Randy Bergida
New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
If it weren’t for them living in the same neighborhood, Alison Lefevre
and Randy Bergida might never have teamed up.
When they began their music collaboration a few months ago, the songwriters realized they both lived in Greenpoint, only a few short blocks from each other.
“It’s so hard in New York to get together with musicians when you live far away from each other,” says Lefevre, who saw Bergida play a solo show at Cafe Vivaldi in the West Village and the two connected from there. “Knowing that we lived so close made it easy to work together.”
Lefevre has recently moved to Williamsburg, though luckily that’s still within walking distance from Bergida, as the two work on an album together and prepare for a gig July 25 at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg.
Writing about matters of the heart in lush acoustic melodies, the two have found their recent collaboration as effortless as their dreamy, orchestral sound.
“I was used and am used to doing my own thing,” says Lefevre, a Louisiana native who has made a name for herself in New York as a jazz vocalist. “But it seems like it’s so easy to work with Randy so far. Our styles really coincide.”
Bergida, who’s also the lead singer of the indie rock band Skidmore Fountain and also has a solo thing going on, enjoys the harmonical possibilities of their two voices.
“I don’t want to say unique, but we both have distinguishable voices,” says Bergida, who provides his more dominant, fluid tenor, while Lefevre adds a light, lovely layer. “Some people it doesn’t gel – we gel and play music together effortlessly. She brings that element that would otherwise be missing.”
Due to the nascent nature of their collaboration, the two only have a few songs to share (including bittersweet tunes like “Don’t Walk Away,” “Firebug” and “All the Unexpected”). So they’ll be pulling from their solo work, including Lefevre’s recently released EP “Wide Awake,” and Bergida’s own solo album that he’s looking to release at the end of this year.
“I feel like his music is very strong melodically, and so is mine,” says Lefevre. “When we get together nothing’s forced. Everything seems to have fallen into place in the beginning.”
Here’s hoping the two never leave North Brooklyn.
Randy Bergida and Alison Lefevre play Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lorimer St.) on July 25. at 9 p.m. For more information, call 718-302- 3770. - Meredith Deliso
Discography
Firebug - Randy Bergida
Cloudless Blue - Skidmore Fountain
Break - Skidmore Fountain
Songs on the book of Departure - Skidmore Fountain
Day After Day - Aly and Randy
A Christmas Song - Aly and Randy
Photos
Bio
Brooklyn Based singer songwriter Randy Bergida shares his stories and wit focusing on acoustic arrangements with orchestral whimsy and lush vocals. Bergida found his voice as a singer songwriter in 1999 while living out in a log cabin in the Colestien valley of Mt. Ashland. Rent was cheap and hitchhiking into town and playing his original songs in cafe’s paid the rent. But being so far from society, Bergida faced a life much different than that of his past. Many of his days were spent walking the landscapes, thinking, playing, and writing songs. He found a lot of inspiration as he was hit with a whirlwind of emotions with the solitude that he experienced out on his own. It’s no wonder the songs of Randy Bergida can touch such highs and hit such rock bottom lows. He later would take the songs from the valley of Mt. Ashland, to Tucson, AZ, then to Portland, OR and to his present home in New York City. With songs like “Don’t Walk Away”, “Firebug”, and “All the Unexpected”, you’ll find a delicate balance of heart torn reality mixed with a soothing and dreamy calm of the surreal.
Randy Bergida also appears as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Skidmore Fountain. He has been a member since day one and has released four records including the April 29th, 2009 release of ‘Cloudless Blue’ (Young Love Records). As well, their songs have appeared on MTV, charted on FMQB, as well as winners of the 2008 AirPlay Direct Songwriter’s competition.
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