Roamer

By Rebecca Starke
Staff Writer

Playing in venues such as Toad's Place in New Haven and The Knitting Factory in New York City, local band Roamer is exploding onto the local music circuit. Their energetic, poetic and fun music fuses improvisational rock, reggae, bluegrass, and folk.

Roamer started playing at Shelton's Bar and Grill, and it didn't take long for the band to invade the Black Rock area, gaining notoriety and packing places all along Fairfield Avenue. After forming long lasting relationships with Acoustic Cafe and Ray Kelly's, they roamed into New Haven and on to the stage at Toad's Place. They have graced the stages of Daniel Street in Milford and The Knitting Factory in New York City. In 2004 and 2005, Roamer rocked out on the Rocks Off Boat Cruise that toured around the Statue of Liberty.

Roamer has shared the stage with some truly amazing and gifted musicians. The lineup consists of Tea Leaf Green, Lo Faber, Max Creek, The Breakfast, Scarecrow Collection and The Zen Tricksters.

This eclectic group is made up of six guys all committed to bringing original music and energy to all of their live performances. Adding to that energy is lead singer and guitarist, Tim Sather. With his captivating and unique sound, you can feel his passion in the music and lyrics through his voice.

However, the success and evolution of a band doesn't rely solely on the talent and creativity of one man, and Roamer is no exception. Matt Sather adds vocals and is the artistic expression behind the bass. Along with the guitar, John Sather plays the mandolin, adding an opulent sound to their music, setting them apart from other bands. Matt Areson contributes to vocals and has a way of bringing the allure of the piano and organ to every performance.

Setting the thythm and beat of the music is Nate Dobas manipulating the drums, while the percussion relies on the talent of Matt Summ playing the bongos, which gives the band that reggae feel, contributing immensely to their energy.

While Tim has contributed a lot to the creation of the lyrics and music, he says, "The great thing about working with five other guys is that it opens the door to creative development for everyone."

Faithful fan Leia Scinto says, "What's cool about their music is that it's a combination of many different genres and they make it work. Each musician is a great and unique person, their sound and lyrics move me. I love them."

Their innovative lyrics revolve around personal experiences and expressions, family, God, love, ideas, or just to tell a story. So what is it about their music that sends a profusion of people to wherever Roamer is playing? Josh Mello, a Roamer addict, who has been following the band for quite some time sheds light onto this question.

"I love the originality of the music and the creative, well written lyrics. They always have so much charisma and energy. It's infectious; I just want to get up and dance," he says.

"What our music is really about, what sets it apart from other bands, and what we want our fans to appreciate is the craftsmanship," John says. "Taking sparse songs written on acoustic and piano and we break them down and arrange them with harmonies, music and the instrument."

Roamer's first full-length album, The Basker, is really a compilation of these six creative minds dedicating their time and talent to share their music with new fans, family and friends.

"The mold that keeps us together and has been a big part of our success so far, is our drive to be creative, and for us Roamer is that outlet," Tim says.

Article Published 29 March 2007 - HCC Horizons

by Ray Hogan
Staff Writer

For the Trumbull-based band Roamer, getting on the (Gathering of the) Vibes stage was a goal that was set a few years ago. Singer-guitarist Tim Sather just didn't think it would happen this quickly. "This is nothing short of a dream come true," he says. "It was a very big surprise when we found out. I think that it speaks to the time we've put in and the effort we've put in.

Roamer plays in a classic rock style sometimes reminiscent of The Band and early Allman Brothers Band with an emphasis on each song telling a story, The style was born in the days when the band served as accompaniment to Sather's singer-songwriter pursuits. In 2003, the musicianship began to take on a more democratic format and the group's name was an anagram for Return of AM Radio. After too many promoters botched the name, the group settled on Roamer. Earlier this year, it released its first disc
"The Basker" (www.roamermusic.com).

Article Published 9 Sugust 2007 - The Stamford Advocate

We've found that well-construed roots rock makes for the best wintertime music. There's nothing like driving over snow-covered hills to The Best of the Band. This gives Roamer, which covers the Band's The Weight and carries on its tradition of modernized Americana, the ideal local group to hold a Christmas party. It's been a good year for the group—a slot at the Gathering of the Vibes, the relaunch of its website as one of the best of any local band (check out the MP3s) and the licensing of one of their songs to a Ralph Lauren ad. Today's seasonal shindig will feature, according to the band, "some Christmas tunes" and "Festivus-like airing of grievances." We'd like to grieve about when that "upcoming" album is supposed to come out. You got your dang polo shirt money, now get thee to the studio! - Fairfield Weekly