Joe came up with it one day and it just stuck.

We especially enjoy the live experience where we can let our studio tracks breathe and expand with the energy we get from the audience. We've always enjoyed live improvisation using the studio tracks as rough blueprints for the performances. Our songs are usually written around extended musical passages that can be extended and explored in the live show.

It gives a lot of power to the artists who embrace the new digital music landscape instead of fearing it. It is easier than ever for bands to get their music to potential fans if they have the right attitude about it and can come up with creative ways to market the music. Artists have to accept that file sharing and downloads are here to stay, and must figure out new ways to prosper in an environment where albums and CDs are dying off quickly.

If we could reach an agreement where we still have full control over the creative elements of the band and the music, we would certainly consider it. Our music means a lot to us, and we write/record because it is the music that we enjoy, NOT because we need to put food on the table or pay the water bill. We started our own music label (Meniscus Music) as a means to distribute our album and also to work with up-and-coming bands in and around the Philadelphia area.

By any measure, the creation of their debut album [sensoria] has been a labor of love for the members of Headend. Ray Bontempi (guitars, bass, keyboards, and vocals) and Joe Halgas (drums, percussion, bass, and vocals) had spent their early formative years playing in a number of different bands, though neither of them felt fundamentally satisfied with the music that had been created.

Ray was a founding member of the band "Beyond Blue," which had gone on to build a sizable fan base in the NYC metro area in the late 90s. Joe played in a number of bands throughout high school and college during the 90s including outfits such as "Wave Theory" and "Cool Hand Luke." The pair were introduced through a mutual acquaintance in 2001 and immediately found that they shared similar tastes in music and, more importantly, a common vision for an album they had each hoped to create someday. Discussions would often involve their favorite albums, artists, and songs, and the two would often cover these tracks during their various jam sessions.

The two began jamming together with various combinations of band lineups over the next several years as they sought to form the band that would satisfy their musical ambitions. All of these early incarnations had varying degrees of success. And then late one night in their makeshift recording studio, Ray and Joe were jamming some of their favorite classic rock songs when the sessions turned a corner into the realm of pure improvisation (in the middle of a Tom Petty tune of all things!). Luckily, the recorder was rolling and the two had captured their first unrehearsed exploration into spontaneous musical creation.

After listening to the tapes from these sessions, they had discovered the first traces of the sound and style that each had been searching for in a band, and the pair decided that they would proceed forward as a writing duo and went on to form the band now known as Headend.

The range of influences each member brought to the band are vast and diverse, but Ray and Joe have used these not to define, but rather to shape their own unique musical vision and lyrical sensibility. "Joe and I agreed from the beginning that we would only release our first album once we were completely satisfied with the results," Ray had once said, and it has taken nearly three years, numerous rewrites and revisions, and some innovative techniques in the studio to capture the album as both members imagined it.

"The material is definitely not mainstream rock," said Joe. "The songs are structured differently from your standard verse-chorus-verse arrangements. We wanted to write songs that would benefit from repeated listenings and more importantly provide breathing room for exploration in the live show."

After trying out several producers in the studio, the duo ultimately decided to self-produce [sensoria]. Placing a premium an artistic and creative freedom, Ray and Joe set out to make *their* record. The two started to assemble a full-time recording studio and began several crash courses in audio engineering, recording, and the use of digital audio workstations. A series of demo tracks were used to debug the studio as well as provide the duo with additional opportunities to develop their collaborative chemistry. Once the studio was up and running, the pair set to work writing songs together.

The multi-layered tracks span from six to fifteen minutes in length and feature a wide array of sound effects, time signatures, dynamics, and melodies, but also have a certain accessibility that was often lacking in the grandiose progressive rock albums of the late 70s and early 80s. Lyrically, the album tackles themes ranging from concepts of time, perceptions of reality, and self-evolution to more pointed discussions on relationships and the state of the music industry. Demo releases of some of the album's tracks including "Nine Days Wonder" and "Twilight" had become staples on some internet radio stations prior to the official October 2008 release of the album.

Our roots are based in the great progressive rock bands of the 70s and 80s, but we also have modern influences ranging from heavy metal to grunge to jazz. Our album "sensoria" definitely reflects the myriad influences that have affected us over the years.

We have a full review of some of the albums that have had the biggest impact on us as musicians listed on our website. Feel free to check them out and send us your opinions...

Vladivostok, without question!

A full listing of the gear we use on the studio is available on our website. Joe uses Pearl Drums and Zildjian cymbals. Ray uses Parker guitars, Fender bass, and Korg digital keyboards.

We always enjoy hearing from friends and fans and we appreciate all of the positive feedback and support we've received from you over the years. Thank you!