The Blahs

Listening to a song by The Blahs is like eavesdropping while a crazy homeless guy reads poetry to his cats. Theirs is music from a brain that’s been knocked off balance. It’s at once beaming with inebriated pop catchiness and toothlessly out of tune, with structure dressed up in a hobo’s suit of comical formality. It’s kind of great in a Fisher King kind of way – endearingly crazy, aching with love, sometimes sad to look at. Think of the expertly crafted slop-pop of Pavement, if it were built at They Might Be Giants’ toy workbench. Then have Sonic Youth re-record the whole mess. Tada – The Blahs!

This is actually the second time around for the Harrisburg duo-turned-quartet. The group’s mainstays, guitarist and singer Jeremy Hanks (aka Goodyear) and drummer Robby Gallagher (Bones), diddled around in 2003 before leaving the area for Philadelphia and Europe, respectively. (Gallagher left the band to join The Underwater for a stint around the motherland.) But four years later, the two reunited due to a shared case of the why-the-hell-nots.

“I think the reason Rob and I re-united and decided to continue The Blahs was that it was an idea that had not completely run its course and died before its time,” Goodyear says. “My brain was backed up from four years of not creating new music, and Rob has always been a natural ally in music, so it was only a matter of writing and asking him if he was up to it.”
“I always respected Jeremy’s quirky, kind of offbeat outlook on music and such,” Bones adds, “so I thought it was worth giving it a shot again.”

The re-ignited Blahs eventually churned out a three-song EP and started performing around the area. After recruiting friends Brandon Wise on guitar and Kristen Stephen on keys, the band, as Goodyear puts it, “crossed the line from fiction to fact.” On January 23, the band released its third EP, Who Wants Cake?

“It definitely feels a lot smoother and more planned out than the first time,” Bones says of The Blahs 2.0. “Having two other players in the group also helps with collaborating and whatnot, making the sound more developed than before.”

“The highlight of all of this has been the chance to play music and bond with Rob, Kristin and Brandon,” Goodyear chimes. “We have grown and matured as artists in the time between. It is safe to say that we are much more productive and organized, and our new EP is proof positive of our growth.”

With Who Wants Cake? just out the door, The Blahs are already turning their attention towards a full-length that should hatch later this year. Other goals include rising up over depression, maybe getting paid in something other than hummus and flat bread and, above all else, avoiding the pitfalls that come along with viewing yourself as a Serious Musician.
“It is only worth taking seriously if we are enjoying the music we make,” says Goodyear. “Our goal is simply to have fun and make music, and we want to take this all the way to the cosmos.”

“I’m all about reaching for the cosmos,” Bones agrees. “I don’t know about the rest of the band, but one of my main goals is to make music for aliens – hopefully we do that with the next album.” - Fly Magazine (Central PA)

The Blahs
By Mike Staugaitis
Shinbone Editor
* What are the names, city of residence, how long they’ve been in the band and responsibilities of each member?

-Jeremy Goodyear Hanks is from Harrisburg, but currently lives in Philadelphia. He is an original forming member and has been with the band since the original incarnation in 2002. He is the lead singer, guitar player and lyricist for The Blahs, and he also assists in booking, promotion and some aspects of production.

-Robby Bones is from Harrisburg. He is an original forming member and has been with the band since 2002. Rob plays drums and sings back-up, and in addition to booking, promotion and artwork, he is in charge of recording the band.

-Brandon Wise (aka B. Wise) is from Harrisburg. Brandon has been with The Blahs since May 2008, and in addition to playing lead guitar, he is in charge of recording and mixing/mastering the band. He also has his own production company, Brandon Wise Productions (Brandonwiseproductions@gmail.com).

-Kristin Stephens (aka Sunshine May) is from Harrisburg. She has been with the band for a little over a year, and she sings while playing the Moog, shakers, tambourine and whatever trinkets make fun noise while she dances.

* Give us a brief history of The Blahs.

