The Refrain Interview: Standard Broadcast

Pittsburgh, PA indie rock band Standard Broadcast has released their newest single, “I Meant What I Said”. The indie rock track blurs the lines between classic rock, indie alternative like Cursive mainstream pop rock like The Fray.

We had a chance to chat with Nate Jay of the band as part of our Refrain Interview Series.

Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new single out now. What’s it called?

Nate Jay: “I Meant What I Said”

RMB: What is the song about?

Nate Jay: We honestly just had a fun night of the whole band just throwing out lyrics, I typically write most of our songs but this was just a really good time. Mostly just dealing with wanting a relationship to be over with once and for all. We’ve all reached that point where we know….this isn’t going to work, so you just want to move on from that person.

RMB: Is this single part of an album?

Nate Jay: This one will probably just be a one-off single for us, but we are actively recording a full-length album.

RMB: How does this single differ from your previous work?

Nate Jay: This one is a little more poppy, the rest of our sound is a little heavier/rock based.

RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded?

Nate Jay: We’ve actually had a fantastic time recording with producer Jimmy Hoyson and the Vault recording Studio in Pittsburgh. Jimmy splits his time between Pittsburgh and LA and has six Grammys to his credit. He’s been such a pleasure to work with and instrumental to this song in particular. He liked our first rough version but had us go back and write the bridge for the song…I was really impressed to his dedication to our project and that’s why we’re working with him on our entire next album.

RMB: Tell us a little about the band.

Nate Jay: We formed back in 2014 with Leland Shaw (cello) and I being the founding members. We’ve been fortunate enough to have a few different lineups of amazing musicians but I couldn’t be happier with our current members; Adam Seymour on guitar/vocals, Pat Riley on drums, and Tom Persson rounding out the group on bass. I play keys and am lead vocals for the band.

RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Nate Jay: For me, I’ve been listening to Coldplay for 20 years now, The Fray, Tor Miller…I tend to gravitate to the piano-rock genre.

RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?

Nate Jay: Along with playing in a fantastic music scene here in Pittsburgh, I’m most proud of our music festival we founded called “Indie-Rockfest”. Our event is going into its 6th year and event raises money for local unsigned musicians around Pittsburgh, all proceeds from ticket sales, sponsors go to the artists performing that night.

RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?

Nate Jay: Fortunately one of my favorite writeups by the Pittsburgh City Paper said “Standard Broadcast sounds like an alternate universe where Eddy Vetter is the finger of Coldplay…”

I love that.

RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?

Nate Jay: I think it’s really important to just keep going, to have longevity, and to moreover just be patient. Nothing will ever happen as fast as you would like it to.

RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?

Nate Jay: To not rush and put things out so quickly. When everything is fresh and exciting and new, you can’t wait to share it. I’ve learned it’s best to sit on things for a while and make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.

RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?

Nate Jay: Our new full length should be out next spring/summer 2023!