Plus an album review of the band’s new release, As Above, So Below.
One Time Weekend is different.
The Connecticut-based prog/jam band is giving it all away. Literally. They’ve recorded dozens of their live shows, both full concerts and individual songs, and fans can go to Bandcamp or YouTube and watch and listen. All their music is available to stream for fans as well, for pennies.
The strategy of giving it all away seems to be working.
Since 2016, the band’s unique style of grungy, long-form jam prog rock — honestly, I don’t know what else to call it — has earned them fans and bigger and bigger venues. When Uma and I caught them at the Portland House of Music last year, opening for the Scottish rock funk trio High Fade, we had no idea who they were. We left as dedicated fans!
With their new album, As Above, So Below, One Time Weekend is looking to cement their reputation as one of the dominant shred-funk bands in New England. The independently released album, dropped at the end of May, ought to boost their reputation far and wide.
There’s the wonderfully strange earworm “Crypto Joe,” a song about gettin’ rich quick. Who would have thought that a song with the lyrics “Remember me when you’re rolling in dough / As the one who told you about crypto / Nothing is real, take whatever you can steal” could be so foot-stomping catchy.
I don’t even know how to describe “Femme Fatale,” a six-minute punk-influenced jam session about, literally, a man-eater. If you’re not laughing and bopping through the whole song, well, you might want to check and see if you have a pulse.
My favorite song on the album, though, by a wide margin, is “Moonflower.” The band takes its time here, layering riff after riff atop a poetic meditation that fans of early Yes would recognize instantly, building into a guitar jam outro that will leave you breathless. Here’s a live video of that song:
The band’s currently touring on the strength of the new album, with a collection of New England gigs that include shows in Bridgeport, Cornwell, and Hartford, Connecticut. On August 21, they’re headliners at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, Massachusetts.
Side note: The openers for the Pembroke show are Canopy, another incredible band we saw earlier this year. This is going to be an amazing show.
Info about Soundcheck Studios show
Band members Adam Eytan and Ian D’Arcangelo sat down with us for a quick interview about the new album, recording live music for their fans, and what to expect at a One Time Weekend live show!
Enjoy the interview, and we’ll have some links at the bottom of the article so you can go give the band some love on their socials!
One Time Weekend talks about their new album, “As Above, So Below.”
Dan & Uma Szczesny: Give us the band’s current regular lineup and a bit of background on the band
Adam Eytan: Our lineup includes Ian D’Arcangelo on vocals and bass, Adam Eytan on guitar and vocals, Sam McGarrity on guitar and vocals, Alex Giosa on percussion, and Ben Sullivan on drums. One Time Weekend was founded in 2016. Ian, Adam, and Ben were at the tail end of high school, entering college when forming the band. We’ve been making and playing music together as friends and bandmates consistently since then. With more recent additions to the band in Alex and Sam, we feel like we’ve found our most polished and cohesive sound yet.
Dan & Uma: Tell us about the meaning and inspiration behind the new album’s title, “As Above, So Below,” and also the amazing cover art
Ian D’Arcangelo: As we were discussing which songs we wanted to put on this album, we noticed a few themes working their way through the lyrics and music. The record plays off the themes of direction, push and pull, flying and falling, earth, sky and water, and other spiritual concepts. The traditional origin of “As Above, So Below” is pretty heady, but to my understanding boils down to the idea that what happens on a bigger plane of existence is also happening inside the individual. Basically, everything is connected, and nothing happens without a reason or reaction.
Dan & Uma: Our two favorites are “Fly Into the Sun” and “Moonflower.” We love the prog/jazz feel of those songs. You’re known as a jam band, but there are way more influences on that album. Tell us about the band’s songwriting process and influences.
Ian: Are you asking me for the secret formula?? Just kidding, no gatekeeping here…
Adam and I wrote the songs on this album, with creative influence and musical additions from Sam, Alex, and Ben. The songwriting process is different per person, but I know Adam likes to demo his songs out before bringing them to the band. He will fully write out most parts ahead of time. I, on the other hand, am more collaborative and tend to leave things a bit more open-ended. We then all get in the same room to work through parts and develop the songs further.
As far as influences go, it’s funny you mentioned being labeled as a jam band. We have grown up in and around the jam scene here in the Northeast, which was a huge part of our sound especially early on. As we’ve developed as artists and people, our sound has changed a bit. This album in particular pulls from a variety of artists and genres like Muse, Alice in Chains, Jack White, Porcupine Tree, Soundgarden, and many, many more. That being said, who knows what the next album might sound like?
Dan & Uma: We’re really interested in your strategy behind making so much of your recordings and all of your live shows available to fans on Bandcamp and other places. How has that worked out for you?
Adam: Making our live recordings available for our fans is not only a thank you to them for attending, but also a way for them to hear the band in its “true form” – being in our live setting. The live recordings have the feel of the high energy, raw feel that only our live shows can convey.
Ian: It gives the fans a chance to relive a show and direct their favorite moments. I know, for me personally, sometimes it can be easier to hear things when I am in a controlled environment (versus a loud concert with other people). Nothing will ever replace going to see live music, but soundboard recordings can get you close. You can find our live recordings on nugs.net and bandcamp.com
Dan & Uma: Finally, for someone who has never seen One Time Weekend live, what can they expect from a live show?
Ian: We are at our core a live band. It’s been the element of One Time Weekend that we’ve honed in on the most. So I can guarantee that any OTW live show you attend will be an entertaining performance. Each show is a different set list, with room for improvisation, and a high-energy stage presence, and song selection. We are a bunch of wise guys too, and we love connecting to our audience. So talk to us!
Interviews By Uma is a regular question-and-answer feature developed by eleven-year-old Uma Szczesny and formatted and managed by her journalist dad. The column and Substack focus on interviews between Uma and some of her favorite musicians, artists, and teachers. Uma is also a kid reporter for Manchester Ink Link and has written for Paperjam Magazine. Her interviews have been published in several media journals and newspapers in the United States and Canada. For more information on Interviews By Uma, to read her archive, or to propose or suggest an interview, email interviewsbyuma@gmail.com. Also, please share and check out Dan and Uma’s books here:
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