The Gantry

On Years and Years (2012), the Queens-based Gantry mixes together elements of country, indie rock, and garage rock. The LP is smart and personal, showcasing the band’s ability to breathe personality into timeless narratives about loving and losing, redemption and familial dysfunction. The album progresses like a thoughtful and self-aware journal does. Years and Years, moreover, marks the Gantry’s first time in the studio.

Nowadays, the Gantry—which features lead vocalist and guitarist Kevin Goldhahn, guitarist and vocalist Jeff Kay, percussionist Adam Knobloch, and bassist Tim Cornish—are revising the formula on Years and Years. The band is working on a new LP, with a tentative release date in the fall of this year. They are protective of the work, as it imbues the band’s sound with “darker” tones and lyrics. I caught up with Goldhahn, Kay, and Knobloch at Snowdonia, a bar in the Astoria section of the Queens. We discussed divergent music tastes and what it’s like to strike balance between music and other virtually every other piece of life.

The Gantry began about three years ago, when Goldhahn was performing at open mic nights across New York City. Kay met Goldhahn while bartending; before long, Goldhahn was performing at Kay’s bar. “From there, we just started jamming and it slowly evolved from…an acoustic thing, to a full band thing,” Goldhahn said over beers.

Before long, Years and Years was born. The record never has a dull moment, seamlessly bouncing from energetic indie rock (“Henry”) to meditative folk rock (“Trouble”). Years and Years also features “Click,” a country-laced rock tune that also serves as the band’s first music video. The images throughout the video underscore the connection between the band members: the four ride the N train; travel to Asbury Park in New Jersey; perform in a garage and at the Stone Pony. The band’s other video release is an acoustic rendition of “Six Pack,” the track that opens Years and Years. This stripped version reminds the listener of the band’s ability to construct pretty and evocative vocal harmonies. Years and Years sustains its hold on the listener from start to finish. It’s a narrative filled with so many different lyrical and aural layers. Peeling those layers is at once entertaining and fulfilling.

The Gantry will continue to take Years and Years to stage this summer, with upcoming performances at Shillelagh Tavern (May 30), Tammany Hall (June 27), and LIC Bar (June 29). This August, the band will perform at Campfire Outdoor Adventure and Music Festival in Lakewood, Pennsylvania. The festival’s lineup features a diverse group of artists, including blues and soul outfit Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaries, the California-bred alternative rockers Delta Spirit, and the Brooklyn-based folk stompers Swear and Shake.

Yet, the Gantry’s original roots are in Queens. “Most of the bands in Astoria practice in this tiny place underneath this deli,” Kay said. The Green Gallows, the Idiot Brigade, Reserved for Rondee, the Regulars, and Beecher’s Fault share that Astoria space and form a large part of the Queens music scene. The band, which has gone on extensive tours and performed at South by Southwest, will continue to foster an Astoria following—using their upcoming performances and LP as to cultivate that process.

Article by Pam Segura - Pancakes And Whiskey

Tommy hangs out with Tim and Kevin from local Americana rock band, The Gantry. The gang talk about playing Atlantic City, how to become an expert at darts, recording their new album live, and more! - Pancakes And Whiskey

The Gantry's Years and Years has an unquestionable moxie. It's a steaming cauldron of all the right ingredients and a delve deeper will unearth potential for the perfect recipe. In a few years the band can easily stand beside giants like The Menzingers, The Fratellis, or The Gaslight Anthem.

At first glance, the tracks don't seem to be overly poppy or infectious, and they aren't, but over the past month certain tracks "Confessions", "Doors" and "Click" namely have sown their way into my head at the most random times. The album is chock full of crowd pleasing sing a longs and engaging hooks, all with a tinge of southern rock flavor. Guitarist / vocalist Kevin Goldhahn's voice and Jeff Kay's lead guitar are a fierce combination. The vocals (reminiscent of The Menzingers Greg Barnet) are loose and free while the guitar is razor sharp.

