Pie Boys

Pie Boys Flat songs are completely original and creative, with a unique island sound. Incredible voices with a fresh blend of percussion and guitars. Uproot the Island is the first full length album from the band. Released in 2006, this is a collection of original work with a really hot and fresh sound! Their really is no one else with this blend of rhythm and melodies! A unique sound is established with strong percussive rhythms and minimal use of an ordinary drum kit. Then you hear a heavy structure of sounds with the ‘island-tinged’ guitar and bass. Pie Boys Flat delivers a unique island groove comprised of reggae, funk, soul, and 3-part harmonies.

IndiePro Comments: Pie Boys Flat is the perfect combination of island reggae and funk, with hints of rock, bluegrass, and rockabilly thrown in for good measure. The lyrics and vocal harmonies are incredible, and each voice compliments the other so well. Although mostly reggae, Pie Boys Flat more than prove their musical versatility with songs such as ‘Hoppin’ A Train To Richmond’, which is classic rockabilly, presented with style. PBF’s reggae tracks are reminiscent of 311.
- IndiePro.Com

Although New York City primarily resides on two islands, it’s not necessarily known for producing bands that sound as if they had originated in the Caribbean. Sure there are exceptions to the rule, and the band called Pie Boys Flat are one of them.

Their new album is aptly titled, Uproot the Island. I first saw this band perform, at a little bar in Astoria, Queens, and one of the things that struck me most was their big sound. They are a trio that sounds like a five piece. Especially when they get going with their three part harmonies.

Singer and guitarist Patrick Hambrick, textures these songs with the some funky riffs that are reminiscent of bands like Sublime and old school Red Hot Chili Peppers.

One of my favorite tracks on this album is Hoppin a Train to Richmond. The song demonstrates not only a tight rhythm section, consisting of Fitz Harris on percussion and Jason Liles on bass, but also the bands ability to sing.

Think Doobie Brothers or classic rock bands like The Who or Kansas if you're trying to get an idea about what I mean.

So who needs five musicians when three talented players will do? With the band Pie Boys Flat, less is definitely more.

Other standout tracks include: Bella, 900 Ways, When I’m Dead Write Me A Song which features some cool Wah Wah pedal action, Calypso for Rock and Water showcases not only some solid percussion work, but also the vocals of Fitz Harris, and the track I Won’t Let You Go On is so catchy that you can’t stop yourself from singing along, “Something’s hiding in your eyes . . .”

For tour information, sample tracks or to purchase this album go to www.pieboysflat.com
- Richard Livsey

Pie Boys Flat
Pie Boys Flat, the Astoria-based trio of Washington, DC-born Patrick Hambrick (guitar and vocals), Birmingham, Alabama-born Fitz Harris (percussion and vocals), and Virginia-born Jason Liles (bass and vocals), can trace the origins of their band to their days at the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. “We were actually studying to be actors,” Hambrick said. The trio had a fateful meeting through a group of mutual friends known for their legendary parties. When Hambrick, Harris and Liles all moved up to Queens after graduation with dreams of being actors, they ran into many of their hard-partying, fun-loving, and supportive friends from the Conservatory.
Originally, Pie Boys Flat, with their unique brand of gritty, urban-island music, started off as a side project, playing shows during open mic nights at Astoria’s Lounge 32. “It just took off,” Hambrick said. “Much faster than what we ever expected,” Harris added. Pie Boys Flat started playing one or two songs, frequently inviting their college friends to shows. And if you consider the six degrees of separation – the place wound up being packed. Quickly, the trio found themselves playing their own full nights at Lounge 32 with other local acts such as Dave Donnelly. “It was like one big party,” Hambrick recalled. “And it’s still that way – just with more people.” In fact, when Pie Boys Flat were asked about their relationship to Queens, Harris admitted, “Queens is the only reason we even have a band,” and all three members mentioned the differences between the audiences they encountered in Queens in comparison to the rest of the city.
Although it can vary between venues, “We’ll play a whole night – the crowd will play along with us and we’ll play with them,” Hambrick said, while in Manhattan, you can play in a venue where no one really cares one way or the other. In their opinion, this is influenced by the fact that generally, bands will play in a neighborhood bar in Queens, whereas in Manhattan, a band will play in a larger club and be part of a night of four or five bands. Each member also noticed a growing music scene in Long Island City and Astoria, with bands playing in several bars. So far, as Liles mentioned, the thing that seems to prevent Queens from having a true music scene is that large music venues have yet to be established.
Currently, Pie Boys Flat are beginning work on an album which they hope will contain the songs they have been working on for some time, in addition to the newer material they have been developing. As Hambrick noted, this new album will reveal a greater depth of lyrical content, along with an increasing complexity, as the band has been experimenting with different time signatures and rhythms.
- INS & OUTS Magazine