Lombardy
Photo Credit: Louis Cole
Lombardy brings Rock N Rock back to the mainstream. The four-piece band—Mike Scott, Jonathan Plevyak, Nick Stafford, and Ryan Rasmussen— was formed just last year and have since created a sound that combines their varied musical preferences. Lombardy notably finished their debut album in two weeks, a sign of the instant chemistry between group members. They released their debut single, “Don’t Wanna See You Round Here,” on January 15th and have earned nearly 10k Spotify streams. “Lyrically the song is just about being burned by someone you care about,” Jonathan said. “…Whether it’s a lover, friend, family member, etc., and getting fed up with it. It’s a song about standing up for yourself. An anthem telling people to go pound sand.” We recently spoke to the guys about their musical beginnings, their debut release, and more!
Hey Lombardy! Thanks for speaking with us today-- your first Spotify single debuted last week, congrats! How are we feeling after the release?
Nick: What’s up! We are stoked to have our debut single out and are so grateful for all of the support right out the gate. We have been working on this project since October of 2020 and it feels great to finally have everything lined up to go full steam ahead in 2021!
Before we talk more about the music, let’s talk a little bit about the band. How did this all come together?
Nick: The band somewhat came together by accident! We were out to dinner for our drummer Ryan’s birthday when we started to chat about the idea of a rock band, that night we wrote our first song, and Lombardy was born!
What’s the story behind that band name?
Nick: The band name is actually the street we live on (exposed). We have always joked about being called “the Lombardy boys” since we moved in and once we started the band, we knew it had it be called Lombardy.
So it’s my understanding that you guys have known each other for a long time. What made 2020 the year to finally start the group?
Jonathan: Some of us have known each other for years, and some of us have only known each other for a year, but the brotherhood bond was formed very quickly. All of this fell into place at the end of 2020. We’ve just sort of been going with the flow and our guts on this. The project was never planned or supposed to happen. It’s been so fun figuring it out as we go and keeping the magical spontaneity of the project, but also forming a strong business attack plan for the new year.
“Don’t Wanna See You Round Here” has such a great sound to it. What was the inspiration behind the track?
Jonathan: Thank you! Lyrically the song is just about being burned by someone you care about. We’ve all been there. Whether it’s a lover, friend, family member, etc., and getting fed up with it. It’s a song about standing up for yourself. An anthem telling people to go pound sand. Musically the song has influences of Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Tom Petty, and a little R&B vocals on the verses.
Were you nervous at all before the release date?
Jonathan: Not sure about the rest of the guys, but me personally, no. I was just incredibly excited. I knew people were going to really dig the song. I was just getting antsy for us to finally get it out. I think every artist or band gets a little nervous before each release because they hope people will like it or notice it. But I was just relieved to get it out. We spent a good 2 months building up hype and teasing the project with 0 content released. I think a lot of people almost thought it was a joke or something until like a week out from release. The song feels like an arrival.
Photo Credit: Louis Cole
You mention that you opted to take a vintage route to the song, recording it live all in one take. Why is that?
Ryan: The project itself stemmed from prolonged jam sessions that eventually turned into records. There’s a certain magic that happens when musicians feed off of one another in a room. From subtle changes in timing to arguably way more natural dynamics, cutting a record together just felt like the right call after playing the songs live together as a group. I’d dare to say some of the records with the most longevity were cut with all the members in the same room, playing like they always do. The process of recording in the house itself was cool to play on as well. We mic’d the room so we could really capture the character of the house and the room that we were in. It’s cool to hear all of the small details such as the natural reverb of the room and the bleed of all of the instruments together that really makes the record sound cohesive.
Who are some of the artists that have helped shape your sound?
Ryan: I’m not sure I’ve met a more eclectic group of influences that’s come together to make a sound quite like Lombardy. The initial thought came from listening to a Rage Against the Machine record, but all of us truly have crazy different tastes and influences. I’m personally a huge hip-hop guy. From Freddie Gibbs to Kanye West, hearing a sample get used in an elegant way gets me truly stoked. Mike would tell y’all he is a huge blues/sea shanties kinda guy. Now add both of those to Jon’s love of the Foo Fighters, Nick's love of crazy Rage bass lines, and Ben's infatuation with gospel records and gospel chords you really get something weird yet special.
Less than a year into the band, is there now a formula to making your typical Lombardy song?
Mike: I think it’s the magic that takes place when we play live together. Those moments during certain songs where it all clicks and everybody is aware of it. Capturing that creative wave and riding it. There is something truly magical about making that kind of art with other humans. And it may never happen that same way again, but you experienced that moment.
Has the pandemic affected your musical process at all?
Mike: We were born in the pandemic. Early on when we were all locked down, I think it fueled a lot of creativity. All that extra free time turned into copious amounts of jamming which turned into this project. But now we have all these songs, and it’s hard to find venues that are back open to play at. Hopefully this year, we can open back up and see live music make a comeback. Artists need it, venues need it, fans need it, the world needs it. –
What is the best part about working as a group?
Mike: Typically, we feed laxatives to our drummer Ryan. Then we hang him up by his feet in an empty barn, tape his eyes open, and surround him with strobe lights.
Who do you owe your biggest thanks to?
Ben: Our families!
What can we expect from you guys in 2021?
Ben: More music videos and more rock and roll!!!!