Boy, can The Gantry write a chorus. "Mary" starts off flowing calmly before busting into a toe-tapping waterfall with Goldhahn belting: "And Mary marry me / it's been gone for five long / years and years and years... / and I will miss your face one day / in years and years and years". Opener "Six Pack" is just as impressive as "Mary". Its "oooh" lined choruses are only outshined by a bridge which Goldhahn introduces "Take another down / and blow it all to hell as you go for a ride" before the song travels to a minute long jaunt led by Kay's gentle plucking.

After "Six Pack" the album takes a sudden turn into "Henry", a quieter, lyric driven ballad. The notable bridge mentions: "I said it once a lot and I stand by every word / I loved you like a brother and I’m down if I gotta burn / Henry the fault was mine there’s no need to be polite / said things that I shouldn’t and it keeps me up at night / if you find it in you heart to forgive just one thing I do / I’ll be home at seven". I asked Kevin to expand upon the story behind "Henry":

I wrote Henry when I was going through a rocky patch with a close friend. Coincidentally, I saw some other friends going through similar situations and writing Henry was just kind of an easy way to cope with it and analyze the situation. My specific friendship worked out, thankfully, but I saw some good friendships break up over silly things and Henry is about wanting to make amends.

The Gantry would be nothing without Jeff Kay's signature guitar work. He shines most notably in "Doors", "Green Eyes", and "Click" but he's present in every song. I asked him about his influences and style as a guitarist:

My guitar heroes are George Harrison, Jeff Buckley, Jimmy Page, Jim James, Dean Deleo, Kirk Hammett, Will McLaren (just to name a few). When we're on tour and I'm not driving I try to mess around on the fretboard to keep my fingers moving. Before shows I generally have a sandwich and a beer, and stretch out my hands.

Even in the album's weak spots, like the slowly moving mid section of "Broken Glass" and "Trouble" the music never gets unforgettable. The album almost plays out theatrically, with a natural depression between major plot points. The pacing is there, but I did find myself migrating towards certain sections.

The folky, vocal driven anthem "Doors" opens with the whole band singing: "Doors left open in the rain ruin the things you own / like letting too much in causes your head to roam / I had an open mind before the floor boards they groaned". Reminiscent of Cassino & Kingprince, "Doors" whistles and winds between bucolic guitar twangs. It's this folky, acoustic sound where The Gantry shines the most. I asked Kevin to expand on the sound of the album, especially the southern influences. He blew it wide open for me.


There are probably two major influences for the southern twang in the album. One, which you already know, is being heavily influenced by my cowboy grandpa (Dick Thomas) and growing up listening to my dad and uncle. They loved Tom Petty, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie, The Kinks, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, The Doors, Zeppelin, etc… The second is probably mostly to do with a collective of singer songwriters in New York City called Big City Folk which is run by this amazing singer songwriter named Niall Connolly. It was at one of his open mics that I was inspired to start taking music seriously again. Like I said, Big City Folk is composed of mostly singer song writers so I was originally very inspired to write more folk/country songs. I went to Niall’s songs - Absolutepunk.net

