Just Visiting

http://www.myspace.com/justvisiting

Just Visiting doesn’t fit a stereotype. Just Visiting hasn’t hopped on the musical bandwagon. Just Visiting doesn’t have a gimmick.

Just Visiting just plays their music.

This hard-charging power trio hails from Queens, NY and features singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnny P. Cervini, bassist David Perez and drummer Tomas Ruiz. With influences that range from heavy rock to alternative to blues, Just Visiting emerges as a truly unique presence in today’s cookie-cutter rock landscape.

From the pop-rock gem “Life in a Shoebox” to the brooding “Glass of Whine” to the passionate Spanish-language “Para Ti,” the songs of Just Visiting are varied, but are cut from the same cloth. The distinct sound combines revealing lyrics, grungy chords, bluesy lead guitar, intricate basslines and powerful drumming to create a collection of songs that are at once heavy, melodic and introspective.

What’s in a name?

A common question posed to the band is that of the origin of its name. “Just Visiting” began as an inside joke – it was something Cervini and friends would say in their small college town of Geneseo, NY when people asked them if they were from the area. Cervini was attached to the phrase and also saw that it doubled as a commentary. “Being a consumer of music before I was a maker of music, I’m aware of how quickly success can be bestowed upon and then taken away from an artist,” Cervini explains, “so the name is also a sarcastic take on the touch and go nature of the music industry.”

A band is conceived…

Indeed, Cervini had the name in mind before there was a band. It was a band that he knew he would be a part of one day, but it would take a while to find the right combination of talent and chemistry with others.

The seeds of Just Visiting were planted on Cervini’s first day of college when he heard a now ex-girlfriend, in his dorm playing the opening riff of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box.” Out of jealousy, he learned it and in doing so, something inside of him had been sparked. He bought an acoustic guitar and learned several styles of playing by taking some lessons from various college students – one of whom would contribute guitar work to the debut SINpathetic EP years later. He eventually tired of learning from others and taught himself the rest of the way.

Knowing how difficult it is to make it in the music industry, combined with an intense fear of failure, Cervini took a 9 to 5 job after graduation and miserably pushed paper, repressing his passion to form a band and perform. When he was laid off three years later, he felt he had been given a fresh perspective and focused more energy on his music. He spent time writing some songs and recorded the SINpathetic EP in early 2005 with private funding from a different, but likewise, now ex-girlfriend and the help of musician friends who sat in for the recording. However, they could not commit to a band for various reasons and he found employment at a Bally’s Total Fitness in Queens to make ends meet. For the remainder of the year, he continued to play open mics and search for bandmates.

In the spring of 2006, Cervini was fired from his job for repeated absences, a result of his growing apathy for anything other than music. Cervini, who has struggled with depression for years, had reached rock bottom at this point – he had no money, had been unable to get his band off the ground and was suffering from creative stagnation – and for a bleak moment he once again considered forgetting about his musical dreams.

At the same time, drummer Tomas Ruiz was employed at a different gym in Queens. Ruiz had previously drummed in several bands yet his determination always surpassed those of his bandmates and the situations never lasted. Ruiz has an immense appreciation for all types of music and so decided to channel his passion into a career by enrolling in the audio engineering program at the Institute of Audio Research. However, he still felt the strong desire to play his instrument and experience the high of performing in a live setting. On being a musician, Ruiz says, “Music is life – without rhythm, melody, pitch, color, timbre or tonality we are all lost."

A band is born…

However, neither would remain lost for long. As fate would have it, the two met on April 5, 2006 after Cervini took a job at Ruiz’s gym, New York Sports Club. Though Cervini would be fired within a few weeks, it was just enough time to spark a musical connection that laid the groundwork for Just Visiting. Ruiz mentioned that he was a drummer and he and Cervini decided to get together and jam at local recording/rehearsal studio Astoria Soundworks. After several sessions, it was evident to both that there was real chemistry. They realized that they had found more than just jam partners – they finally found a bandmate who shared the same vision and drive.

Cervini and Ruiz immediately placed an ad for a bassist on Craigslist and by th