The Normal Living (TNL) serves up a blend of guitar-driven songs, layered with intricate piano, pop-rock vocals, and sophisticated drums. It’s American heartland rock for the modern era, for Gen Xers who miss guitars in Top 40 music, who sense the familiar echoes of 1960s girl groups, and who seek out today’s roots rock.
From their home base of Jersey City, NJ, the 7-piece band blends urban ideas and images. With singer-songwriter roots and bar-band beginnings, their influences are eclectic, ranging from Carole King, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Fleetwood Mac and Heart and the Dixie Chicks.The members of TNL belong to what has been called the “Oregon Trail Generation”—watching MTV rise from its infancy (and then lamenting its ultimate transformation); witnessing first-hand the rise of personal computers, the World Wide Web, and the global community; beholding the global cultural shifts after 9/11; facing a recession and economic hardships as we were building careers and our livelihoods; lamenting and participating in the drastic changes to the music industry; straddling the line between analogue and digital in our bodies, minds, and hearts. TNL writes songs about becoming an adult in this age, navigating (sometimes blindly) a modern era whose waters stretch into an ever-expanding universe.
The group has just released their newest single "How It All Went Down," which may remind you of some 80s female pop dittys. WE caught up with them and asked a few questions.
The answers by Nick Sainato (piano and keys) and Jon Grabowski (guitarist).
What is the inspiration behind the latest single release? Let's dive in shall we?
NICK: Our song How It All Went Down began the minute I sat down at a vintage Chickering piano I bought. I’ve never heard a sound quite like that piano. The sound and tone gave birth to the opening riff—which is more prominent on the piano interlude.
What made you discover your passion for creating an eclectic blend of your own sound?
NICK: My sister bought me a keyboard for Christmas. Being a drummer most of life, learning piano at college wasn’t easy. She noticed my motivated drive—playing my moms piano every day before her dancing school started. From there, I recorded my first instrumental album with simple piano and added layers with bass, strings and synths.
JON: Our band has strong bar band roots of people playing together in a room. In terms of writing, people mostly bring pieces of songs or ideas to the band and we all work on fleshing out those ideas together. When everyone’s ideas and parts come together, the end product is, as you say, an eclectic sound.
What places in your mind do you channel to craft your songs?
JON: For me, songwriting is about putting myself in someone else’s shoes, figuring out that character’s simple truth, and what they need to say to the world.
What are your favorite venues to perform? And, if you had to choose, do you feel more comfortable in the studio or onstage, why?
NICK: My favorites are the classics like Maxwells in Hoboken and the Bitter End in New York. To me, being engulfed with the right levels of sound per instrument and vocals is pure bliss. These two venues provide that for me—maybe one day Maxwells will be born again!
JON: As Nick said, the classic venues are usually the best. There is so much musical history around the New York, New Jersey metro area. Sadly, many of the classic venues that focus on live music and provide opportunities for artists are closing or have closed.
How do you create your songs? What is the process? Does it take you days, weeks, even longer? How does the perfect piece come together?
NICK: When writing, I sit at the piano and play without much thought. I allow the music to guide me and go with the flow. I enjoy the ride into the unknown. Patience and persistence will allow the music to take flight to a final destination.
JON: This is such a fascinating question. For me, a song could take anywhere from 1 hour to 5 years to finish (laughs). Recently, we finished recording a song called Blue Sky. I finished the lyrics of the song in the spring of 2018, but I have early demos of the song on my old computer from 2013. I think the notion that great songs come from a sudden bolt of inspiration has been romanticized over the years where some songwriters believe that you need to sit around and wait for lightning to strike. While there are some legendary examples of songs falling out of people like Keith Richard’s Satisfaction riff, Jason Isbell’s Elephant, and Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, I think those artists would tell you that is not the case 99% of the time.
6. How did you create a sound throughout time that is uniquely your own? What defines your sound to you?
NICK: I truly believe in no rules when writing music. If I like it, I like it. That’s the main factor and how it all began.
7. This year is already shaping up to be a great year for you. What do you hope to accomplish in 2020?
NICK: Songs busting down those boundaries!
JON: We are getting back into the studio with our friend, collaborator, and producer Chris Badami of Portrait Recording Studios in early 2020 and hope to have some more new music coming your way!