“We’re a bunch of east coast guys,” says Kevin Goldhahn, one of the members of the rock band The Gantry. Based in Astoria, Queens, NYC, the group is made up of Kevin of Stratford, NJ, Jeff Kay from Long Island, NY, Tim Cornish from Philadelphia, PA, and Adam Knobloch from Mount Kisco, NY. The Gantry considers themselves to be an Americana band with heavy folk influences, which were especially present during their early beginnings back in 2011. “I started off with just an acoustic guitar and was religiously going to open mics around New York City,” Kevin remembers. “I was a regular at a bar that Jeff worked at and when I learned that he played guitar and could sing, I asked if he wanted to fool around on guitars sometime.” The pair wrote some songs together and decided that they wanted to record an EP, so Kevin reached out to Tim, who he used to play in a band with in Philadelphia. “We were very folksy back then, doing three-part acoustic gigs around the city,” Kevin recalls. “When we began recording our first album, we brought in our good friend Justin Storer to record drums. Upon the album’s release, Adam came on board as our full time drummer.” The Gantry has been touring religiously over the past year and is on the brink of recording their sophomore album.
As individual musicians, the guys come from various backgrounds. Kevin is mostly self taught and primarily inspired by his grandfather, father, and uncle. “They are all very talented musicians and really inspired me to learn,” he shares. “I took music very seriously in college but put it on the back burner until I moved to NYC and started playing open mics. Once I started writing and getting involved with the scene here I became hooked. I knew it was what I had to do.” When Jeff started jamming with Kevin, he also began going to see more live shows. “The thrill of live music is what does it for me,” he expresses. “It’s the energy exchange that you’re lucky to be a part of when the band is killing it and the crowd knows it.” Adam comes from parents who are classically trained musicians, exposing him to many different genres of music at an early age; however, he wasn’t allowed to play the drums initially, even though they were his first choice. “I started out as a concert and jazz saxophonist, which I continued through college and still play today,” he reveals. “It was during my sophomore year of high school when my parents finally let me get a drum set and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been pursuing the drums for about ten years now.” Tim has been involved in music since his childhood, taking part in the choir and playing the trumpet, guitar, and bass. In 2007, he joined a pop-punk band as a bassist where he met Kevin on lead guitar. It was through this experience that he began to play original compositions and really take music seriously.
The Gantry has made a strong combined effort to get to where they are now and continue to expand upon that foundation. Collectively, the members book shows, network with anyone and everyone, and promote their music as effectively as possible. “As most musicians know very well, the industry is brutal and ‘making it’ is not something anyone can bank on,” Adam notes. “Our debut album, tours, equipment, upcoming second album, and so much more are all results of hard work and a lot of monetary investment. We hope that our future efforts not only benefit our goals as musicians, but also continue to be as rewarding as they have been so far.” Maintaining a balance between the band and personal lives also proves to be difficult at times. “That’s been my biggest challenge,” Jeff confesses. “The band, relationships, work…it can be tricky coordinating all four of our schedules and sometimes, when the band takes priority, things can get a little hairy. It’s like, you try so hard to grow the band, day in and day out, that sometimes you don’t realize that you’ve got tunnel vision. They say ‘don’t ever date a musician’ – well, they weren’t wrong about that.”
When it comes to creating new music together, The Gantry clicks really well and has great chemistry. “Everyone comes up with their own little parts really quickly, almost effortlessly,” Kevin comments. “We all genuinely care about creating quality music so it makes it easy. We’re really lucky in that sense.” In the beginning, Kevin would write the basic structure of a song and perform it at an open mic. If it went well, he would bring it into band practice to see what the others thought. “Recently though, we’ve been collaborating more with writing songs together,” Kevin explains. “Jeff or Adam will come to our weekly Monday practice with an idea for a song and we’ll throw it around for awhile until we have something we can keep.” In terms of themes that tend to have a consistent presence in the band’s music, Kevin admits that he tends to lean towards darker subjects like lost love, hard times, depression, addiction, and religion. “I don’t really know why – I’m very happy with my life,” he laughs. “I just think people as a whole tend to relate to those subjects and I hope our music can help people in some way.” The Gantry doesn’t seek to be very specific in their music so that the listener can give it his or her own meaning. In terms of inspiration, the group generally pulls from happenings that stand out while going about their daily lives. “A chance encounter that leaves an impact, or learning something about a family’s history that explains why things are the way they are,” Tim describes. “We can put anything that gets thoughts in motion into a song so that our friends and listeners can have the same experience.”
Collectively, The Gantry would advise other young people who may be looking to seriously pursue music to always enjoy what you’re doing. “Have fun and ignore the haters,” Jeff affirms. “There are plenty of them, and they’re usually the ones you least expect. If you enjoy making music, you should make sure that it makes you feel good. Don’t let negativity get to you.” He also encourages being a good neighbor, as music scenes thrive when there’s camaraderie and fail when everyone is just out for themselves. “A little networking and good faith go along way,” Jeff
says knowingly. “Also, don’t fall victim to social norms. You can be a working musician and have a day job – it’s not impossible to have both.” Tim agrees, adding that it’s important to know that recognition and success generally come slowly and are never guaranteed. Kevin recommends playing all the time and surrounding yourself with good musicians that challenge you. Finally, Adam expresses that you have to have a true passion for music. “Music comes from the heart,” he states. “When your heart isn’t in the music you play, it probably will not reach its full potential and this will most likely show. That goes for any trade: do what you love, hone your skills, and love what you do.” - V23 Creative Magazine

