The Northern
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The Northern

New York City, New York, United States | SELF

New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Band Alternative Rock

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Press


"Nicholas Sansano (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy)"

"The Northern is not afraid to tell you how they feel...and feel they do. Their polished yet down-to-earth ethereal pop gets has a way of getting inside your heart and opening up your head. Blame it on the power of their melodies or the intensity of their performances, in the end it doesn't really matter. They get to you, that's what matters"

- Nicholas Sansano (Producer/Engineer: Sonic Youth, Public Enemy) - None


"Coke Johnson - (Prince, Bob Dylan, Neil Young)"

The Chalk Brothers and their band have all the talent and personality it takes to break out in the music industry... Strong vocals, arrangements and musicianship make them a unique artist these days... I expect big things out of this up and coming group!

Coke Johnson - Engineer (Prince, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Motley Crue) - None


"Northern Lights"

A soothing melody drifts into your ear, like a river flowing into a lake, touching you at the core of your soul as veiled emotions seep out dancing in step with the song, creating a unique connection. As you listen intently to the lyrics and tune you realize that someone in this chaotic world understands you; someone knows exactly how you are feeling. There is somebody out there giving you something you can relate to.

New York City's self-started local alternative rock band, The Northern, inspires and gives meaning to everyday situations through their passionate and soulful music. The Northern, made up of lead singer David Chalk, lead guitarist Jimmy Chalk, bassist Jonathan Seale, and drummer Aaron Craig, strive to bring a sense of truth and fine art into their music. Their sole reason for starting the band was and still remains to simply show the undeviating connection between religion, art, and intellect. This is their sole drive to creativity, along with their love for music.

"It was some desire to figure out how to treat Jesus Christ in the context of the madness of the world we live in," said David Chalk. "Art, being at heart visceral, is at odds with so much of what we hold as true, yet still there's this uncanny appeal it has. As an artist, I hate intellect. As an intellectual, I hate art. It's the tension that brings the creativity."

The Northern not only sends out a meaningful message towards the masses but also composes their very own original music and lyrics, which holds them distinctively apart from other bands. The songs that they create in their quartet are based on their own personal lives, as well as those that they have touched, hoping to inspire the lives of many through their music. Through the process of creating they learn things about themselves that they never saw before.

"As the one who's written the bulk of our material thus far, I learn a lot of diabolical things about myself after singing a song where I'm the protagonist over and over again," David Chalk said.

Though The Northern remains an unsigned band that plays locally at small venues, they have had several accomplishments, such as playing at a Barack Obama rally in front of approximately 15,000 people.

"Probably the most interesting concert was opening up for Barack Obama for a rally he held in NYC," said drummer Aaron Craig. "David and the guys were playing guitar in Washington Square Park late one night and some guy walked up to them and asked for more information on the band. It turns out that he was the guy organizing the Barack event the next day and they forgot to hire a band," Aaron Craig said.

"So, next thing you know, David, Jimmy, and PJ, the old electric guitarist, are playing in front of a crowd of 15,000 and hanging out with Obama backstage. That was their first in NYC. They were off to a pretty good start to say the least. I joined the band the next day," Aaron Craig added.

Currently the band is working on an EP, If I Could Meet the Architect, which is said to be their debut release on April 22 with a total of five songs.

The EP will be available for $5 on CD as well as digitally on media outlets such as iTunes, Amazon, and Rhapsody. Catch them live on April 22 at Sullivan Hall in New York City, grab a copy of the EP and a shirt, and have the music tug at the
most inner part of you - your soul.
- Olga Zapisek - St. John's University "Torch"


"CMJ Showcase Review"

"The main attraction of the night, however, was The Northern... its performance drew hundreds of fans."

full text: http://www.nyunews.com/news/university/music_marathon_showcases_small_bands - Washington Square News


"NPR"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96403891 - National Public Radio


"Opener for NYC Barack Obama Rally"

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2007/09/28/how-obama-rolls.aspx - Newsweek blog


Discography

"If I Could Meet the Architect" EP - April 2008
"Shadowlands" Full-length Album - Spring 2012

Photos

Bio

Tastefully blending Chris Thile's lyrical sincerity, Ryan Adam's introspective wordplay, and Coldplay's unabashedly hopeful anthems, The Northern was formed in the woods of Garden Ridge, Texas as brothers Jimmy and David Chalk began recording their debut release "If I Could Meet the Architect" in the summer of 2007. Weeks later, The Northern recruited Venezuelan-bred multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Seale from New York University's "school of rock", the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music.

Though having gone through many personnel changes in its first few years, The Northern has developed a strong following in New York City's Greenwich Village with high profile shows such as Barack Obama's Washington Square Rally in September of 2007, and performances at clubs such as The Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and more. Their unforgettable live performances and songs have garnered coverage from National Public Radio, NYU's Washington Square News, and St. John's University's Torch newspaper.

The Northern has recently enjoyed debuting their full-length album The Shadowlands at NYC's The National Underground on June 15th 2012.

"[The Northern]'s polished yet down-to-earth ethereal pop has a way of getting inside your heart and opening up your head. Blame it on the power of their melodies or the intensity of their performances..." - Nicholas Sansano (Sonic Youth, Public Enemy)

"...all the talent and personality it takes to break out in the music industry... Strong vocals, arrangements and musicianship make them a unique artist these days... I expect big things out of this up and coming group!" - Coke Johnson - Engineer (Prince, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Motley Crue)

www.thenorthern.com