The Factor

Hailing from North Jersey, The Factor is a melodic rock band whose musical tastes span the spectrum from alternative to metal to ska – the sum of the bands' unique styles brought out by lifetimes of listening to everything under the sun. The people to meet are Sal Germano on guitar and lead vocals, Andy Stanish on bass and backing vocals, and Jay Taylor on drums and backing vocals.

You may know Jay from his last band A Greater Cause. Jay has been playing drums for 15 years, starting when he was eight but not truely taking it serious until he was 12. Since then he has played in several bands through the years with some very talented musicians and friends. Jay is a very versatile drummer, able to play many different styles of music including metal, pop, punk, alternative, jazz, hard rock, and has even delved into R&B and rap! Jay is 100% dedicated and takes his music very seriously, live and in the studio. He practices every day and looks foward to a professional career with he Factor. Jay would like to say that he feels very blessed to be in a band with two very talented musicians and best friends.

Andy learned to play bass in high school among a punk crowd who kept telling him to just play the root, but fortunately he didn't listen, learning to play guitar lines on the bass, delving into the esoteric world of effects, and developing a sweet sense of rhythm and melody. At Monmouth University he played with esteemed local guitarist Doug Mikula in a three-piece instrumental guitar trio. This gave Andy space to explore and was a huge influence on his current "lead bass" style. Andy is currently at Bergen Community College continuing his music education in theory and classical as well as electronic music. Some of Andy's influences are Sublime, the Disco Biscuits, Led Zeppelin, Cake, and Black Sabbath. You can hear Andy's lead sensibilities in The Factor's music, and if ya see him at a show, buy him a beer :)

Sal has been involved in bands since high school. He began playing music at an early age when he started drum lessons at 8 and piano about the same time. Two years later he picked up his first guitar and that has been his main instrument to this day. Taking vocal lessons for a few months toward the end of his high school career, Sal began an appreciation for what it really means to practice. His biggest achievements as of yet include sharing the stage with performers such as Teddy Zigzag of Guns N' Roses and Alice Cooper, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, Jane Weidlin of the Go-Go's, Sandy Gennaro (Joan Jett, The Monkees, and Bo Diddley), Mark Slaughter of Slaughter, Spike Edney of Queen, and Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sal puts forth a mix of emotions in his music and loves to perform!

The culmination of these exquisite musical identities is great music that's catchy and fun and that we know you'll enjoy. The band has just cut a 3-song EP at Skylab Studios in Roosevelt, NJ under the skilled eye of Dan Skye, which you can get at the shows or by emailing us. The Factor looks forward to a busy spring and summer schedule in the NY/NJ scene and possibly even an east coast tour – if only for a trip to Florida. See ya at the show!