Easthampton Savings Bank made the similarly named Easthampton Savings Band (often written with a dollar sign in place of the first “s”) an offer: change your band name and our marketing department will design two free logos for you.
In response, the Valley quartet—drummer Jeff Lloyd (aka Tal Vez), singer Jenna Lloyd, guitarist Tom Ferriter (Murder) and multi-instrumentalist and chef extraordinaire Margaret Chiarelli (Shortie)—initially thought of letting fans decide via Facebook.
“The name Paul Kittens came in with a whopping two more votes over The Kum and Go’s,” says Jenna. “We decided that although the thought of us hanging from a tree branch with a note that says ‘Just Hangin’ In There’ was appealing, at the end of the day, we just couldn’t let go of the Easthampton Savings Band.”
The group formed last winter as an excuse for the two couples to get together once a week and eat, drink, and be merry. The four musicians and friends would dine on Shortie’s culinary creations and then go from there.
“Drinking was usually involved, and at some point we would always wander over to the barn and start messing around with the many musical instruments lying around,” Jeff says. “Without us even realizing it, wham, bam, thank you, ma’am, ESB was born.”
The band—often joined live by bass player Les LaBarge—calls its sound CountryRockPolkaPunk. Asked to describe what it might sound like to recently arrived visitors to Earth, its members invoke the term “otherworldly.”
“Like a thousand flying saucers colliding over a big black hole&in a parallel universe where entropy and quantum physics dance to the avant stylings of Glen Campbell on drag queen bingo night at the WWII Club,” says Jeff.
Ferriter cites collective influences like Royal Trux, Captain Beefheart, Tal Vez, Ape’s Ma, The Gun Club, and, of course, television channel The Food Network. “Cooking plays a big part,” says Jenna. “And eating and drinking, of course.”
The band says it takes a “communist” approach to the initial stages of the songwriting process, and then Chiarelli takes over.
“Our wild card, Shortie, who can play anything, throws in bass, violin, second guitar, violin, slide guitar, and the songs will sound totally different than they started out,” Jeff explains. “Usually the songs slowly evolve after several dinners until they finally are able to climb out of the sea and stand on their own hind legs.”
Jenna says that ESB is currently working on writing new tunes, in addition to trying out new recipes. “We also have been working on a ballad,” she says, “because we are looking to break into the adult contemporary light FM market.”
And what does the future hold for the fun-loving rock group, beyond their upcoming “Rock ‘n’ Roll Extravaganza” at the Sierra Grille?
“Hopefully next year we will be invited to play [local music fest] Wickermania,” Jeff says.
“Also,” adds Shortie, “We’re grooming Jeff and Jenna’s son Jagger to be our drummer after we fire Jeff.”
Let’s hope that when that day comes, Jeff is still allowed to attend the dinner parties, at least.
Easthampton Savings Band joins Thrillpillow, Fields of Gaffney, and Tal Vez November 11th at Northampton’s Sierra Grille at 10 p.m. For more information, find them on Facebook or visit www.myspace.com/easthamptonsavingsband.
