The Good Morning Nags EP sets the foundation for future projects serving as an exhilarating moment within the band’s conception. This blue-collar infusion of polished country rock is a testament to the penmanship of industry greats that came before. The sentiments embedded within the lyricism revolved around classic country topics with a unique modern spin on the word play and message.
The string instruments struck all the right chords in cohesion and unison with the competing percussive components as well. The empowerment of this album reinforces the bare bones recording approaches that pay homage to the performance artistry itself. The blended assortment of innovative soundscapes avoids the trap of stale country music into an exciting transformation of contemporary musicianship.
The vocals throughout the EP hit multiple notes that had an complete progression and did not remain in any way static to the compositions. The optimistic aggressive tonality ingrained on each track moves with a sense of haste that serves as a mantra tapping into the magnificent melodies set forth and twangy guitar progressions. There is a sense of brashness with a calm demeaner that’s intention is to lift the spirit of the listening audience.
The Good Morning Nags EP will carry this momentum onto their full-fledged album receiving the accolades these talented artists deserve.
You can listen to The Good Morning Nags EP here:
Press Release:
Buskers everywhere, listen up! The Good Morning Nags will show you how to keep the street sensibility while taking your vibe beyond them. The six piece NYC based ensemble laid the groundwork for their self-titled debut with hundreds of performances – everywhere from Central Park to subway platforms – fusing rock star charisma and intensity with old timey, Appalachian-bluegrass influenced country folk. As their reputation for bringing a fresh raucousness and foot stomping city rhythms to traditional Americana sounds grew, they balanced their success as street musicians with official gigs around the city, including their current monthly residency at the East Village Social and frequent gigs at such hotspots as Rockwood Music Hall and The Delancey.
The group’s four original members – Tim Hassler (fiddle, vocals), Ben Quinn (mandolin, guitar, harmonium, vocals), Titus Tompkins (percussion, mandolin, vocals) and Britt Reagan (guitar, dulcimer, vocals) –met in 2010 while studying acting at the University of Evansville. Joining forces when they were cast in different plays that needed musicians to play bluegrass and old-time music, they kept playing for fun and became great friends while finding, as Tim says, “a real connection between the music and our personalities.” During their last year at school, they started writing music and playing gigs around town. After graduating, they moved in together while doing another play, and recorded an unofficial album with all the tunes they had written.
When the show ended, the four went their separate ways, either to grad school (Tim attended ACT in San Francisco, Titus went to Yale) or to New York. In 2013, Tim, Titus and Britt began busking in NYC’s parks and subways to support themselves while pursuing careers in theatre and film. Ben moved there and joined them in 2015, and the band’s current lineup was completed with Mark Spitznagel (banjo, vocals) and Pete O’Neill (bass, vocals), who were playing on the scene in associated bands. One of the band’s most unique features is that there is no frontman – and everyone contributes to the glorious harmonies. They alternate lead vocals between members, usually based on who first brings a new composition or what they call “an original cover” (a contemporary re-working of an old time classic) to the table.
As Britt says, their seven track EP – featuring three original tunes and four fresh adaptations – is designed to “capture the vulnerability and honesty and live energy of the music, of six guys with instruments standing around a couple of mics, with nothing to hide behind.” They credit their producer, Erik Samuelson of Three Crown Studio, with helping them achieve this spirit and intensity. There are some powerful emotional swings, from the fiery jamming of the old school Appalachian tune “Sugar Baby” and the hypnotically swirling instrumental “Blackberry Bush” to Tim’s simple plaintive ballad “Love Like No Other” and the folksy singalong “I Wish My Baby Was Born.”
Explaining The Good Morning Nags’ unique stylistic hybrid, Tim says, “We first started playing bluegrass and a few traditional Irish tunes in school. And then added some alt-country and blues while we were developing as a band. When we wrote that first unofficial album, it was primarily alt-country and indie folk rock with a few silly old-timey songs. After moving to New York, we delved into Appalachian mountain music and some country roots songs, and took a lot of that to our busking sets. By the time we were ready to record our first EP, we found our music had developed into something that fluttered around all of these styles without landing on any single one. As we move forward writing new music, we’ve been embracing the stylistic ambiguity. We use the term country-folk because it’s a little bit of both. It allows us to expand our borders a bit based on our influences while still finding a home somewhere in our roots.”
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