There’s nobody named “Stewart.” While there are perhaps millions who do in fact have it as either a first or last name, the four-piece Brooklyn-based band Stewart is not named for anyone specific. “I really should come up with a better story, because I really don’t have one,” admits singer, guitarist and songwriter Andrea Tarka. Fortunately, any excitement which the tale behind the band’s moniker may be lacking, is made up for in spades by Stewart’s music - bitingly raw but potently catchy po...
There’s nobody named “Stewart.” While there are perhaps millions who do in fact have it as either a first or last name, the four-piece Brooklyn-based band Stewart is not named for anyone specific. “I really should come up with a better story, because I really don’t have one,” admits singer, guitarist and songwriter Andrea Tarka. Fortunately, any excitement which the tale behind the band’s moniker may be lacking, is made up for in spades by Stewart’s music - bitingly raw but potently catchy pop punk with lyrics which are at once playfully fun and deeply relevant. Varying line-ups were test-driven starting in 2005 before the band settled on its current roster of Tarka, guitarist Johnny White, bassist Saysha Heinzman and drummer Ryan D’Angelo in early 2007. This same triumphant year, Stewart simultaneously released both the studio EP Existing at Extremes and the full-length live CD Jawbreaker. The discs exhibit, respectively, the band’s ability to translate their unique stripped-down brand of songwriting to a studio setting and their sheer power as a live act. And Stewart on stage, without question, is a force to be reckoned with: already well-established on the NYC/Brooklyn music scene, several Midwestern states got a taste of the band in 2007; and Stewart plans to venture to other parts of the country in the near future. Needless to say, this is only the beginning.Text by: Richard Cummins
show more...