Jeremy: The Blahs were born prematurely in 2003 as a trio of misunderstood musicians. This incarnation of The Blahs struggled to survive around central Pennsylvania for almost a year and recorded one justly underrated EP before their untimely disbanding. Flash forward four years later to 2007. I moved away from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, but I returned often and maintained close contact with the central Pennsylvania scene. Rob was living in Harrisburg, playing in prominent bands, evolving his musical craft, and learning the art of recording. Tired of living in musical exile, I contacted Rob and suggested reviving The Blahs together. Rob agreed, and the Blahs live again. Rob and I worked ceaselessly as a duo without any outside assistance for a year in Chainsaw Studios (aka Rob’s house), self-recording a three-song single entitled “ATE 8.” This minor release under our fledgling label, ROB JEREMY RECORDS, prompted a larger response than the two of us had anticipated. Venues were suddenly contacting us to perform live while we were still just two in number.

Rather than hide in the shadows, we recruited two trusted friends, Sunshine May and (producer/engineer) Brandon Wise, to complete the band. With the addition of these two versatile musicians, The Blahs had truly sprung to life and crossed the line from fiction to fact. The completion of our latest EP, “Who Wants Cake?” brings The Blahs to the next level, and leaves a lingering taste of what is to come as we tour and plan our full-length album.

* Do you play all original music, covers, or a mixture of both?

Bones: We play all originals, but we will throw in a cover of a band who has influenced us.

Jeremy: If you look on YouTube, there is a video of us doing a medley of two Stooges songs, but generally we feel that a cover should be a rarity and not the norm.

Brandon: If we do a cover, we try to interpret the songs and transform them into our style of playing.

* What do you think are some of unique aspects about The Blahs that sets you apart from other bands out there?

Bones: One of the most unique aspects of the band that sets us apart from most is that we do almost everything in-house (DIY) at this point. Our new album, “Who Wants Cake?” was recorded at our project studio, mixed and mastered by our guitarist Brandon Wise and produced by the entire band. We also do all our own art designs, book shows and promote ourselves. The only thing we don’t do is press albums or merchandise. Another thing that sets us apart is that we currently don’t have a bass player, and we are not too concerned with having one right now. We usually get the low-end thickness from Kristin on the Moog or my kick drum....but that’s something we are constantly toying with and it really helps us get our sound.

Jeremy: Certainly our DIY method gives us a different sound from most bands, and using a Moog instead of a typical keyboard really sets us apart. It is a touch of analog sound in a digital world. But mostly, what sets us apart is that we are only writing the music that we want to hear. We are only really thinking about what turns us on, and I think that the passion shows in the recordings and the live performances. There are so many bands where the music is not great, not awful, just mediocre, and I loathe mediocrity. Mediocrity is not allowed.

Brandon: As a recording engineer, you always record the bands you play with. The Blahs is the first band where I feel open enough to bring any ideas to the table.

* What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of your local music scene?

Bones: As for the Philly scene, I think its one of the best you can be around in the USA. A lot of cool venues to play at and it seems like, more than before, people will try at least to give you a genuine chance if they haven’t heard your music. We also got a great radio station with WXPN who really supports original music throughout the world. As for the other local scene, Central PA, there’s a few cool venues and a lot of yuppie ones, but there’s a lot of diamonds in the rough in terms of bands and promoters.

Jeremy: The largest strength of our local music scene is the dedicated musicians who work arduously to bring fresh material to the public, as well as the fans that come out to support the music. I cannot really think about any weaknesses in the Philadelphia scene, save for perhaps a shortage of accessible all age venues. Central PA, on the other hand, has always been a difficult scene for indie rock, although they certainly have a thriving music scene. I think it all has to do with the audience; Philly audiences are a tad more open-minded and excited when it comes to experimental music.

Brandon: Central PA is just as artistic as any small city but we lack the places to play original music.

Kristin: No one dances! I would love to see more dancing….

* What is one of the craziest show experiences that you had?

