In 2004, I founded my band, Blacklist Union, and became lead singer. In the past 14 years, there have been a lot of changes, but one thing that’s stayed true is my dedication and passion for our unique style of music.
Background
My Uncle Jimmy introduced me to music when I was 5-years-old and I was hooked after that. I first saw AC/DC in concert when I was 5, and by the time I was 8 I had ween the Ramones 3 times. From a very young age, I knew what I wanted to do with my life.
When forming Blacklist Union, I was focused on creating real, authentic rock n’ roll, which is hard to come by in today’s day and age. Finding good band members is like dating. It takes trial and error, but the ultimate goal is mutual respect and having fun while creating music that can be enjoyed by our fans.
The name “Blacklist Union” stemmed from my reputation. I’m known for raising hell, and I’ve always been drawn to outlaw rock singers — partially because I’m a bit of one myself. Blacklist Union is basically a bunch of guys with bad reputations but good hearts who can play our asses off.
Social media and the accessibility of music nowadays takes away some of the magic of live music, but it is great that our music can be shared with people all around the world, even if they’ve never seen us perform live.
Albums
Our first album was After the Mourning, released in 2006. Two years later, we released Breakin’ Bread with the Devil. Our next album, Til Death Do Us Part was released in 2012. Following that was Back to Momo in 2015.
Throughout all the albums, you’ll find music for almost any mood. Some are tributes to the people we’ve lost while others are edgy tracks that relate to other experiences and life lessons. None of the songs are designed just to impress. Songwriting is therapeutic for me and I take pride in the lyrics and how the emotion is conveyed through our sound. We’ve had the honor of working with a lot of great musicians on many of our tracks.
The Future
The future is unknown for every one of us, but I plan to do what I’ve always done. I’ll keep it real and keep my feet on the ground. Music is my passion and pouring my heart into something that other people can vibe with is my favorite part of it all.