Rug, made up of Jon Messeroff, Hogan Birney, Andrew Brooks and Cornelius Freeman hail from Orlando Florida, and just released their debut full length album entitled 02. The album will keep listeners guessing, because each song sounds a little different, but each song includes lead singer Jon Messeroff’s deep voice and great music. 02 as a whole is full of creative and true lyrics, and music that you’ll be singing to long afterwards.
“Winnebago” is a perfect song for Rug to start with. Listeners will love that the guitar and drums play the entrance and start playing this awesome guitar rift that is picked up throughout the song. Then Messeroff enters with such a deep and powerful voice that meshes so well with the music. Halfway through the song the tempo picks up and it’s a jam session amongst the band members. Throughout the song “if we only had the time to waste” is sung. It’s like the anthem of our lives, because who doesn’t wish they had more time for everything?
Well I don’t have the answers
ain’t got no peace of mind
can’t find no consolation
won’t take my own adviceLeave your home
It’s all you’ve ever known
Leave this place
Before you get the tasteFollow your own
“61’” starts slow with guitars and Messeroff’s silky smooth voice. The entire track has a really cool, bluesy groove to it. Messeroff’s voice might remind listeners of Creed’s lead singer Scott Stapp’s minus the accent. The song and the above lyrics are about following your own advice and keeping yourself in line, because that’s all you really need in life. The advice in the song meshes perfectly well with the feel of the song, because it’s very groovy and chill.
Toward the end of the album, “Thorn” sticks out (no pun intended), because it sounds different than any other song on the album. The bass guitar gives the song a beat, because the drums are missing. At times it sounds as if the entire band sings and echoes. The song just sounds awesome!
I had the chance to ask lead singer Jon Messeroff a few questions. And here’s what he had to say about how Rug came to be, their amazing album and what to expect from a live Rug performance.
Tell me a little bit about your backgrounds in music and how you began playing music together.
JM: Our backgrounds in music are pretty varied. Andrew studied composition in college, C.L. has done some professional studio work and Hogan and myself are both self-taught. I met Hogan through a mutual friend in 2009. Rug needed a bassist and Hogan (who was a guitarist at the time) agreed to help us out with an upcoming gig, as we had been playing without a bassist up until that point. One gig became two, two became three and Hogan and I have been the common denominator of Rug ever since. Andrew joined in 2010 just prior to the Florida Music Festival and the release of our debut EP and, after several drummer changes, we met CL a little over a year ago while we were writing music for our first full-length album, which eventually became what you hear on 02!
What’s it like having a full-length album available for fans?
JM: 02 is a project that we’ve really been working on for about two years. The writing and recording of our first EP was a little frantic and disjointed. There is so much music for people to listen to, that we felt compelled to put something out there that we could point to and say, “hey, look! This is from Rug!” We are proud of that album, but 02 is certainly a truer representation of Rug and the kind of music that we really love. We had been performing a few of the tracks from 02 for a while before ever bringing them to the studio, so being able to send fans home with something they could experience whenever they want is a really great feeling. We have had some wonderful feedback so far and hope that we continue to earn more fans and reach new listeners.
Your bio mentions your songs “cover a range of territory.” How did you create such a cohesive album with such diverse songs?
JM: As I mentioned earlier, our collective music history is pretty diverse – I think that’s helped us to foster a unique writing style. During the writing of the music for 02, we never sat down as a band and decided on a particular direction. We just brought our own different styles and sensibilities to the writing process, and what happened is what you hear on the album. Lyrically, I like to start with a clean slate before approaching each song. There is so much in my life and the lives around me that are worth exploring that I would hate to limit myself to one concept or experience. And it’s because of that that there is no lyrically unifying concept. The album’s cohesion really comes from the music – Andrew, Hogan and CL really have a way of putting a mark on each song that makes it undoubtedly Rug’s, and that gives me the freedom to really explore different ideas.
You bio also mentions that you’ve spent a lot of time on stage in the past year. What can fans expect from your live shows? Any upcoming live shows?
JM: Playing live is what we love to do. Being in the studio and writing are both wonderful, but the reason we write is so that we can have new material to perform. Fans can expect energy & passion. It’s also important to us that we stay true to the songs that we’ve written. Our goal is for people to go home, put in the record and feel like the money they spent on the record was well worth it – that what they heard at the show is what they are hearing on 02.
Anything else you’d like to share with IMR Readers?
JM: We would LOVE for everyone to find us on Facebook & Twitter! And, if you have a few bucks to spare, pick up a copy of 02 on iTunes (just search “Rug 02″).
Thanks so much for your time!
JM: Cheers!
Rating: 5/5 Stars!
Album Name: 02
Release Date: May, 2012
Genre(s): Rock
Location: Orlando, FL
Members: Jon Messeroff, Hogan Birney, Andrew Brooks and Cornelius Freeman.
Website: http://rugtheband.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rugtheband
Bandcamp: http://www.rugtheband.bandcamp.com
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/rugtheband
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/rugtheband
