Dec 1, 2010

The Yes Way or the Highway
by Meijin Bruttomesso

"The best part of New York is that you are surrounded by so much quality music that it motivates you and drives you to always work more and harder at your craft."

Brooklynites, Aaron Mendelsohn (vocals, guitar), Nick Burleigh (guitar, violin, bass, keyboard, vocals), Mike Drucker(bass, guitar, violin, vocals), and Jesse Bilotta (drums, vocals) collaborate on a pleasantly pop-rock project, The Yes Way. Although active around town and in recording, the multi-instrumental pack has yet to say, “yes,” to an official release date of any type of album. When the quartet gives the affirmative, the record will most likely include the following tracks. “When It Breaks” cheerfully pulses and swings with staccato piano chords and descending guitar arpeggios. Distortion ebbs and flows, settling into sauntering beats, playful guitar strums, and uplifting vocal harmonies on “Mets.” “Where Was I” continues The Yes Way’s recognizably clear vocals and hybridizes peppy pop melodies with psychedelic reverb. Both the high spirit of the expression, “TGIF!” and the tension of an entire work week are embodied in the ode, “Friday,” and represented by the tremolo guitar introduction, anxious pace, and minor key. The Yes Way are taking a path less common than most pop indie bands, and their future projects are much anticipated.

What is the “yes way?”
The opposite of “No Way,” and a nod to open-mindedness. The defiance of cynicism. A band name.

How did you each get involved in music? Who or what inspired you to follow it as a career?
We’ve all been playing from a young age. To tour and inspire and communicate on a large scale through music is a lifelong dream. From our early stages as a band, jamming and writing, we’ve been developing a certain confidence in our vision that doesn’t allow us to entertain other career options.

With whom and where would you most like to tour? Why?
We’d like to tour with Ra Ra Riot, White Rabbits, or Local Natives because of their rabid optimistic youthful and large fan bases. We’ll go anywhere.

How does the song-writing and composition come about? Where do you get your inspiration?
As a starting point, it’s a pretty even split between Aaron at home with an acoustic guitar, and the full band jam sessions at the rehearsal space. Inspiration comes from love, community, loss, lacking, but mostly from each other.

What is it like being a New York artist? What are the best and worst aspects?

As musicians in New York, we feel strangely anonymous and yet part of a beautiful community of like-minded people. The best part of New York is that you are surrounded by so much quality music that it motivates you and drives you to always work more and harder at your craft. The worst part is that, due to this over-saturation of quality, generally nobody really cares about what you do. The scene sometimes feels un-navigable, and you run around aimlessly working your ass off. Then, suddenly, beautifully, you find all these people at your show digging it and realize that the word has been spreading, and the people are starting to care.

If you could write the future for The Yes Way, what would happen in the next five years?
We will be putting the food on the table with the music we’re making, and filling the rooms everywhere we play on tour. And we will be proud of the records we’re making.