What do you get when you put The Raconteurs, and Thin Lizzy’s best music in a blender? My guess would be a horribly wretched plastic crunching noise while a metal blade relentlessly tries to liquify some of music history’s best rockers. What do you get when you put The Gantry on a stage on the Lower East Side on a Saturday night? Magic. The band who is known for their songs, “Click” and “Confessions”, didn’t disappoint this past weekend and even treated a roaring club to some new treats off their forthcoming LP. Charm and humility are qualities that the band let resonate in the ether while they perform and interact with the audience. Undeniably it is the band’s ability to rock, and melodically harmonize stories of fun nights and major mistakes that make them such a treat to see live. - Play Too Much

In this November edition of Tunes and Taverns we turn our attention to indie alternative band, The Gantry, who hail from Astoria.

The Gantry is a band of friends that started at a bar in Queens, by a bartender and one of his regulars. The Gantry, a four-piece indie-rock band with three-part harmonies and crowd-rallying anthems find themselves inspired by the classics. The Gantry’s songs are Americana tales set to an indie rock soundtrack. If you want a barometer for the quality of musicianship and songwriting The Gantry possesses pull out your imaginary blender and add a cup of Brendan Benson, a tablespoon of Tom Petty, and a splash of The Band and you’ve got yourself a Gantry smoothie.

With that said, the band shows a lot of promise as they stay busy, and embrace their home borough of Queens. It’s funny that by today’s standards bands today will relocate to Queens just to say they’ve got NYC street cred. That’s not the case with the Gantry, they are proud to be living in the urban jungle, referring to their home borough in their powerful, poignant music, as well as their music videos.

Since the recent release of their debut album, Years And Years, The Gantry has gone on numerous US Tours, developed a strong NYC following, signed a licensing deal, played at Austin’s SXSW Festival along with other festivals such as Campfire Music Festival, and has been getting nods from industry professionals in anticipation of their next album. The band is currently recording, with plans to release in early 2015. Get ready for a much darker sounding Gantry.

For more on The Gantry listen to their debut album at thegantry.bandcamp.com. We especially like “Click.” - Queens Scene

The Gantry is a band out of Queens, New York, comprised of Kevin Goldhahn on vocals, Jeff Kay on guitar, Tim Cornish on bass and Adam Knoblach on drums. Their debut album Years And Years is a ten-song endeavor with warm melodies and great vocal harmonies. Elements of country western, folk rock and classic rock combined with elegant acoustic rhythms create a brand of music that simply brings forth good feelings. One could liken The Gantry to The Allman Brothers, Jackson Brown and The Counting Crows.

Years And Years begins with “Six Pack,” which contains some tongue-in-cheek humor and a foot-tapping beat that will have people dancing in their seats. And on the dance floor, too. There is a great melodic interlude within this song that changes the tone of it completely, and The Gantry do a fantastic job making the transition smoothly. “Henry” carries more of a country western essence with twangy guitar licks and a melancholy undertone. The lyrics are well-written and Goldhahn’s vocal style gives them even more weight. Kay’s guitar work is flawless and the rhythm section doesn’t miss a beat. This is a very solid offering.

“Green Eyes” is one of the more energetic pieces on the album, with blazing electric guitar work and a faster tempo. There are still elements of folk rock in this song, but The Gantry adds their own style of rock to make this perhaps the single most hard-hitting track on the album. “Broken Glass” moves back into a more country western vibe and the melodic guitar hooks will be sure to pull listeners in. This is a very lyrically sound band, and their style of writing brings forth feelings of nostalgia and melancholy, but with an underlying sense of optimism.

One of the most haunting songs on the album is “Trouble,” which is filled with such a sad beauty that the heart has no choice but to be moved by it. This piece also highlights the vocal prowess of Goldhahn, as he hits several higher notes with ease. The next song is “Mary,” which is perfectly placed on the album, as it takes the listener out of the sadness of the previous track and into a brighter sound. It’s got a poppy rhythm that will have people dancing, not to mention the upbeat lyrics and signature guitar licks.

