Leroy Justice front man Jason Gallagher values time spent with his bandmates as they construct new songs, letting the sound take over in bursts of creativity.
"There are some moments that you cherish, because it's just five guys together playing music," he said. "You get to that point where it's unspoken, and you forget about playing an instrument, and you're riding a wave of music."
Those moments led to the band's newest album, "Above the Weather," released last month. It marks a point of musical maturity for the band, which has kept busy the past few years touring and recording its latest effort, Mr. Gallagher said.
"We've been playing a lot, it really picked up a lot for us. I think we got better as a band," the Kingston native said. "We started going in a slightly different direction. We were pretty straight-up rock and roll, guitar rock back in the day, and it's expanded to a little heavier rock, more modern, but still Americana."
Growing musically
The new album represents band members' musical growth. Mr. Gallagher said they experimented with arrangements and instrumentation. They cut some songs shorter than they might have in the past, while letting others breathe to seven or eight minutes.
"We've stretched out," he said. "You'll hear the band in there, but you'll also be surprised. ... We've come a long way. I'm really proud of it."
The band found success on the national circuit, rocking at festivals like South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, snoe.down in Vermont, and Mountain Jam in New York. The group first got together over a poker game, when Mr. Gallagher met some of his future bandmates, then playing under the name Home Grown 'Lopes in New York City.
While some band members consider the city their home now, the group's roots and soul were nurtured in the Wyoming Valley. Mr. Gallagher, a Kingston native, picked up musical preferences from his parents, musicians who played classic '70s rock songs in the local acoustic trio Troubadour.
Leroy Justice's current lineup also includes Josh Karis of Larksville and Justin Mazer of Shavertown, and New York City-based Sloan Marshall of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and Bradley Wegner of Indianapolis, Ind.
"Now it's a battle for hometown rights, because two of us live in the valley, and three of us live in New York, and I'm from the valley," Mr. Gallagher said.
The name Leroy Justice comes from an actual person - a friend's father. The weather during their shows inspired the title of their latest effort, according to Mr. Gallagher.
"There was a time when it seemed to rain every time we played a show - it became a running joke," he said.
connections
During its time on the road, Leroy Justice has shared the spotlight with moe., Ryan Bingham and Blues Traveler. One of the band's compositions was used as the title song for HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," and another was featured in the CBS television show "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior."
As they've become more accomplished musicians, Mr. Gallagher said, their live shows became more dynamic. Making a connection with moe. also helped them forge the necessary partnerships to produce their latest record. The band feels lucky to play with people like that, he added.
"They were a big conduit for that. We're just grateful to be in that scene. It's helped us stay alive and push ourselves."
Contact the writer: kgaydos@citizensvoice.com.
Leroy Justice
Founded: 2003
Genre: Roots rock
Members: Jason Gallagher, vocals and guitar; Sloan Marshall, keyboards; Bradley Wegner, bass; Josh Karis, drummer; and Justin Mazer, guitar
For fans of: Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Blues Traveler, Phish, moe.
Online: leroyjustice.com; facebook.com/leroyjustice official; www.youtube.com/leroyjusticeofficial; @leroyjustice
Up next: The band is touring in support of its new album, "Above the Weather." Summer dates will be announced soon.
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