Pie Boys Flat to Showcase at Three NACA Conferences
With the release of their new full-length album Uproot the Island, Pie Boys Flat, a Queens based reggae/funk band has been selected to showcase live at three regional conferences of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Fitz Harris (percussion/vocals), Patrick Hambrick (guitar/vocals) and Jason Liles (bass/vocals) of PBF attended their first NACA conferences in 2005, booked a 4-month college tour, and learned the ropes. “We realized the first morning of the first conference that a live showcase means more bookings,” said Patrick, “and because showcases are awarded based on a band’s recorded music, we knew we had to have a higher quality CD.”
PBF was successful with its first two CDs, Come Taste the Pie and Post No Bills, selling over 800 copies of the first during a 2004 3-month tour in the Greek Isles and over 1000 copies of the second at gigs in Manhattan and on the college circuit. “We are proud of both of those CDs and will be eternally grateful to our producer, Tommy Faragher, whose generosity and talent made us sound better than we could afford to sound.” said Fitz, “But we did our first two recordings on a shoestring. Money was always a problem, so during 2005-2006 we saved every cent from our gigs for months and worked other jobs so we could eat and sleep inside, in order to pay for 12 straight days of recording in a bigger studio. Sean Moffitt, a high school friend of mine and now a professional producer, ramped up the value of that investment by giving us a great deal on his time and talents.”
The result is a recording that really showcases the unique sound of this band; a blend of Reggae, Blues, and Funk, laced with soaring three-part harmonies and a fresh blend of percussion and guitars. According to Jason, “It was worth all the work and sacrifice. Each conference gets between 400 and 500 showcase applications for around 40 slots. We were so thrilled to get the first showcase at the Mid-Atlantic Conference that it didn’t occur to us that we would get another. A friend called and told us to login to the Northeast Conference list because we had gotten a showcase there also. When the third one came in from the Mid-America Conference we began to make plans for a big tour. It’s gonna be a great year for us.”
You can check out Pie Boys Flat and hear their music at www.pieboysflat.com or www.sonicbids.com/pieboysflat. Uproot the Island is for sale online at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pieboysflat.
Pie Boys Flat has sound all together original - a unique island groove comprised of reggae, funk, soul, and 3-part harmony with a fresh blend of percussion and guitars. Their writing shows influences ranging from Sublime to Bob Marley to Jack Johnson Pie Boys Flat hit the NYC music scene in 2003 with their unique blend of Reggae, Blues, and Funk. Their writing shows influences ranging from Bob Marley to Jack Johnson to Sublime to Paul Simon and has melded into a form of ethnic Rhythm and Blues that sits firmly in the pocket of a style all its own. Laced with soaring three-part harmonies, their music is the manifestation of a many year friendship and collective musical intuition. Patrick Hambrick (Guitar/Vocals), Fitz Harris (Percussion/Vocals), and Jason Liles (Bass/Vocals) met in the late 1990’s at Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia, where the trio formed a bond that is now apparent in both their writing and performing.
Pie Boys Flat started out playing arrangements of their 5-hour cover-tune repertoire on the subway platforms of NYC. They have gone on to book regular dates at Mo Pitkens, CBs Gallery, The Bitter End, The Cutting Room, Suite 16, Lounge 32, Tailors Hall, Gibneys, The Pig ‘n’ Whistle, and build a dedicated following throughout the five boroughs. In addition, PBF has been hired for reoccurring, guest-artist appearances at venues up and down the east coast including their alma mater, Shenandoah Conservatory. In 2004, Pie Boys Flat was commissioned by Globe Entertainment for a four-month tour through the Greek Isles with an extended stay on the isle of Kos. Playing 3 hours a night, 7 nights a week for the full duration of their tour, PBF sold over 800 copies of their first LP, Come Taste the Pie, to tourists from all over Western Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and many Middle-Eastern countries.
Upon their return to the states, PBF once again teamed up with their friend and Grammy-nominated producer, Tommy Faragher, to produce their second LP, Post No Bills. Through NYC club/internet promotion, the all-original, twelve-song CD sold by the hundreds across the U.S. and Europe. In 2005, PBF joined NACA and launched their first college/club tour of the eastern United States, taking them as far north as Canandaigua, NY and as far south as Laurinburg, NC.
Over the course of their 4 ½ months on the road, the Pie Boys found two weeks to team up with friend and new producer Sean Moffitt to record their first full-length, full-scale album Uproot The Island. The album was released June 3rd, 2006 at ULYSSES in downtown, Manhattan and is currently on sale at www.pieboysflat.com, CDbaby.com, or at any live PBF show. With the release of their new album, Pie Boys Flat is gearing up for a very busy and exciting 2006/07.
They have once again joined NACA, been selected to showcase live at 3 regional conferences (Mid-Atlantic - Lancaster, PA, Northeast - Marlborough, MA, Mid-America - Peoria, IL) and have already begun booking dates for what is shaping up to be a packed U.S. tour beginning in September 2006.
As always, Pie Boys Flat remains steeped in rootsy, Southern grooves and rich, soaring vocals, so, whether a seasoned veteran or a new-found fan, make sure to catch PBF in 2006/07 because this explosively high-energy trio has only begun to flourish.
