When initially appearing in front of audiences, New Age Phonograph’s lead vocalist Matthew Nolan believed in the power of performing cover songs — music that would be familiar to the audience.
“We thought for the longest time that covers were the way to go,” Nolan said earlier this week . “Like, oh, that’s what’s going to keep us floating in the scene and make us the bar tab money or whatever. Then later on we found out, oh, people want that original music and we definitely have the ability to do it.”
This past September, New Age Phonograph released its second album, “The Old Ball and Chain,” which features original music. The duo — Nolan is joined on stage by his wife, Randi Mueck — has a style best described as blues rock.
New Age Phonograph, which is based out of Roseburg, will make a tour stop in Philomath at 6 p.m. Sunday with a performance at Marys River Grange Hall. Tickets are $10 at the door.
Nolan and Mueck on their band website describe their music as “a rock sound combined with old-school soul.” A huge blues fan, Nolan said they started out playing those covers — but with a twist.
“We were playing a lot of covers but we wouldn’t necessarily play them like straight covers,” Nolan said. “We would lay them back a little bit.”
The sound was unique with Nolan growing up on punk rock and Mueck being self-taught. But it was Nolan’s background busking on the road that led them in a certain direction.
“It was a little faster and a little different tempo and it became mine,” Nolan said. “And then it became ours.”
Those listening discovered new ways to enjoy the pair’s version of songs like “Johnny B. Goode” or “Bad to the Bone.”
“People were pointing out, ‘oh, you guys do your own takes on stuff,’” Nolan said. “And we were like, ‘well, I guess we kind of do … it’s got that old-school flavor.”
Nolan can share a lot of other details on how the band developed its sound, including various techniques on playing the drums (as a two-person group, he plays the footdrums).
A love for both oldies and newer songs led to the group’s name. After going through various possibilities, such as the Space Age Gramophone, New Age Gramophone, and the New 45s, they settled on New Age Phonograph.
“We have two albums out right now of all original music I’ve been writing ever since I was like 16,” Nolan said, mentioning that the duo has been performing since 2017. “Most of the stuff on our new album is all brand new original material that both of us came up with as a band. The first album, we pushed it out with some stuff that I’d written before and some new stuff.”
Asked if they had ever been through Philomath, Mueck is more familiar with the town than Nolan because she earned a degree from Oregon State University. But they’ve been through the area on trips toward the coast.
