Considering the lineup, you’d think Reconciler would be garnering a fair amount of attention, but it’s not exactly as if the Atlanta four-piece have been shouting their existence from the rooftops. Conceived early this year by local punk troubadour Joseph Lazzari and bassist Derron Nuhfer (Gunmoll, Less Than Jake), the group has been content to remain in remain in relative anonymity as they slowly fleshed out their lineup and collaborated on new material. In fact, if it weren’t for some fortuitous circumstances, the pair might still be locked into that process and the band as it stands today would not exist.
“We spent the spring writing and putting demos together casually until I mentioned having a solo slot booked on a Drag the River show,” Lazzari reveals via email. “Derron suggested that we play the show as a band and within three and a half weeks weeks we had ensnared Kelsey [Wilson] and Kyle [Bryant] and worked out a set of material that evolved into what we are right in front of us.”
Bolstered by the success of the show, the group has spent the subsequent months refining that first batch of songs and getting to know one another as musicians. Although Lazzari and Nufher had spent much of the year collaborating and building chemistry with one another, it wasn’t until Wilson (All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, Anchor Bends) came aboard on drums and Bryant added his considerable talents on guitar that the music truly gelled and the group was able to begin carving their aesthetic identity.
What that identity is exactly remains to be seen as the band continues to work on their debut release, but if their first single is any indication, you can expect plenty of scrappy, blue-collar screeds and fist-pumping anthems in Reconciler’s future. Given the title, perhaps it’s no coincidence the songs sounds conspicuously old-fashioned, but in this case familiarity should not be equated with predictability or staidness. Lazzari has always been a gifted storyteller, and the band’s rousing riffs and full-throttle energy help provide his heart-on-sleeve lyrics the cathartic sting they need to resonate beyond a few mindless playbacks. For Lazzari, the experience of playing in a new band has been a rejuvenative one, and that feeling of restoration has led to ample soul-searching.
“I felt like I might be done with playing music all together before this project got rolling,” he confesses. “On a deeper level, Reconciler is about finding common ground and acceptance between the labels that define us. It’s about finding comfort existing in the grey. I’m a painter, a punk musician, a sculptor, a country singer, a designer, a furniture maker, a guitar player, and at the same time I’m none of those. Each one would take a lifetime to master on their own. I’ve got to be comfortable existing somewhere in the middle of it all. If Reconciler, the band, could be a symbol of one thing I’d hope it would represent being honest to oneself.”
Listen below.
In addition to a pair of performances in Gainesville, Fla. for Fest 15, Reconciler will also play Jabroni Fest at Star Bar on November 10. Check out the dates below.
Reconciler Show Dates
Oct 27 – Gainesville, Fl – Loosey’s (Gainesville preFest)
Oct 29 – Gainesville, Fl – Rocky’s Piano Bar (The Fest 15)
Nov 10 – Atlanta, Ga – Star Bar (Jabroni Fest)
More Info
Web: reconcileratl.com
Facebook: @reconcileratl