Jesse Gallagher - Bass Guitar, Piano, Synth, Acoustic Guitar
Travis Harrison - Drums
John Biz - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Joey Weiss - Electric Guitar
Will Schalda - Piano
Jesse Selengut - Trumpet
Miguel Weissman - Harp
Influences
The life, art, music and writing of Woody Guthrie.
Note - we never check this page. To reach us, check industrialparkrecords.com or johnbiz.com for contact info. Thanks!
National Seashore has released 2 records at CMJ and you can download them FREE:
National Seashore - National Seashore (2007) IPR-005 - Free album download here - Enter this pin: AS57C78A
National Seashore - Love Is The Only God I'll Ever Believe In (2007) IPR-006 - Free album download here - Enter this pin: 96WU946M
Compelled by the story behind Mermaid Avenue, a 28 year old artist offers a heartfelt interpretation of American folk hero Woody Guthrie’s material from his own impressionistic perspective. The artist is John Biz, the setting is Brooklyn, NY and the musicians who made it all happen became collectively known as National Seashore.
“Laboring over National Seashore wasn't something I was consciously trying to do. It actually stemmed from my love for Woody's work and everything he stood for. The music was guided by very intense dreams that I was having in the summer of 2006,” says Biz about the origin of the project. “I woke up and they were still with me. I don’t want to take credit for writing anything; I just kind of saw it. The creative force behind this work comes directly from Woody Guthrie.”
The sketches came together in what Biz regards as a very spiritual experience, incorporating interpretations of Woody Guthrie lyrics with the music from his dreams. Avoiding what he considered a superficial recreation of a style that Woody had already perfected, his intent was to honor the spirit of the song and its author by playing the music in his own voice. Extreme care was taken to preserve the original meaning and intent behind Woody's writing. Still, National Seashore lets some of the tracks express hints of nostalgia for the developing American culture from which it came.
Originally having no idea if he even wanted to record, let alone release this material, Biz just needed to create it for art's sake, and wanted to give something back to his hero. In folk tradition, he actively did so by sharing these ideas with patients at the Rivington House: a long term care facility for AIDS patients in New York City’s Lower East Side where he volunteers by playing bedside for the terminally ill. The music was met with such a tremendous response that he knew he had to continue. After witnessing how much these songs had helped the people who needed it most, he ended up recording the material that seemed to bring the patients the most inspiration. Biz laments, “From my understanding of Woody Guthrie, I believe it would have made him smile.”
Shortly after, the spirited young troubadour put together National Seashore, an all-star cast of musical frients featuring members of Apollo Sunshine, Kevin Devine & the God Damn Band, The Unsacred Hearts and SuperMonster. The band came together in a matter of days, freshly embracing each song in real time while recording to tape at Serious Business Records in Brooklyn. The result: each song is a living, breathing entity captured as it was created in celebration of Woody Guthrie, the man widely regarded as “The Voice of The People.” Brought to you by Industrial Park Records
“National Seashore is a diverse artist collaboration so dynamic that it leaves little room to say that the project was not fated. The energy between the musicians, brought forth by a unified appreciation for Woody Guthrie’s life work, is completely unavoidable. It is so inviting that people from all walks of life can sincerely fall in love with this music. There is a certain truth in these songs, achievable only by a spiritual movement that celebrates America’s greatest folk icon.”
-Bronson Guliamo, Industrial Park Records
