HEDERA
Glassboro, NJ | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | SELF
Music
Press
"The combination of Federici’s vocal with this band’s odd ability to make songs that are unpredictable and catchy at the same time makes “Helix” a fun listen." - Alternative Addiction
"Now, the five young musicians … are building a following for a sound that’s uniquely their own. It could best be described as high-energy funk rock, grounded in the precision of classical music." - Washington College Magazine
"Hedera’s sound gravitates around garage rock, but is created with jazz-like principles. This fusion makes the group’s music novel and refreshing." - WFU Center for Entrepreneurship Magazine
“… Helix demonstrates the kind of maturity that bands used to have as a prerequisite to venturing into the studio ...” - Bluesbunny
“… Music that the listener can connect to while also sparking the idea that something deeper and unexplainable is present.” - The Tab
“With a hint of Stone Temple Pilots-esque guitar, alongside arrangements that build off of the works of MUSE and Franz Ferdinand … the rising and falling of Hedera’s instrumentation … will keep listeners on the edge of their seats”” - NeuFutur
“Very bright, lively, fun, and engaging funk-rock / jazz-rock with a dash of soul.” - All About The Music
“We’re unanimous in our praise for NJ-based Hedera. Not only are they a tight, nimble quintet whose drummer excels at ‘diddling the edges, but frontman [Christopher Federici] brings undeniable charisma to the fore. Hedera generates a dynamic appeal that’s easy to embrace.” - Music Connection
At the core of the band Hedera is friendship. Five high school acquaintances turned post-collegiate musicians form the band’s jazz and rock inspired sound. Members include Christopher Federici, lead vocals; Anthony Formisano, lead guitar, Fender Rhodes, backing vocals; Richard Grouser, bass guitar, backing vocals; Victor Logan: rhythm guitar and Shawn Singh on drums. Off their seven song CD ‘Helix” comes the stellar single, “Missing Yesterday”
"Missing Yesterday” will blow you away. Straight out of the gate, Hedera is a band that sophisticated and discerning ears will absolutely love. The song commences with a duo between crunchy and precise, syncopated rhythm guitar and expert drums. Lead singer Christopher Federici enters with the first verse, “Here I am, I'm picking a card from a stack called chance. But life, was a game, that I never ever wanted to play.” Christopher is sensational; he has a fantastic voice that was made for stardom.
The catchy chorus breaks with harmonies, “It feels like I'm missing yesterday, I'm so tired, and I've been playing oh so long, and now everything's gone.” Here the band showcases their rock sensibilities with strong melodic content. But what comes next is truly remarkable. The band is too good to just give us a standard verse and chorus format. Instead, they dig deeper and give us true composition with a bridge section that is stunning and surprises with unique elements. The musicianship is second-to-none. Listeners will be left with that "wow” feeling. This band is remarkable.
“Missing Yesterday” is essentially about grief, loss and yearning. It is about missing people who were once in your life and a past life that is gone. It is about coming to terms with those feelings of loss.
If you know Indie Spoonful then you know that we don’t say this too often – Hedera could be the next big breakout band in today’s music scene - they are beyond exceptional and deserve every ounce or praise that will surely come their way. It wouldn't surprise us if they end up on the festival scene sooner than later. - Indie Spoonful
If you’ve been looking for the most soothing music video of all time to watch, then we’ve found it. Hedera recently released a music video to their track “Missing Yesterday,” and we’ve never seen such a simple, yet satisfying music video.
The whole video is literally hands pouring cups of paint over differently sized flat wooden square boards that are stacked on top of each other. The paint overflows down the wooden blocks, and it is just perfection. Half way through the video, the footage starts to reverse, until no paint is left, as the band sings, “everything’s gone…” - Impose Magazine
Discography
Helix - October 22nd, 2016
Photos
Bio
Resting between Atlantic City and Philadelphia, South of the Pine Barrens, yet North of “The Swamps of Jersey”, lies Hedera. Inhabiting a seldom-used tractor shed, a bygone relic of the land’s past, three creatives breathe new life into what many would consider a fossil. While horses, peaches, and fennel were abandoned as Jersey’s livelihood, Hedera, common ivy, took root in the remnants of its culture. Three musicians, creatives, and entrepreneurs, Hedera takes pride in our independence. The entrepreneurial nature of music demands a self-sufficient approach to the creative process; an undertaking we happily welcome. Hedera’s strength lies in our ability and willingness to learn. We direct, film, record, and produce all of our video content. We ideate, photograph, design, and publish our entire online presence. We plan, construct, and repair our instruments and studio space. We write, harmonize, arrange, and perform original songs. Hedera’s sound has been interpreted as “ jazz from a garage”, a description that melds both genre and character, a portrayal we hold very near and dear to our hearts. Our formal music education is met with the scrappiness of Americana, a sort of “rugged-chic”. Exemplifying this are our songwriting and instrumental palettes which utilize the competing energies of rock-inspired grooves with the discordances of jazz harmony. While many musicians hide behind overproduction, obnoxious instrumentation, and distasteful volume, Hedera focuses on the timeless craft of songwriting. In any musical environment, whether it be a stripped down trio or a full-blown stage production, songwriting will always cut through the mix. Thoughtful lyrical content met with clever harmony will always provide a meaningful listening experience, and that is Hedera’s greatest musical asset. Our mission is to invite open conversation through musicality, our songwriting lies in pragmaticism. Hedera’s art does not offer any answers, our craft cannot solve problems, but we will plant an inquisitive seed and hope that more than anything, the listener takes action. These three distinctive qualities converged to create Hedera - our methodology, our musical approach, and our mission. These traits journey alongside us, awakened by the horses, peaches, and fennel of South Jersey’s past. Not unlike our home’s heritage, Hedera’s identity is cultivated by perseverance. Our originality intersects foregone concepts with the modern world; our work propels us forward by acknowledging the past.
Band Members
Links