Bones: We have only played 5 or 6 shows together (as the band currently stands), but the one that stands out the most is probably the last show we played in December at Smalls in York, PA. The bar that night was totally freezing because they were shutting down the place at the end of that month, so it was one of the only shows I ever played with my t-shirt on the whole time! They also had $2 Troegenators at the bar which is good for morale. We totally rocked it out from head to toe and got some great comments from random people, which I always think is great.

Jeremy: I know that Rob and Kristin would rather forget, but the craziest show for me was the first show we played out. We were invited to play at Gullifty’s in Camp Hill after Rob and I had finished the “ATE 8” single, but it was just Rob and me in the band at the time. We quickly recruited Kristin to do backup vocals and tambourine, but for the most part it was just Rob and I playing all the parts. The show was a complete disaster from the start; only three people came to see us, the sound was terrible, and we were generally not up to par. We were practically booed out of the place, and the pity applause at the end like a jab in the gut. However, we still had fun namely because we just kept playing through it, but looking back it is crazy that we even tried to play a show like that, and especially to an audience that was there to watch a football game.

Brandon: no matter what happens at a show keep playing. The Smalls show was a preview of what’s to come.

* What can someone expect when they come out to see you live?

Bones: Pretty much what they are not going to expect....We all have different influences, so it really translates into our live show and music. We’ll pull something off that’s soft- loud rock and the next song will be totally experimental. We love to keep people on their toes.

Jeremy: I think they can expect to have fun. The Blahs fully support having fun and I am willing to sign an official notarized document that says as much. I also think they can often expect to see Bones and B. Wise performing shirtless and to see Kristin dancing her heart out while she plays.

Brandon: I’m all about love, freedom, and nudity. Our personalities all shine through with the music we play.

Kristin: Dancing…from me at least. Haha.

* What are future plans for The Blahs?

Bones: As of now our plans are to promote the new album, “Who Wants Cake?” and to keep playing shows in the state and region to spark more interest in the band. We are constantly writing new songs and hopefully by the end of ‘09, early 2010, we will record our first full-length album. Other than that we will keep reaching towards the cosmos and doing what we feel is the best for the music.

Jeremy: World domination…I mean, a full-length album…then world domination. Then, maybe a light snack…

Brandon: We want to get our music out to as many people as possible. I’m tired of the same old music on the radio and I want to change things for the best.

Kristin: Another keyboard in the mix for me….so more awesome sounds!


On The Lighter Side


With Jeremy Hanks




*Who will be your Valentine this year?

All of our fans will be my Valentine, so this is going to be one Hell of an expensive date. Seriously, I love all of you, but I probably will not call all of you in the morning. I need my space, baby.

*Valentine’s Day: Legitimate holiday or greeting card company scam?

What kind of person needs a holiday as a reminder that they need to express their love to the world and the special people around them? I mean, it is a holiday, but romance cannot be bottled in a day, let alone a lifetime.

*What do you think should really be written on those tiny candy message hearts?

D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)

*What celebrity would you like to be your Valentine?

Janeane Garofalo. Since I was a kid, I have always been a fan of her work, and I love a woman who has a real sense of humor.

*Have you ever broken someone’s heart or had you heart broken on Valentine’s Day?

A few years back I was walking to class at Harrisburg Area Community College on Valentine’s Day, and as I passed my girlfriend’s car, I noticed that the car was idling and that while she was not in the driver seat, an older guy with a bouquet of roses was sitting in the passenger seat. I casually knocked on the window and calmly asked him who he was and why he was sitting in my girlfriend’s car with roses.

“Your girlfriend?” he replied. “Are you Jeremy?”

“Yes, and who might you be, sir?”

“I’m her boyfriend. She said you two broke up months ago.”

“Yeah, well, that’s news to me because she certainly did not mention the breakup last night when we were naked in bed. Hey, here she comes now! Maybe we can ask her and…wait, never mind, she saw us talking and is now walking the other way.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

“Or, maybe you are an idiot, because now that I have met you, I certainly do not want to talk to her anymore. Goodbye.”

That was the end of that relationship.
- Shinbone Magazine