Welcome to the Second Left Web Site

Homegrown band keeps smilin' with diverse tunes

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Think you have to go all the way to Austin to find quality live music? Think again. New Jersey's own Second Left brings live music to the local scene with jammin' tunes, eclectic beats, and rich vocals.

Second Left is a homegrown band with serendipitous beginnings. After playing gigs in Colorado, Mike Galesi (guitar) returned to his home state of New Jersey and met Scott Monetti (keys, lead vocals) of the Long Valley section of Washington Township in 1998.

"My piano needed tuning," explained Galesi. "Scott does some side tunings...we really hit it off, and things started developing very naturally without us pushing or forcing anything like 'let's put a band together or let's make a record.' It was just really having fun messing around with music, and we started coming up with songs."

The duo went through a trial and error process before "getting that right chemistry" with the rest of the band. "Scott and I had gone through quite a few players before we actually had this line up. You know, find a drummer lose a drummer, find a bass player, lose a bass player," said Galesi.

About a year later, Jon Lange (bass) saw Monetti perform "Mexico" with Galesi at Redwoods in Chester and joined the band. Soon after, Lange called on friend, Bryan "Wooker" Navarro (congas, bongos), also from Long Valley. His spirited hand-drumming gives the band its unique percussion sounds.

"I thought that what the sound was missing and what I could offer was percussion. So instead of playing drums I chose that. The band then went on to find drummer Scott Miller of Rockaway and the lineup was complete," explained Navarro.

It seems with the final lineup, they have gotten it right. "We're pretty much like a family that are also good friends," said Galesi.

During this three-year experimental period, the band developed the songs on their recent 12-track debut album, "Fruitful Abyss," released in June 2000.

Their single, "Happy Jam" has received strong radio airplay, reaching number 25 in the Friday Morning Quarterback Top 200.

Appropriately named, "Happy Jam" is an upbeat, percussive tune with a refreshing vibe. It's one of those roll-down-the-car-windows-and-turn-up-the-volume tunes.

The band's own spontaneity comes through in the song's funky beats.

"It's not like we sit down and someone says, I have a great idea for a song," Galesi said. Instead, songs develop naturally out of "jam sessions" that blend blues, rock, funk and even soul. This spontaneity is part of each song's constant evolution.

"We try to add something new each time we play a tune, to keep it interesting for ourselves and our audience," said Lange.

Citing Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder and Peter Gabriel as some of their many musical influences, Second Left's versatility carries throughout "Fruitful Abyss."

"Sesame Street. Does that count?" asked Lange.

He seems to be only half-joking as lyrics such as "what kind of animal can read, wear clothes and watch TV/what ever happened to that monkey in the trees?" (Think About It) find their place on the album.

In a nutshell, Second Left's sound has something for everyone.

The audience at the band's live shows reflects this diversity. "We seem to cross all sorts of age and musical barriers," said Galesi. Having played well-attended shows at New York City's Elbow Room, the band continues to be motivated by their audience's enthusiasm.

"That's why we do it," explained Monetti. "Any band that plays a New York City show knows the deal. You could be playing for absolutely no one and it costs you money. To turn out a crowd like we have done the last two times feels unreal. It's not like we had to convince them to check us out. They own the record and were there to see us. That feels really good."

Keeping in touch with these fans is an important part of Second Left's strategy. The band sends newsletters and email announcements to a growing fan list of 500.

This grass roots promotion is fitting for a band that has been doing everything themselves. They write, record, and produce their own songs and released "Fruitful Abyss" on their own independent label, Silica Records.

"We wanted to maintain creative control. I think losing that was something we were all a little afraid of," Lange said.

Yet maintaining this control came with its own sacrifices. For Navarro, the album's title signifies this. "It still was a long process with marathon sessions and exercises in sleep deprivation to reach the final product. We suffered and relationships around us suffered but we knew we had a record full of solid material. So out of the abyss came the fruits of all that sacrifice."

Through all this hard work, Second Left's members maintain their sense of humor. This carries over to their music with lyrics like "I want you more than I can say, I'll even fax you every day" (Must Be Love).

The band even has fun with some of the darker aspects of the music business.

According to Galesi, the song, "Fool's Tale" "drew from these kind of guys [he] know[s] in the rock business, who are not always...above board. Double-dealing, really, that's what it's about."

Laughing, he covers himself saying, "We took some artistic license with the story. So, any friends of mine who read this article - it's really fantasy with a little bit of truthful inspiration."

Monetti added, "It takes so much to be in this business so it has to be a labor of love all the time. I think we know how to laugh at ourselves first."

The band also recognizes the challenges of mainstream radio. "A lot of radio is dialed into the majors...companies and artists with a lot of money.

Those artists are what you are going to hear. It's very difficult to break into radio but we are always trying," said Galesi.

For an alternative to the barrage of pop songs on the radio, "Fruitful Abyss" is certainly a worth a listen. Before long it will have a regular place in your CD player.

As for what lies ahead, Second Left has enough material to begin pre-production on a new album. Yet ultimately, Galesi emphasizes the importance of playing live shows saying, "we are still just trying to get in front of new audiences and spread ourselves out a bit."

They hope to do so by exploring the college circuit and expanding their presence in the Boston area.

"People respond to our live shows very well," said Galesi. "I think it's largely that our songs are fun for the most part and that we have a blast playing them together, and they pick up on that. To see 'strangers' respond in such a great way to our music delights us and makes us feel that we're on the right track with this hunch we've been betting on."

The Bernardsville News 2001
By Neela Sakaria, Contributing Writer - July 04, 2001

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