Some work is made by artists because they must create it. Sandy is one of those artists.
—Claire Daly
Sandhya (SAHN-dia), is poised to break nationally with her newest project, Innocent Monster (Asirvatham / JazzGrrl Music) on May 14th! This art rock album contains ten original songs featuring vivid lyrics over deep-pocket grooves, all tied together by Sandhya’s charismatic voice and bold choices at the piano. It embodies a throwback, '70s-'80s-'90s FM radio sensibility that perfectly suits what Rolling Stone calls our new “post-genre” era.
Fierce but philosophical, cynical but playful, these songs mirror the original Sanskrit meaning of Sandhya: the murky junction of Darkness and Light. Sandhya’s earliest successes came as an award-winning columnist for Baltimore City Paper and later as an Emmy-winning PSA producer/writer. She got serious about music when trying to escape personal crises through obsessive piano practice. (It worked.) Her first album, Memoir (2007), contained jazz-pop originals and a few standards. She was the visionary behind Mobtown Moon (2013), a massive Pink Floyd homage for which she gathered 40+ collaborators from the mid- Atlantic’s vibrant, varied music scenes.
In 2018 she began working with producer Pete Strobl, best known for stints as Gary Puckett’s musical director and bass/voice mentor to Wolfgang van Halen, Eddie’s son. The team completed all band tracks for Innocent Monster by early 2020. When the global pandemic stalled the project, Sandhya taught herself how to cut pro-level vocal tracks at home, and ended up with an even better final product than expected.
Drums: Jean-Paul Gaster
Bass: Pete Strobl
Guitar: Scott Smith
Organ: Andre Mayeux
Background Vocals: Sandhya, Piper Greenbaum, Mike Westcott, Nate Bergman and Pete Strobl
Mark St. Pierre: Percussion on Lost Child, Petting Zoo and Innocent
Piper Greenbaum: French Horn on Ode To Nick Drake
Brian Simms: Accordion on Better
Patrick McAvinue: Fiddle on Better
Cris Jacobs: Guitar Solo on Mark Me
Mark Stanley: Guitar Solo on Lost Child
Fierce but philosophical, cynical but playful, these songs mirror the original Sanskrit meaning of Sandhya: the murky junction of Darkness and Light. Sandhya’s earliest successes came as an award-winning columnist for Baltimore City Paper and later as an Emmy-winning PSA producer/writer. She got serious about music when trying to escape personal crises through obsessive piano practice. (It worked.) Her first album, Memoir (2007), contained jazz-pop originals and a few standards. She was the visionary behind Mobtown Moon (2013), a massive Pink Floyd homage for which she gathered 40+ collaborators from the mid- Atlantic’s vibrant, varied music scenes.
In 2018 she began working with producer Pete Strobl, best known for stints as Gary Puckett’s musical director and bass/voice mentor to Wolfgang van Halen, Eddie’s son. The team completed all band tracks for Innocent Monster by early 2020. When the global pandemic stalled the project, Sandhya taught herself how to cut pro-level vocal tracks at home, and ended up with an even better final product than expected.
Personnel
Vocals and Piano: SandhyaDrums: Jean-Paul Gaster
Bass: Pete Strobl
Guitar: Scott Smith
Organ: Andre Mayeux
Background Vocals: Sandhya, Piper Greenbaum, Mike Westcott, Nate Bergman and Pete Strobl
Mark St. Pierre: Percussion on Lost Child, Petting Zoo and Innocent
Piper Greenbaum: French Horn on Ode To Nick Drake
Brian Simms: Accordion on Better
Patrick McAvinue: Fiddle on Better
Cris Jacobs: Guitar Solo on Mark Me
Mark Stanley: Guitar Solo on Lost Child
Track Listing
- Monster
- Mark Me
- Better
- Ode To Nick Drake
- Last Two Standing
- Lost Child
- The Neighbors
- Innocent
- Petting Zoo
- All Purpose Lament
- Last Two Standing
For more information contact Scott Thompson Public Relations.
