 Courtesy: Baby Robot Media -Tara Taking their name from a Bob Dylan song, Hollis Brown was formed by Queens-natives Mike Montali (lead vocals/guitar) and Jonathan Bonilla (lead guitar) in 2009. They soon added Andrew Zehnal (drums), Adam Bock (keyboard/vocals), and Scott Thompson (bass) to form a quintet who has achieved significant success touring the U.S and beyond, headlining their own shows and supporting artists such as Jackie Greene, The Zombies, and Counting Crows. The band’s latest vinyl EP, Cluster of Pearls, was chosen as one of the 300 select releases throughout the world for Record Store Day 2016 and the band recently had their first showcase at AmericanaFest. Founding members Montali and Bonilla kindly took the time to talk about their roots, albums and what’s ahead. Hollis Brown originated in New York. How did you guys come together? MM: We started in Queens writing songs in John’s garage. Eventually, we had a bunch of songs and had to put a band around it. We started playing gigs at NYC clubs, then Philly, then DC and it just kept growing from there. We’re still growing, trying to write the best songs we can, centering around live instruments and acoustic guitars creating an edgy roots rock sound that we all relate to.  The music really blends rock, roots, blues and more. Growing up in New York, where do you draw from?
JB: We grew up listening to all types of music, like CCR, the Beatles, and the Stones. The usual suspects. MM: We have a love for great songwriters and great songwriting. There’s a deep history of folk music in New York with Dylan and Seeger, in places like Greenwich Village. Now, there’s a scene happening in places like Bushwick [in Brooklyn], and other spots as well, with a couple of venues like Club Helsinki, American Beauty, and City Winery, catering specifically to that sound. Being that you are a five piece how does the songwriting process work? MM: John brings the layout, a hook or something, then we’ll finish it up. Or I’ll write a verse, chorus or bridge and when we get to feel comfortable on just acoustic guitar and vocals, that’s when we know we want to bring it to the band where we'll work it out a little more. We may play it live a couple times to see how it develops too before we take it into the studio - where it may change again. You know, sometimes we think we have a really good song and when we take it to the band it becomes a dud and other times we have the opposite, we think it’s just an ok song and the band makes it shine. JB: It really depends on the song. Your fourth record, Cluster of Pearls, was specifically chosen for a limited edition Record Store Day release in August. How did that come about? JB: We got a good result from our Velvet Underground Record Store Day release [Loaded in 2014] and they asked us to be a part of it again this year. The label (ALIVE) is known for doing quirky things like that, and it’s a perfect outlet for the label and for us. MM: We like to try and put music out every year if we can. This EP was something fun for the fans to hold them over until the next record. And since a lot of our audience likes vinyl, it was a cool way to go. I think they appreciate us doing something different like this rather than just putting something up at midnight to buy. Participating in RSD twice is pretty cool. In addition to that, you have had your music featured on television (“Shameless,” “Kingdom”) and in the movies (“Bad Country”) and collaborated with Bo Diddley (“Rain Dance”) and Nikki Lane. MM: The first time we played in Nashville, we played at Dino’s which is like the ultimate dive bar. We met Nikki there and she let us sleep on the floor in her house and we became friends. Later, when we were working on the song “Highway 1,” we thought it would sound better as a duet. We wracked our brains thinking of people who we knew to sing on it. We reached out to her and she said yes. It turned out pretty well. The song with Nikki is on your third album, 3 Shots. The latest EP contains six songs that range from southern rockers to those with a more roots feel. Why did you decide to title the EP, Cluster of Pearls? Mike: Well I wanted to call it Denim, but Cluster of Pearls came about because each song on the album is like a pearl – they stand out among one another even though they’re a collective EP. For the first time, you’re here at AmericanaFest. Is that an umbrella that you’re happy to be under? Mike: I don’t like to fit under any umbrella. We’re in a weird position because we’re a part of the New York scene, the European scene and now Americana. We’re a little more mainstream than some of the other acts here; we rock a little harder and have more of an edge and alternative presence. Really, we just try to do our own thing, but I like the world we’re in here [with Americana], I think it fits. As 2016 is coming to a close, what are your plans for the rest of the year? MM: We’re out on the road quite a bit. We have a big European tour starting soon and then we are going to take the time to make a new record. I haven’t written on the road before, but this time, I’m going to try to do it with the hopes of road testing some songs. We’re going to try different things so it’s not the same thing over and over again. It can get boring for us playing the same form of a set list - I want to grow it so that we can switch it up. After the tour, we are going to focus on making the best record we’ve ever done. Our goal is to write the best material, record the best album and tour hard. For more information visit their official website Find them on Facebook and Twitter Purchase their music here and on iTunes
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