September 1st marks the one-year anniversary of the release of Song Supply Company’s album Working Hard. The band is composed of Steve Bohn, James Yerrill, and David Zawalich–along with some guest studio musicians–three friends who banded together while attending SUNY New Paltz back in 1988. The core members are now dispersed across the country–with Yerrill in Florida, Zawalich in Ohio, and Bohn in the Hudson Valley–but the group continues to write, record, and produce music together to this day. Although their live performances are few and far between given the members’ distance from each other, it’s inspiring to see this group of friends still making music with one another over such a long period of time.
While the album explores a variety of genres, Americana folk is the throughline that holds it all together. There are tinges of indie rock, alt-country, and classic rock throughout–fans of The Band and The Allman Brothers Band will be pleased. The record opens with the title track “Working Hard,” which is my favorite song on the album. The sound is reminiscent of Wilco with its chill vibes, smooth vocals, and slide guitar. The chorus will stick with you–Yerrill sings, “We’re all working hard just to make it one day.” I mean, ain’t it the truth? In “Over The Road Driver,” Zawalich takes over on lead vocals and the band digs into its classic rock roots–this one especially evokes The Eagles. The uplifting music and redeeming lyrics work in tandem to create a sort of blue collar anthem. “Have You Ever?” takes an abrupt turn stylistically, shifting to a dance pop vibe with session musician Marta Garrett taking the helm on vocals. As a fan of Donna Summers and Eurythmics and other ’80s dance music artists, I thought, This is different, but okayyy, I’m with it. While this song is more grooving and electronic than the others, it lyrically maintains the country/Americana themes explored over the course of the whole album. After their slight detour, the band returns to its core sound with “Where You Belong.” Zawalich takes the lead singing here and session vocalist Lynsey backs him up. Resonances of The Allman Brothers are strong in “Lost Another One,” as it’s adorned with a plethora of guitar leads and riffs. This song sounds like an old roadhouse tavern where you can smoke inside and spit on the sawdust-covered floor. In “Crows Over Poughkeepsie,” a soft electric piano chimes in and the mood becomes contemplative and slightly ominous, with Lynsey on lead vocals. The track employs a refreshing instrumentation in contrast with the other guitar-heavy songs, featuring a rare and tasteful flugelhorn solo. The remaining songs delve deeper into folk/Western themes, and then the album ends on a high note with the summery “Out on the Jetty.” The record feels like a road trip through the heartland of America out to either coast, where we end up on an idyllic shore looking out at the sun setting over the oceanic horizon, reflecting upon our meaningful journey.
Being an outside listener, there’s only so much I can glean about a band, their story, and their music, so sometimes it’s best to hear from the artists themselves to get a clearer, more in-depth perspective. I had a chance to speak with member and lyricist Steve Bohn about the band and their most recent record. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the album!
JK: It’s amazing that you all have continued to write, record, and produce music together after all these years. Do you ever plan to perform live again at some point, or do you think this will remain a strictly remote operation?
SB: Regarding performing live, there have been occasions when pairs of the three of us have gotten together in the recent past. Most notably, James has performed alongside Dave around Dayton, Ohio, where Dave is a fixture on the winery/brewery circuit. We have studio time rented in Florida in about two months, and we are excited to jam together in the same room for the first time in a long time!
JK: As a fellow SUNY New Paltz alum, I find the band’s history both fascinating and inspiring. The three of you started the band on campus in 1988 and here you are so many years later, still doing the thing, which is kind of crazy because most bands are so short lived. So, what’s the secret to your longevity and perseverance?
SB: While we have maintained relationships over that span, we haven’t been producing music together consistently for the whole time. For a few years James and I both lived in Brooklyn and we jammed regularly and performed at a few open mics. Around the time of the pandemic, the technology evolved to a point where collaborating remotely was more realistic and affordable. In terms of having a successful collaboration of any length, what works for us is to be open minded to all contributions and opinions, and only be stubborn if one is truly passionate about a position. And while it would be easy as a three piece to let the majority rule, we each maintain a “veto power,” meaning that nobody can ever be overruled. This way we each know our own voice always matters.
