Lost Romance’s Gerry Perlinski Chats About Basement Shows, The Wizard of Oz, and Hair Metal
By: Randall Radic
Tags: Music Video, Lost Romance, Music, Heart On A Wire, Interview

Lost Romance

New Jersey-based indie-rock outfit Lost Romance released the music video for “Heart On A Wire” not long ago. Lifted from Lost Romance’s latest album, Strum It Again,” the song is about the difficulty and possibility of opening up to another person emotionally.

The brainchild of Gerry Perlinski, Lost Romance took shape in 2011, followed by releasing their debut EP, The Light and the Dark. Since then, Lost Romance has shared the stage with King’s X, Rye Coalition, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens, and Elliott Easton of The Cars, among an array of others, as well as touring the U.S. and performing at CMJ, CBGB Fest, NAMM, and the Light of Day Festival.

The music video, directed by Josh Stoddard, depicts Lost Romance performing at a basement party, pumping out raw rock tinted with suggestions of punk. Initially, the visuals are shot in black and white, and then transition to color, symbolizing the emotional passage from guarded to vulnerable, opening a whole new world of expression.

“It’s the last time you have to chase / All these feelings that you need to face / Open your heart before it’s too late.”

Pop Off caught up with frontman Gerry Perlinkski to talk about the genesis of Lost Romance, his songwriting process, and the unique method utilized to record Strum It Again.

How did you get started in music? What’s the backstory there?

Growing up, I was not only a fan of music, but I enjoyed the whole spectacle of rock n’ roll. A child of the ’70s and ’80s, there were so many artists that inspired me. However, if I had to point to a catalyst for wanting to become a guitarist and starting a band, it would have to be Eddie Van Halen. He was not only cool but was like a comic book superhero come to life. I had Van Halen posters on my wall. The first guitar solo I ever learned was “Running With The Devil” at around10 years old… on an acoustic guitar no less!

My parents also had this amazing record collection. All kinds of vinyl from The Beatles to Herb Alpert, gypsy music to Polish traditional folk music. Back in the early 70’s my uncle, Pawel Perlinski, released an album of jazz fusion with a group called The Jazz Carriers which he co-founded in Poland. I was mesmerized by the album cover with its crazy fish-eye lens photo of the group on the cover. It’s raw blend of jazz and rock in the early stages of fusion made a lasting impression on me not only as a listener, but as a proud member of my family. It was the small seed that told me that I too could be a musician.

My first band was started in high school as most are, but it wasn’t until college that I started performing in original bands. I was strictly a guitarist in several groups, but I eventually took the plunge as a vocalist and primary songwriter while leading my first band Akasa back in the late ’90s and early 2000s. I cut my teeth being part of the New Brunswick, NJ indie rock scene as well as the Lower East Side scene of NYC. While playing in a variety of different bands at that time, I traveled in the same circles with Ween, The Strokes, King Missile, and Soul Coughing.

What is your songwriting process? Does the entire band participate or is there one primary songwriter?

For the majority of the songs in Lost Romance, I am the primary songwriter. I normally bring fully written songs (music and lyrics) and have each player put their special magic to them. That being said, there have been a few co-writes with other musicians in the band over the years.

My songwriting process usually goes one of three ways:

1. I have a chord progression and melody, then write the lyrics. Most likely written on an acoustic guitar.

2. I hear a phrase that catches my ear somewhere and base a song around it. These can come from overheard conversations of strangers, inspiration from books and films, and traveling to new places.

3. The song comes all at once. It’s more like a stream of consciousness situation where the song flows through me. Music, lyrics, melody, and arrangement. Those are usually my favorite songs and somehow end up being the most beloved by the fans.

How did Lost Romance come to get together?

Lost Romance was born out of a solo album that I was recording back in 2011. It was to be a six song EP and my debut as a solo artist. But after getting to the mixing stage, it was beginning to sound more like a band album than a solo album.

I was working with producer David Pattillo, aka Strange Majik, at his studio on the Lower East Side when the inspiration to move ahead with a band name was solidified. Although I wanted to have a steady lineup, Lost Romance has become more of a collective over the years with key players on recordings and rotating touring members.

Who is in the band (names) and which instrument do they play?

On this current album, we have Dan Haag on bass and backing vocals and Mohammed Amine Smires on drums and backing vocals. In addition, we have touring musicians Dave Harman (who is in the video!) and Josh Van Ness on drums, plus Jon Ru on bass.

What inspired your new song/music video “Heart On A Wire?”

The video was inspired by ’90s era indie bands like Pavement, Sugar, and Buffalo Tom. We wanted the viewer to not only have fun watching it but get a glimpse into the world of an underground rock show in New Jersey. Basement shows are an integral part of the independent music scene in the state and have been since the early ‘80s.

The song itself is about a relationship where one person is afraid to open themselves up to the other completely. The other person feels like they are always going out on a limb and not receiving what they want in return from the relationship.

The black and white that turns into color when the party is revealed is about the joy that could happen if the other person finally allows themselves to be open. It is also a nod to one of my favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy goes from dreary Kansas in black and white to full technicolor when she lands in the magical world of Oz. And of course, everyone knows how magical New Jersey is!

Lost Romance

What do you hope your fans/listeners take away with them from the video?

I hope that the listeners enjoy the video for what it is, a fun ride! It’s a glimpse into the Jersey music scene and what it’s like to be at a basement show. If you’re from here and have played in or been a part of the underground scene, this is familiar territory. But, for everyone else, it may open them up to a world they would never normally see or experience.

“Heart On A Wire” is from your latest album, Strum It Again. What can you share about the album?

Our new album has been some years in the making. Many of the songs on this record have been part of our live shows so if you’ve seen us on the road, you’ll recognize most of them. It was recorded mostly in Jersey City and unlike most modern albums, the basic tracks were done on a 4-track cassette recorder. The difference between doing tracks this way versus digitally is that you have to be on your game musically for it to work. If you don’t get the take right, you have to do it over again. That being said, we actually were able to get most of the songs done in one or two takes. It pays to be rehearsed and tour a lot!

Musically, the songs on Strum It Again are a tip of the hat to an older, simpler style of music. We worked on getting that raw vibe of bands like Husker Du, The Replacements, and The Smithereens with a modern twist. What I love about those bands was the brashness of the instruments juxtaposed against the strong melodies and moving lyrics.

Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?

Hair metal!

Why do you make music?

I initially made music to express my emotions and to move people. It’s definitely cheaper than therapy! But as I continue my musical journey, I realize in addition to those things, I make music to become immortal. I want to leave something behind that people will enjoy forever. I love the fact that I can listen to Jimi Hendrix 50 years after his passing and still feel what he felt and hear his spirit. It’s beautiful.

How are you handling the coronavirus situation?

All things considered, I’m doing ok. It’s been a rough year for everyone on many levels, but I’m hanging in there. It feels weird not being able to hang out with people you love in person and to tour and see fans at live shows. Just about the time everything was getting shut down, we were in the middle of taking off for a three-week tour in support of Strum It Again back in March. Our plan was to play down to SXSW and come back up through the South and East Coast. Even though we had to cancel the tour, we decided we still wanted to release our album. We felt like the world needed to have more good music in it, so we didn’t want to wait.

Looking ahead, what’s next for Lost Romance?

Right now, we’ll continue to promote this album for as long as we can. Since we didn’t do a proper tour for it, our plan is to do that once things begin opening up again, hopefully in 2021. In the meantime, we’ll be doing more live streams on our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels so make sure to subscribe, follow, and like us there to watch. We’ve also begun tracking songs for our next album so look out for updates and behind the scenes footage too!

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