GARY CHAPMAN
Ed Seifert & Oh, the Humanity! at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York (from left, Gary Hagen, Seifert, Linda Lambiase, Carol Sharar, Connie Sharar and Kathy Sharar).
Prolific New Jersey singer-songwriter Ed Seifert and his band Oh, the Humanity! recently released an evocative live album, Before the Lights Went Out, that is full of meditations on love, renewal and resolve. It was recorded on March 8, 2020, at The Turning Point in Piermont, New York, just days before the coronavirus pandemic shut down live music.
Listening to it recalls those final moments before the pandemic brought illness, death and isolation. Few could have guessed, at the concert, how dramatically the world was about to change.
“I’d like to think we play every show like it could be our last, but I don’t think any of us thought we’d be coming to such a sudden stop for months and months, or that so many of our friends and family would be lost in the days to come,” Seifert said in a press release.
The cover of Ed Seifert & Oh, the Humanity!’s album, “Before the Lights Went Out.”
Seifert’s folk and alt-country sounds find expression through clear, concise lyrics. His guitar is complemented in Oh, the Humanity! by Gary Hagen on guitar, Bernie Stapleton on bass, and Connie and Kathy Sharar on gorgeous backing vocals. Linda Lambiase often joins the band on djembe, as does Connie and Kathy’s sister Carol on violin.
Seifert has played with several other Jersey bands, including Speed the Plough, Campfire Flies and Yung Wu. He posts new songs frequently on social media and they often make me cry. Listen to “Only Love Remains” below and see if it has that impact upon you.
After the stress of the pandemic era and the loss of so many musicians, including John Prine, I cling to the notion that only love remains, keeping our country united, despite negative political forces.
Here is an excerpt from our recent interview.
Q: Did songwriting help you get through the isolation of the pandemic? What does music do for you generally?
A: It helps me all the time. It’s what I feel I do best. It’s exhilarating to hear a great new song of mine or anyone else. Even the saddest songs make me feel that way.
Q: You have formed such a remarkable and collaborative music community in New Jersey. Can you tell me about your start and some favorite moments with bandmates, including Deena Shoshkes, Jon Fried, Rebecca Turner and the Sharar sisters.
A: I don’t feel like I formed anything per se. I’ve always been lucky to meet and play with people who make my songs sound better. I’m continually amazed at the generosity and talent of all the people who’ve been on this journey with me. I like to feel I reciprocate in some small way. For instance, when Jon Fried started playing the banjo almost exclusively, I continued to be his friend. It wasn’t easy. Just kidding. I met Deena and Jon and Rebecca and Scott Anthony at their second Saturday Afternoon Song Swap. It wasn’t long before they all felt like family.
The Sharar sisters are all incredibly talented! I’ll never forget how Connie and Kathy absolutely transformed my song “Back of Your Mind” with their amazing harmonies. Carol blows everyone away with her violin playing. Linda (Sharar) writes heart-wrenching songs. She’s already released several albums and her songs will be the basis for a new Sharar Sisters release. A couple of songs are already out there, including a great one entitled “Radio Silence.”
CONNIE SHARAR
ED SEIFERT
Q: When did you first pick up a guitar and your songwriting pen?
A: I wrote some terrible lyrics when I was about 14, picked up the guitar when I was 16 and wrote a few terrible songs. I spent about 35 years only writing a couple of songs each year. I’ve gotten more prolific, and hopefully better, since then.
Q: Was George Usher an early mentor? Anyone else?
A: I think I met George around 1985. He’s always been so many things to me. A mentor, a producer, a great friend, a collaborator. I often think of him as I’m writing a song. He’s said many kind things to me about my songs, and I don’t take that for granted. I want him to like what I write.
It’s hard for me to list the people who’ve been helpful to me over the years, because I could name 100 people and still leave a few out!
Q: What do you lean on for writing inspiration?
A: Anything but real life! It’s almost always a nice turn of phrase, an internal rhyme, or a little melody to get me started. Then I ask myself, how depressing can I make this?
Q: You also had a long career at Verizon, no?
A: Yes, customer service for 29 years.
Q: Your songs sound so beautiful despite often sad themes. Reminds me of Freedy Johnston.
Can you tell me about the soulful song “Only Love Remains”? Do you think that’s what we hold on to after an ending?
A: Well, I think it’s a useful song that can be very comforting. A cynic might scoff at the lyric, but I think if I became a complete cynic, day-to-day life would be hard. I think it’s good to find a positive side to a sad situation, though many of my other songs don’t espouse that idea.
Q: What inspired the song “Mandolinda”?
A: I bought a new mandolin. I’m not a terrific mandolin player. One morning as I was waking up, still lying in bed, I thought it would be a fun exercise to try to write a song on the mandolin. I started thinking of the famous songs that had mandolin in the title, and thought to graft mandolin to the woman’s name Linda. Voila! Then I got out of bed, realized I didn’t have the mandolin in my apartment, so I wrote the song on guitar. It sounded to me like it was similar in tone to the songs on Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars album.
CONNIE SHARAR
ED SEIFERT
Q: “If Your Eyes Are Closed” and “I’m Not Changing My Mind” are provocative songs. Tell me what inspired those tunes.
A: I always say “If Your Eyes Are Closed” is my Buddy Holly-sounding song, but I don’t think I was consciously emulating him. I just thought of it as a hooky pop song when I wrote it. The point of view is a little different from my other stuff, too. Here I’m telling someone that they’re in a bad relationship and they should be with someone like me instead.
“I’m Not Changing My Mind” is my song of stubbornness. Maybe in my subconscious I was thinking of the hard-headed people in my family. Of course, I’m not one of them! It’s one of a couple of songs I’ve written where the singer is not really noble or admirable. But even the best people have moments like that.
Q: What’s next for you? Any upcoming gigs?
A: I’m playing at Montclair Porchfest on May 16 at 3 p.m. and I’m working on booking some additional dates for the summer and fall. And I’ll continue to post songs each month on Facebook. Soon I’ll be working on a new album, produced by Gary Hagen.
For more, visit facebook.com/ed.seifert.39 or edseifert.bandcamp.com.
_________________________________________
CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET
Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state’s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.
