The New Bedfords

The New Bedfords were recently interviewed by Absolutepunk. The interview covered everything from the origin of the band's name to who they would like to tour with in the future.

1. How did you get your band name?
Well… we wanted another name that had “Bedford” in it, but that turned out to already be an existing band, so for the sake of originality we didn’t want to use that. We wrestled with a few other names but nothing struck a chord with us as much as the original name, so we decided, screw those guys, well be the NEW bedfords. And the rest, as they say, is history.

2. How did this band get started?
Matt (guitar) learned two high school friends Dan (guitar) and Adam (Drums) were starting a new band, they jammed for a while with a different drummer, and Adam on bass. A few months later the original drummer left, Adam took the helm on the drums, and Ali (vocals), college friend of Matt, came in for some vocals. After a bit of hunting a friend suggested mutual friend Kris (bass) as a bass player, and we hit the ground running.


Check out the rest of the interview here. The band recently released the Enough To Break The Ice EP which you can purchase here. The band will be performing at Championships Bar and Grill on Saturday November 27th. - thenjunderground.com

On a brisk, but beautiful autumn Sunday afternoon, many people were outdoors, taking advantage of the year's last gasp of warmth. Others were inside, tuned in to the NFL's weekly showcases of gridiron grit.

The New Bedfords, meanwhile, were in an apartment in Nutley, hard at work and driven to have an impact on the music industry.

The New Bedfords' lineup includes three Long Valley natives and graduates of West Morris Central High School. Bassist Adam Gruss (Class of 2005) teamed with guitarists Dan Callas ('05) and Matt Lynch ('04) to "start something new".
Gruss and Callas had played together in the pop-punk band superKirk throughout their high school years. After returning to the Long Valley area from college, they wanted to begin in a new musical direction.

Lynch was brought in by the other former members of superKirk, who left the project after a short time.

Now having to fill a void, Gruss reluctantly switched back to the drums–his area of expertise–after much encouragement from Callas and Lynch.

"Adam doesn't like being in the back, but when you're that good, you stand out," said Callas.

The trio continued writing music, auditioning and shuffling through other potential band members who, for one reason or another, did not pan out. Lynch then brought in Ali Aslam, a college friend, to fill the band's desire for a full-time lead vocalist. The line-up was then completed when Kris Scotto, who was introduced to Lynch through a mutual friend, joined the band on bass.

"After knowing Ali for five years, Matt found out he could sing," said Gruss. "When we got Kris, we hit the ground running. We started the demo and started booking shows."

Although it is difficult for the members of the band to define their music as fitting under one particular genre, they eventually settled on the description of "dance-garage rock."

Each member enjoys different genres of music, and are each influenced in their playing styles by their individual tastes. The New Bedfords then bring it all together, taking influences collectively from bands such as Talking Heads, The Police, OK Go, The Strokes, The Hives, Franz Ferdinand, and multiple "jam" bands.

Although they are having a lot of fun making music, The New Bedfords are a focused and driven bunch, hoping to add to an already-impressive list of accomplishments.

"We put a demo together really fast, because we just wanted to get out there and are really excited about our music," said Aslam. "We've basically been writing ever since we put [the demo] out there, and I think we all would agree that we've been writing better music. So, our goal is to write better music, and just try to get it in front of people who care."

"There are a lot of bands at our stage who put a lot of emphasis on aggregate fans," continued Aslam. "As cool as that is–and we want fans–we also want people who love our music as much as we do."

The New Bedfords have already seen a small, yet loyal fanbase begin to grow throughout New Jersey and New York City.

"[At our first show] we had the most people come to see us," said Scotto. "I think we had 30-35 people come to see us, in addition to the 30 or so that were already there."

Since then, they have maintained this fanbase while continuously trying to add new listeners. Added Lynch, "My goal is to see someone I don't know singing along."

This is something, according to the band, that has already happened at several of its shows. At its October appearance at New York's Turnstyle CMJ Showcase, Lynch stated that "people we did not know were chanting for an encore."

Successes like these are not easy to come by for many local bands trying to get their start, many of whom struggle to find venues to play. "I've been in bands for a year where we've played maybe two shows," said Lynch.

It is because of this that The New Bedfords' quickly growing success is something that the band never expected. Having finalized its line-up less than a year ago, they have already achieved a lot for a newly-formed band. In addition to their appearance at the CMJ Showcase, they have also participated in Starland Ballroom's "Battle for the Warped Tour".

"I've been really pleased with the amount of progress we've made in about seven months," said Gruss. "We've only played twelve shows, and in that time we got an EP out, we played CMJ, (and) we played Starland Ballroom. I hope that pace continues."

The New Bedfords have a few upcoming shows for all those who wish to see them in action. On Saturday, Nov. 27, they will be playing an all-ages show at Championship Bar and Grill, located at 931 Chambers St. in Trenton. They will follow that with their first show in Pennsylvania, at Allentown's Crocodile Rock on Dec. 22.

The New Bedfords' EP, "Enough to Break the Ice", is available for purchase now on Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby. Interested listeners can also visit them on MySpace www.myspace.com/thenewbedfords or "Like" them on Facebook to give the EP a listen.

In addition, they also have hard copies of the EP available at each show.

?"Our music is out there," said Aslam. "We're not hiding it." - Patch.com

If you are ready to drink and dance and enjoy some good new-fashioned rock and roll, then give The New Bedfords a listen. The New Jersey five-piece is made up of Kris Scotto on bass and Matt Lynch on guitar while drummer Adam Gruss and guitarist Dan Callas provide the backup harmonies for lead singer Ali Aslam.

When New Jersey produces a new band, we sometimes think of the Midtowns, Saves the Days and more recently, The Gaslight Anthems that have caused a ruckus in the punk rock genre. But in this case, Northern Jersey has produced a band that represents the best qualities that make Weezer, Franz Ferdinand and Red Hot Chili Peppers so attractive in the alternative rock community. Guitar solos, handclaps and just the right amount of gang vocals lay the groundwork for this five-track adventure through rock and roll, drinking and sex.

The instant throwback surfer feel of opening track “Gotta Get Out” kicks of an energetic 16 minutes that closes with the seemingly radio-ready “The Ballad of Duane Cunningham”, which showcases Aslam’s impressive vocal range and style. These tracks sandwich three others, starting with “Last Request”, which essentially is a complaint about why there aren’t more bands like The New Bedfords on the radio. Next in line is “I’m Good For Some Bad Decisions”, which has a chorus that would not seem out of place on any Franz Ferdinand song, which is guided by a delicious bass line and guitars that will swoon you out of your seat. Before the excellent aforementioned closer, we are guided through the lives of classic rock song characters in “Where Are They Now?”, displaying the clever lyricism that just adds to the sound musical ability of the band. (4.0/5.0)

Buy the EP on iTunes and make sure to check out The New Bedfords at their CMJ showcase October 21st at the National Underground in New York City. - Idobi