THE SKETCHES

THE SKETCHES
Pop-Rock Band on the Rise

In a family of twelve, it is perhaps inevitable that its members must shout – or sing – to be heard. Such was the case with Charlie Bernardo, who founded THE SKETCHES as a way to make sense of his “musical sketches” that had developed through the production of a number of demos. With the addition of Charlie's brother Manny, the warm sound and intense lyrics of the group’s music continued to solidify. The band released its self-titled debut EP, an album-quality demo collection, in 2005. They are currently touring to promote their debut full-length album, SECRET ALPHABETS, now available on iTunes.

Founding member and front man Charlie is the seventh of ten Bernardo siblings, all of whom shared an intense passion for all types of music. Charlie’s first forays into musical performance included teaching himself to play Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the piano at the tender age of 10 and playing guitar in his first band, but it wasn’t long before he realized that his true talent lay in his voice. Charlie eventually recorded several demos, which would lead to the formation of THE SKETCHES and stirred up significant label interest. Charlie was soon joined by younger brother Manny, who serves as the band’s keyboardist and guitarist. Manny is a fiery performer and talented arranger who has also worked as a solo artist and in DC bands such as the Hard Tomorrows. He finds his inspiration in singer-songwriters and impressive lyricists such as Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Bright Eyes. A third Bernardo brother contributes to songwriting duties behind the scenes - Tony Bernardo is an additional sounding board for brother Charlie and the band.

Greg Watkins, the band’s bassist and most classically trained member, is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory. At age 17, Greg was the youngest member of Doc Scantlin and the Imperial Palms Orchestra (named by Forbes Magazine as "The Best Band In America" at the time) and he has performed with some of the most renowned symphonies in the US, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and National Philharmonic. Greg has composed string arrangements for major label releases (including Thrice’s "The Artist in the Ambulance" on Warner Bros.), performed on film soundtracks for the Discovery Channel, HBO, A&E, and a documentary film for Miramax. Drummer Dave Magazine joined THE SKETCHES after the dissolution of some other bands that toured internationally; he manages a significant amount of the band’s business and adds, “I feel really lucky to be playing with guys who are unbelievably talented but also have the work ethic to match.”

THE SKETCHES have enjoyed significant success in recent months, having performed in world-famous venues such as DC’s 9:30 Club, Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live, the Paradise Lounge in Boston, and having completed a dual NY/DC residency - all independently. They have also shared stages with acts such as Feist, Army of Me, Gomez, David Gray, and Blind Melon. Their music has been called “impressive stuff” by XM Radio Programming Director Billy Zero, and has been described by legendary Grammy-winning mixer Michael Barbiero (whose credits include Maroon 5, Counting Crows, Guns N Roses, John Lennon, Metallica, Madonna, Prince, and more) as “a new and vibrant voice - powerful, classic - fractures me”. This summer, the band hits the road for their first performances on the West Coast, including a July 19 show at the Viper Room in LA (set time 9pm) and a July 21st spot on Hunnypot Radio. The band’s single “My Mona Lisa” from SECRET ALPHABETS also landed a spot on the film soundtrack of the indie thriller Circle—which premieres later this month—and also features a single from Nine Inch Nails.

Check out The Sketches’ debut full-length album Secret Alphabets on iTunes.