On the Record Going on the record By Sean McCarthy, southcoast247.com correspondent
Shipyard Wreck's grooves are for real.
From barroom blues to dancefloor funk, from jiggly reggae to smooth, sultry drifts, this New Bedford quartet will be celebrating their debut CD, "Reflect and Shine," this Saturday at Bridge Street Station, 122 Main St., Fairhaven.
It is a long-anticipated release from the popular local band. Work on the 10-song disc began in June 2003. The estimated cost of the project is greater than $15,000.
"We wanted to show what this band can do," says Shipyard guitarist John Fernandes. "Everything had to be perfect for this record."
"The ultimate goal with this record is to do a national tour," says singer/guitarist James Gagne, who is the senior Web technician for SouthCoastToday.com, The Standard-Times' Web department. "We want to get this record to stores and stations throughout the country.
"We want to travel to other cities and give people something to remember us by."
The CD is on the New Bedford-based label Whaling City Sound. They have already sold more than 250 copies nationwide. It is available on the Web site for Whaling City Sound, and at Shipyard Wreck.com. Copies can also be bought at Words and Music. The price is $12.
Saturday's show will begin at 10 p.m. and there is a $5 cover charge.
Shipyard Wreck chose to record its album at Sound Station 7 in Providence. The studio has previously worked with Tori Amos, Joey McIntyre, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
"None of the money for the recording came out of our pockets. It all came from playing shows," Mr. Gagne notes. "We had a lot of good times raising the money for this project. We ate for free and we drank for free, and now we've got our own CD."
Shipyard would be good touring partners for the Allman Brothers, Blues Traveller, or Sister Hazel. Their sound is built on the blue-collar rhythm section of bassist Dan O'Rourke and drummer Peter Magalhaes. The duo lays down a successful foundation for the frontmen. Mr. Gagne's sturdy growl is out front, and Mr. Fernandes provides both rhythmic skills and emotive solo work.
"This album is what we've been aiming for since the four of us got together in the summer of 2003," Mr. Gagne says. "John was the final piece for us. He's a phenomenal guitarist and a good songwriter, and he has the same vision and goals as us.
"We meshed together right from the start, personally and musically. He brought a jazz element to the band."
The album also includes guest performances from two of SouthCoast's premier musicians, keyboardist Andy McWain and saxophonist Marcus Monteiro.
"The band allowed me to be very creative," Mr. McWain says. "I was able to write my own parts.
"There was a lot of beer and pizza in the studio, which made the sessions very relaxed."
Mr. McWain, a music professor at UMass Dartmouth, played on nine songs over a course of two days. Mr. McWain is not a full-time member of the band, but does occasionally sit in with them at shows.
"They're great to work with," the keyboard player says. "For all the fun they have they also take themselves very seriously as a band, which is why they win people over."
And Shipyard Wreck in your stereo is a different experience from Shipyard Wreck in your nightclub. The band belongs to the jamband genre, where the performance of a song is based upon the way the band chooses to interpret it at that moment, rather than the form it appears in on the CD.
The band is pleased with both avenues.
"Not all of our songs are planned out when we play them live," Mr. Gagne says. "We've got to go with whatever we feel.
"On any given night we don't know what's going to happen."
Mr. Fernandes further explains the role of the record.
"You can do things in the studio that you could never do live. For us, this album is a jumping off point to see what we can do with it in a live setting.
"This CD will give people a taste of us, and our live show will give them the whole meal."
Shipyard Wreck's grooves are for real.