“Doors” provides an excellent example of the exquisite vocal harmonizing that The Gantry does so well. This track is pure folk rock and will become a fan favorite, especially when The Gantry performs it live. It’s a perfect sing-along song that people will love dancing to. “April” is another specialty by this group of artists that has the distinct honor of being both melancholy and hopeful. It is a very skillful trait for musicians to be able to create songs that bring forth sadness and joy within the same piece, and this band does it amazingly well.

“Click” has a great beat and some screaming guitar work, coupled wonderfully with some of the best vocals on the album. It leads seamlessly into “Confessions,” which is the closing piece and one of the most beautiful songs on the album. The Gantry is a fantastic band with regards to lyricism and harmonizing. They are also a very vocally and instrumentally sound group of musicians, and their style of music is by turns heartbreaking and hopeful. Years And Years is indeed an accomplishment to be proud of and this band will garner fans with little to no effort.
Reviewed by Rhonda Readence
5 stars (out of 5) - Ariel Publicity

Beginning as a three piece outfit, The Gantry quickly transformed from an acoustic band into a full-fledged four piece rock group after the addition of drummer Justin Storer, who nudged the band in their current direction. Storer provides the percussive sound on Years and Years, but has since left the group. Adam Knobloch has ably taken over on drums, but it should be noted that both Storer and Adam have contributed to the well rounded sound that is found on the debut album Years And Years and in the cohesiveness of The Gantry.

The album is based in an alternative rock sound, though it carries a southern, Americana twang as well. Front man Kevin Goldhahn has a sound similar to that of Weezer’s lead vocalist Rivers Cuomo. And in that both bands fall into the alternative rock category there are also various stylistic similarities between the two as well. This becomes noticeable within the very first song, “Six Pack,” but the second track, “Henry,” does the best to convey these resemblances. The Gantry, however, does not take their instruments to the same heavy extreme that Weezer does. Instead, their instrumentation remains soft in a way that never competes with the vocals, yet is still able to be expressive and communicate the band’s talent.

Although Goldhahn acts as the lead vocalist on many of the tracks there are also numerous times when backup vocalists Jeff Kay and Tim Cornish act in unison with Goldhahn. In doing so their vocals work together, interweaving in a delicate, yet powerful and entirely complementary way in order to produce striking harmonies that carry the energy of the track to a completely new level. ”Doors” is one of these tracks. Although there are sections where only a single voice is utilized, the trio works as a single unit for the majority of the song, and as a result convey an even livelier atmosphere and kicks up the country flair.

Years And Years rotates from having more alternative rock tendencies to having more of an inclination toward country as the album progresses. ”Trouble,” “Doors,” and “April” are three tracks that best exemplify this. And with this more country sound comes a more acoustic sound as well, which is what the group started out having. That is not to say this variance in sound is a negative mark against them, however. Quite the opposite is true, actually. It is as if they have perched themselves on the fence between these two genres. They remain on the fence most of the time but are able to hop from one side to another if they feel the need to. Sometimes they jump back and forth on a single track, as is the case with “Six Pack,” and other times they tend to settle on a single side. ”April,” for instance, is purely country. Electric guitar picking layered on top of acoustic guitar picking combined with an overall acoustic sound and the use of vocal harmonies contributes to the country tone.

The melodies on Years And Years are lively and catchy, and the lyrics are just as appealing. There is not a single song that is less memorable than another, and there is certainly not a single one that you won’t catch yourself singing along to before long. Even the slowest tracks, such as “Trouble,” are equally engaging. The short electric guitar solo during each chorus and the way lines as simple as, “Trouble, oooh, trouble,” are crooned will latch themselves onto your soul and will tug at your heartstrings. The Gantry is a band that you need to be on the lookout for, and Years And Years is an album that you will regret not adding to your shelf.

Review by Alec Cunningham
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5) - Ariel Publicity

One of our favorite bands is The Gantry. The Queens based band is no stranger to Play Too Much. They’ve headlined our parties, and performed in our favorite record shops.

In this episode of the Play Too Much Podcast Mini, the Americana rock band talk about their latest record, Crosses, favorite music, and the strangest places they’ve ever played. This is one you won’t want to miss! This episode is sponsored by Moving Insider.com a U-Haul sponsored blog! - Play Too Much Music