Click below to check out their CD:

The Willows:

A Breath of Fresh Air

indentScenes have bands. Bands have sounds. Most sounds from most bands fall into genres. This is not to be unexpected or frowned upon – it’s simply the nature of the art. But once in a while, there’s a band that comes to every scene that continues to captivate precisely because of its ability to forgo one genre or another. In Salem, Massachusetts, the scene has found such a band. They began writing in 2001, recorded an album in 2005, and haven’t stopped rocking since. They are The Willows, and their sound has caught the ears of Salem’s local listening faithful.
indentFormed and founded by three of Salem’s most seasoned music scene veterans, The Willows offers a stylized, sophisticated sound that is both original and accessible. Equal parts country, folk, rock, storylines and scenery, these songs are not only performed, they are presented. Lead singer Courtney Linehan owns what many locals consider to be the finest voice on Massachusetts’ north shore, and he is the key component to the unique atmosphere The Willows capture in their live performances. Linehan keeps the crowd entertained and interested with his ability to switch up his style to fit a particular song, or even a specific lyric. He’ll be in a fully-fledged, cock-rock struttin’ mode one moment, then morphing into his storyline’s tragic hero the next. His lyrics range over a wide variety of topics, with songs like “Devil On My Shoulder” that deal with addiction and temptation, as well as love lost numbers like “Wait a Little Bit” and “See you Next April”. It’s obvious that Courtney doesn’t take the easy way out when it comes to writing lyrics. He believes in what he sings, and he makes sure the audience knows it by putting everything he can into each word.
indentThe core of the band is rounded out with Jon Rosen (keyboards, production) and Randy Hopkins (guitar) as the principal songwriters and arrangers along with Linnehan. Rosen and Hopkins have teamed up in various other Salem scene projects (The Vic Morrows, Los Retros, Charlie in the Box), but The Willows marks the first time they’re striking out with a band of their own. Hopkins, heavily influenced by great songwriting powerhouses like The Grateful Dead and Tom Waits, provides the cogent, relevant chord changes and rhythmic under-bedding that keep the band chugging along. Rosen, for his part, was the key engineer/producer on the Willows’ debut self-titled album, recording the tracks at his home in Swampscott with his 1” reel-to-reel machine (the secret envy of all the local home studio types), and with limited equipment he was able to create a set of tracks that play big and are sonically viable for radio airplay (the obvious next step).
indentPart of what makes The Willows such an important player on the scene is the rotational, inclusive nature that rounds out the rest of the band. While the principal rhythm section consists of bassist Kevin Levesque and drummer Eric Peacock, both players are in high demand locally and occasionally can’t make a performance. Drummer Cliff Goodman and bassists Stevie Wah and Denny Tentindo round out the rhythmic cast, pitching in when and where they are needed. The band also uses a lead guitar player on occasion, a role filled by local guitarist Dave Bolognese. At their CD release party at Dodge Street Bar & Grill they even employed the fiddle player they used on a couple of studio tracks to brighten and fill out the ensemble.
indentWith performances like their hugely successful CD release party and this year’s debut at the annual Witchstock Music Festival at the Salem Willows Amusement Park (the geographic location after which the band was named), the band is well positioned for future success. With local TV station airplay of the Witchstock performance, a full-length CD under their belt, and a loyal following growing bigger by the week, the Willows are striking out and making a name for themselves in this lively, vibrant music hotbed that is the Massachusetts north shore. MySceeneLive.com certainly has noticed – we think you should, too.

By Eric Peacock