With their debut Custom/10 Freeloader will transport you back to a time when rock and roll was honest and raw. Hailing from New York City but wielding a Southern attitude, the trio makes music that is both timeless and relevant. Their recipe is simple-exceptional songs, natural musicians, hard work, and a strong belief in what they're doing. "We play rock & roll with brains, backbone, and balls," says guitarist/vocalist Scott Sinclair. "It's not dumbed down to the least common denominator."
Taking their name from "Freddie Freeloader" on Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, Freeloader was born in NYC in 1999 when Texas native Sinclair began playing with students from the New School. Custom/10 was recorded in the wee hours of the morning at Hoboken's Water Music shortly after the group formed. John Cale was recording during normal hours, leaving Freeloader to roll tape from 10PM until they were kicked out at dawn. Tensions within the band intensified some of the album material but led to line-up changes shortly after the recording. "Unfortunately it didn't click with the band I recorded with," Sinclair says. "There was passion, but no trust. I was just hanging on by my fingernails, dead-set on getting these songs recorded."
What did click were great performances of heartfelt songs that avoid cliché. "Two Chips," written after a bad run in Atlantic City, deals with the sense of loss that comes with reaching for everything. "Pigeon" addresses relationship burnout and being a man in a climate of political correctness, while "Ghost Town" speaks metaphorically to the commercial destruction of the beautiful Rocky Mountain landscape. With Custom/10 Sinclair weaves stories and emotions but never strays from a simple melody and a strong hook.
With a great recording in the can, Sinclair set out to find the right band to support it. Mason Pitts (Bass), formerly of Chapel Hill's Knocked Down Smilin', was recommended as a standout player. Having released two records and toured with national acts, Pitts moved to NYC in '97 to study music. He was performing and recording with several projects when Sinclair dropped the Freeloader recordings on his doorstep in Greenwich Village. Adam Chasan (Drums), formerly of NYC bands Poolsville and Supple, met Sinclair through a grade school buddy and fellow musician who shared rehearsal space on the Lower East Side. The new line-up was put to the test for their first gig together at Arlene Grocery in NYC. "Mason and I had played together a few times when our drummer quit the night before the show. I expected Mason to follow suit, instead he picked up the phone and started calling drummers. Adam immediately signed on, learned the songs overnight, and we haven't looked back," Sinclair recalls. "From the moment we started playing together it just gelled," Pitts adds.
Less than a year later Freeloader has built a loyal following in fickle New York City, where they pack them in at Arlene and CBGB 313. They have also begun to build a strong circuit in the South and recently were selected to perform at South by Southwest in Austin, TX. "I think that we really resonate down South because they hear something nostalgic and accessible, but from an original perspective," suggests Sinclair.
Custom/10 will be in stores nationwide on October 9, 2001 and Freeloader plans to pull into your town soon. "We have high expectations for the band, but our day to day mission is to have a good ride and not get snagged by the conductor."
Freeloader is:
Scott Sinclair - Guitar & Vocals
Mason Pitts - Bass & Vocals
Adam Chasan- Drums
