Last month local group Jack Romanov released their second studio album through Top Notch Music. The album, After Ignorance, Before the Start is a rock album that can be listened to via Spotify or iTunes. You can check out their single and new music video below.

In wake of the recent release, I met with the band to discuss the process, the album’s reception, and the group’s next moves.

The group of four practices in a funeral home, which is one of the most punk things I can think of offhandedly. I arrived at the address they’d given me and I had to call one of the guys because I was just standing there in front of a funeral home thinking that I had just rode the T 45 minutes to the wrong place. Weirdly enough, I was at the right place. I walked in and they offered me a beer: good conduct, really polite. Less polite was the fact that they were all a little drunk for the interview, but I just figured that that was the mark of a rock-n-roll band. We got around to talking.

The boys started out three years ago out of Suffolk University. The members have shifted and changed since then, but the four say that now they tend to get along and communicate pretty well. But they also say that they all have different styles and are really different people. Honestly, you could tell that just by looking at them. You could tell that just by looking at their shoes.

From their feet up, each member of the group is decidedly different from the next. As a group they are composed then yelling then contrite all within a span of seconds. Temporarily calm, the boys leaned back with their beers and told me about an upcoming tour they are thinking of making down to Orlando, Florida, Esteban’s hometown. When asked if they were going to visit Disneyworld, they joked that they would love to go to Epcot (one of the drinking establishments at Disney), but that they didn’t want to pay for Disney so they would probably just stand by the fence with some fourties. They immediately assured me that they wouldn’t actually do that, but they were definitely tickled by the idea. In this joke and in much of their behavior, there was an initial immaturity followed by a swift self consciousness and the early signs of maturity or restraint. The band’s favorite word is “clean,” which means cool, for those of you like me who had to ask someone. But the group isn’t supposed to say that word because it annoys their manager. The group drank all practice, but made innocent jokes about drinking outside of Disneyland and then renounced that. They practice in a funeral home, but they can’t let me say which one because one member’s grandmother won’t let him.

In their three years, the group has released two studio albums through two different record labels. The first album, Sincerely, Jack Romanov, was written naturally first before being moved to studio production. The group found that process pretty difficult. Their newest album, After Ignorance, Before the Start was written with the studio in mind. The band said that knowing techniques for recording and understanding how the music would sound in the studio helped their process a lot in the creation of this album. However, there were still some difficulties along the way. Some songs took four months when others took a week. The group finished this album last June, but because of label deal complications and an eventual switch in labels, the album wasn’t officially released until last month. Finally, it’s out. The group is excited about how the album has been received so far. They are looking towards album three, excited to get back in the studio.

The album has the same characteristics the members do. It incorporates several different styles, sometimes so swiftly it’s jarring. It has moments of immaturity, but also moments of pretty stellar music making. The album has a lot of fun different sounds that come together to create a fun, engaging, if somewhat unfocused, sophomore work.

Jack Romanov is a youthful group. They’re trying to make music seriously and make a living. Each member is talented, but they have some learning to do in terms of collaboration. The group is confused, and sometimes conflicting, but with definite stokes of a burgeoning maturity. We can expect to see better and better work coming from them as they refine their process and more seamlessly blend the different genres they are working with together. I’m excited to see where this up and coming band goes next.

The band will be making a big announcement in the upcoming week. If you want to stay updated and hear about what’s coming next, check out their Facebook page.

For more pictures from the interview, click here.