JK: What’s the songwriting process like for you all? I personally prefer to work all my parts out first before running them by the group, but also there are times when some great ideas organically come about from jamming with the band in the flesh. What are the pros and cons of conducting the project from afar?
SB: The songwriting process varies by the song. There have many been times where songs have begun with a lyric, and we have experimented with different musical approaches to build on the lyric. Other times, a song begins with a riff, beat, or a musical mood, and we have paired existing lyrics with them, or we have written lyrics expressly for a new idea. In still other instances, something is presented as a complete, if rough, demo, but even then there is typically input on structure or instrumentation that carries the song to its final form. In short, there is no single tactic that we employ every time, and the collaborative process has yielded many finished tracks that were greater, or just different, from the initial parts. We also have developed relationships with many extraordinary session players through Musiversal Studios. Their skills allow us to expand our sound, and a few of them, like the guitarist Mike Fonte and the vocalist Marta Garrett, have worked with us on so many different songs that they have developed great instincts for where we want to go with our music.
JK: Congrats on releasing Working Hard last year. The album varies widely genre-wise between Americana folk to indie rock to blues to even dance pop. Who are some of your influences? How have they changed since the inception of the band to present day? Provided all the elements mixed up in the amalgamation, how would you describe the sound of this album as a whole?
SB: As far as influences go, we were all weaned on classic rock, but our time in New Paltz brought greater exposure to the music that grew out of the folk traditions, from Dylan and The Dead, to Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Chuck Berry. We love songs that tell stories well, and some of the best like Neil Young can do that in just a few very well chosen words. Also in our SUNY years, we saw many giants like B.B.King and Johnny Winter take the stage at smaller venues like The Chance in Poughkeepsie, or Santana at the Civic Center. Even in New Paltz, there was a vibrant club scene where we got into bands like The Kooks and The Transnationals. Of course there have been so many great genre-hopping artists since then, like Aimee Mann and Beck, who continue to influence us.
JK: Given that you work for Radio Woodstock, how has your career in radio impacted how you approach music? How has your occupation affected your perspective on music in general and on your own musicianship specifically?
SB: My work at an independent radio station has really been inspiring and humbling. I had been a fan of WDST for a long time–they aired the singles “Crows Over Poughkeepsie” and “Working Hard” before I worked there. They really embrace their role as an incubator for local talent. I cannot overstate the importance of independent stations like WDST in helping cultivate a local music scene. The way that working there has changed my perspective is that I have the opportunity to hear the music of so many incredible artists and to see how hard they work at their craft. Some of them are so good that they can make it look easy, but it very rarely is–they just work hard at it. An extra special shoutout must go to Aja, the midday host who curates the Homegrown feature. She not only provides a platform for the music of many regional up-and-coming artists, she also has a great facility of asking respectful, yet probing questions in interviews with these artists. The listeners are rewarded by hearing the often surprising insights her thoughtful questions bring to the surface. Tune in!
JK: Although some of you have moved off to other states, how would you describe your relationship with the Hudson Valley? How has it changed throughout your lifetimes? In your view, what are some ways the music scene in the area can improve?
SB: After graduating from SUNY New Paltz, I moved away from the Hudson Valley, first back to Long Island, where I played out in clubs in a heavy rock band called Mama Llama, then to Brooklyn, where I worked in Manhattan. The whole time I maintained relationships with my college crew that never left the New Paltz/Kingston area, and I would often visit to get a breather from city life. I moved back up here a year or so after 9/11, so I have seen a lot of changes, and in terms of the music scene, many of them have been for the better. The Hudson Valley has healthy independent radio, world-class recording studios, and a wide variety of venues to see live music in all shapes and sizes, from converted churches, to wineries and breweries. In addition to all this, we have many festivals and seasonal outdoor concerts. But the biggest change is probably all of the wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries that host live music weekly. There was only Rivendell Winery outside New Paltz back in the day, but they had just one or two concerts a year. It’s easy to forget that these type of venues did not exist here not so long ago. The only way to improve the scene is to be active in it: Go to shows and support the music!
Song Supply Company’s streaming and social links:
-Review written and interview conducted by James Kwapisz
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