Emerging from the cellar-studio of a Brooklyn hideaway, Pan Arcadia delivers a distinctive blend of propulsive yet soulful indie rock. Rooted in a musical upbringing that spans the rebellious energy of The Ramones, the groove of Sam & Dave, the jazzy brilliance of Miles Davis, and the anthemic drive of Status Quo, the band crafts songs that are equal parts raw and refined. With tracks like Dynamics and New Wave—reworked from older compositions and recorded through a mix of home studios and legendary spaces like Stamford’s Carriage House Studios—their EP captures the essence of creative collaboration, labor of love, and sonic exploration. We sat down with the band to talk about their journey and single, "Dynamics."
SJ: Hey guys! So excited to learn more about you and your latest release.
PA: Glad you could have us!
1. SJ: Can you start by telling us how the five of you met and what inspired you to create 'Pan Arcadia'?
PA: We all met in NYC, where our singer Eamon and guitarist Dylan became friends in middle school circa 2011. After spending a few years figuring out how to use Logic in our bedrooms we met Henry (bass) in high school, who we recruited and then taught how to play the bass. We went through a couple of drummers and guitarists before meeting Gabe (guitar) through a mutual connection and Brian (drums) off GigSalad. You could say the inspiration to create PA was that we all had a similar enough vision of music even though its conception sort of spanned a decade.
2. SJ: Who are your biggest musical inspirations? Do you share similar influences as a group, or does each of you bring distinct backgrounds and personal favorites to the table?
PA: The shared influences would definitely be the NYC pantheon, Ramones, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, as well as more modern acts like Parquet Courts.
We definitely have a wide range of individual influences we bring to the table, ranging from 50-Cent to Daft Punk to Leon Russel.
3. SJ: In October, you released your latest project, "Dynamics." Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind the release?
PA: This one actually has origins from our bedroom-logic days. It definitely has evolved since then, but a lot of the song has stayed the same. Maybe it’s a little faster…? But the lyrics are unchanged, as well as that intro riff and the bridge section as well.
We re-tracked it with the present lineup when our friend offered us the chance to test out his new home studio setup in East Harlem.
4. SJ: What did your songwriting process look like? Was it collaborative?
PA: This one was one of our less collaborative efforts, and even though we’ve really focused on collaboration being part of our process, Eamon just pulled this one out from the dark and back into the fold. Sometimes less collaboration means decisions get made quicker, so given we all liked how it was feeling it was fairly straightforward!
PA: This was a more piecemeal song tracking-wise. The drums were done in East Harlem, as well as snippets of the bass and guitar. Then most of the guitar work was done back at our band HQ (The Shack) in Williamsburg. Same for the vocals, some snippets done at the initial session, but mostly taken care of at home.
SJ: What is one song you wish Pan Arcadia wrote?
PA: Dylan- "Strangers" by the Kinks
Gabe- "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve
Eamon- "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop
Brian- "Lazaretto" by Jack White
Henry- "Atlantic City" The Band Version
SJ: What’s next for Pan Arcadia?
PA: Headlining Le Poisson Rouge in the Village on FEBRUARY 28th, definitely new releases this year (Maybe...album…who knows?)
Listen to "Dynamics" below!
Credits
Vocals, Lyrics: Eamon Rush
Bass: Henry McGrath
Drums: Brian Duke
Guitar: Gabriel Gonzalez, Dylan Kelly
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