Firetown Road Releases New Album Feb. 6

Popular Connecticut band Firetown Road released its first studio-produced album, “Here’s to This Life” Feb. 6. Mixed and engineered by Pharaoh Recording Studios in Plainville, Conn., the 15 original songs showcase the band’s eclectic influences, incorporating elements of Americana, roots rock, jazz, folk and alt-country. The band was formed in the early days of COVID by vocalist and guitarist Grant Gritzmacher, saxophonist Dan Aber and pianist Michael Cervas. At the time, they were all faculty members at Westminster School in Simsbury, Conn. During the past three years, Firetown Road has played shows throughout central Connecticut and western Massachusetts and posted 12 self-recorded songs on SoundCloud.

Because of the unique blend of instruments, the band produces a distinctive and truly original sound anchored in the gritty vocals and folksy guitar work of Gritzmacher, and enriched by the pop/jazz piano touches of Cervas and the bluesy riffs of saxophonist Aber. Some of the songs on the album also feature fiddle accompaniment by Tim Lawrence and the drums are played by Julian Sherwood. You can read more about the band’s music here.

Since the band braids many styles into their songs, the album expresses the broad interconnections of these diverse forms of contemporary music. Songs like “Dear Lord” and “Howl in the Wind,” bring indie rock to mind, while songs like “July June” and “My Uncle’s Life,” are more in the Americana mode. All of the songs also have elements of jazz, especially in the piano and sax improvisations. Taken altogether the songs portray a variety of stories — some sad and some happy — of life in America today, ultimately providing all of us with chances, as the title track says, to “celebrate this life we’re living.”

Follow Firetown Road on Instagram @firetownroad and on Facebook at facebook.com/firetownroad.

Hear the music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Google play, Deezer and Amazon.