a sound we felt best represented us as people and musicians,”
Bonilla said. “Adam Bock joined us on piano and backing vocals
by 2013. Shortly after, Andrew Zehnal found his place as our
drummer, followed by Brian Courage from Long Island on bass,
rounding out our lineup.”
Their straightforward sound is reminiscent of a road movie
soundtrack that spans across landscapes of Middle America.
Hollis Brown’s energetic tunes get you moving — even if you are
standing still — as soon as you hear them. Despite their originality,
their music is reminiscent of the classics like Tom Petty and
the Heartbreakers and The Allman Brothers.
“Astoria has such a diverse musical background,” Bonilla said.
“It has every race and ethnicity all in one neighborhood. There
are so many different cultures from around the world that influence
us as people and musicians.”
Despite the success and growth of the Astoria music scene,
Montali still thinks there is something missing.
“It's strange because we grew up in Queens, and we live here,
but I honestly think Astoria needs a real proper music venue,”
Montali said. “It's missing that.”
The band assures us that they are “always” playing: “We have a
West Coast run coming up in July,” Montali said. “We are always
popping up in New York City though."
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Photo by Alan Rand
Photo by Christian Koerwer
Photo by Jini Sachse