band is being heard. It boasts 1,200,000 hits on its MySpace page (www.myspace.com/awkwardsilencepa) and played on the Kevin Says stage at Warped Tour this past Wednesday.

The band collaboratively develops the base of its songs, which generally inspire lyrics in the mind of vocalist Sanderson. An experienced actor, Sanderson seems to take on different personas with each of Break’s shifts in attitude or idea.

The disc ends with a piano and strings tune “Skeletons & Bones,” a song Cutillo wrote while watching the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?

“You know that scene where they’re burning down the house? It just moves me every time I see it. It’s so powerful and I love Johnny Depp, too,” he said. “That’s where the line ‘I don’t know what’s eating at my soul,’ came from. A lot of times when you’re overcome with the emotion of an idea, that’s what you do — you sit down at the piano and pop out what you’re thinking.” - Electric City

CLARKS SUMMIT – It’s bound to be a long, exciting week for the members of Awkward Silence.

The Abington- and Scranton-based alternative rock group will release their first full-length album, “Break,” on Friday, July 10. The show at O’Neil’s Bar and Grill, 1959 Newton Ransom Blvd., Clarks Summit, runs from 7 to 10 p.m.

“The CD release is the first time we’ve done something really monumental with this band,” said singer James Sanderson. “We’re really excited to put our work out there.”

Released through Radial Noise Records, “Break” took almost two years to complete and survived a line-up change when bassist Chet Williams joined the group earlier this year.

Guitarist and strings player Steve Zampano said that the release shows the heart and dedication the group has put into their music. “Now, to realize that people are actually handing over their hard-earned money to listen to something we created is really special.”

Perhaps even more exciting than dropping 10 album tracks on Friday is the band’s gig just five days later. They’ll play on the Kevin Says stage at the Vans Warped Tour stop on Montage Mountain on Wednesday, July 15.

Zampano said the confirmation of their performance from earnityourself.com, a music oriented community site that offers show trades, networking and more, was hard to believe.

“I looked at the computer screen, I read the e-mail, I read it again, and then I read it a third time,” Zampano said of the message.

While the band will not know until Wednesday morning what time their Warped Tour set will be, they’re excited to bring the noise to the Toyota Pavilion.

“A lot of our past shows were just for our friends,” said drummer Robert Salazar. “Warped Tour will be in front of people we’ve never met before. It will be interesting to play for some fresh faces that won’t tell you that you did great just because they’re your friends.”

“It always seemed so intangible, to hit that kind of peak,” Sanderson said. “I’d probably be scared (by the gig) if I wasn’t so shocked.”

Guitarist/pianist Andrew Cutillo said whatever happens with Awkward Silence, the friendship that formed the band will win out. “We’re so tight with each other that we can fight and argue over a stupid guitar lick in a song and then go out for pizza.”

“We can’t imagine doing this any differently,” Salazar said.

Between Friday and Wednesday, the band plans to heavily promote the album with appearances at Scranton’s Embassy Vinyl on July 11 and a pair of in-store performances at local Hot Topic shops. They play the Shoppes at Montage on July 13 and the Wyoming Valley Mall on July 14.

The album is available at live performances and at the Gallery of Sound and Embassy Vinyl. An iTunes and CD Baby release is planned for the near future. - Weekender