Norman Rockwell is a band that was formed in the typically transitional area of Northern Virginia which appropriately embodies a slice of Americana in a way that is both familiar and unique. Singers Joshua Johnston and Ben Hirsch first spontaneously collaborated in the Spring of 2011 for an acoustic show at a local car-garage turned performance-and-art space known as The Soundry in Vienna, Virginia. When Hirsch's banjo kicked in on Johnston's already locally-known original "State Line," and the audience began to sing along, the magic was immediately apparent.
By Summer 2011, the rhythm section consisting of Sean Meyers (bass) and Nathan Read (percussion) had joined, and the unique yet familiar sound of Norman Rockwell was forged. The band immediately took to recording at Arlington's Bastille Recording studio and to performing shows locally and in various venues along the east coast.
Northern Virginia is not well-known for its music scene, as the talent is typically tempted away by the lure of more established scenes in New York and L.A. However, Norman Rockwell has made a conscious decision to stay and to make music that encapsulates heart-ache, desolation, love and redemption here in the heart of the proverbial beast. This reflects a belief in not only themselves, but also in the other local talent and in the potential for the area to grow with recognition for all of the music being made here today.
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Norman Rockwell is so much more than the sum of its parts, for its songs are blends of the musicians' many and varied musical influences, such as Folk, Rock, Blue Grass, Reggae and Jazz (among several others). What is forged is a deep yet instantly accessible package--no easy task, but the band seems to accomplish this effortlessly. These four guys work so well together, and their dynamics are just right, that it is difficult to imagine any other line-up creating such a cohesive sound.
While staying true to its local roots, simply put, Norman Rockwell is poised and ready for the National attention it is sure to receive.
