Do you have a story behind your artist name?
We do, but non disclosure agreements and state/federal laws prevent us from sharing the story. Let’s just say, we were never convicted.
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Matt Tavano: Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mom always had some kind of music playing in the house, and that clearly made an impression. These days it is an everyday thing in my house… or more to the point, in my head. I started playing when I was 16. At about the same time, in those formative years, I was introduced to jazz, blues, and classic rock, eventually branching out to find love and appreciation for all different genres of music. After playing in a few bands in the Boston area in the early 2000s, I took a break from music to focus on my career. When I met Mike in 2016, I hadn’t played in nearly a decade. He and his current band gave me a place to start playing again and get the rust off.
Mike Azzolino: My musical journey started when I was a kid – my grandfather owned a property he rented out as practice spaces to bands. They would skip town and not pay their rent, and leave equipment behind. I was surrounded by keyboards, guitars, bass, drums. I started to learn how to play each instrument and found my passion. I took piano for eight years and when no one wanted a piano player in their rock band, I switched over to drums. My dad was a drummer, my uncle was a drummer, so it just came naturally. They taught me how to play, and the rest is history. Music has shaped every aspect of my life – there is so much emotion in music – it’s gotten me through a lot.
Mark Young: In my teens I started to get more into music than the pop stuff on the radio. My brother gave me two albums for Christmas: Blondie‘s Greatest Hits and AC/DC’s For Those About to Rock. The rest was history. I went down a path of ‘80s metal and hard rock until later in high school where friends had introduced me to other genres like jazz, fusion, psychedelic, etc. and I started taking classical guitar lessons. All of this eventually led to playing with other people, expanding my musical horizons and joining more serious bands. Once I started playing out in public, I was encouraged if not pushed to play better guitar technique and out of my comfort zone. I currently love the music we play in Falsely Accused, and we all bring something different to the table, while I still play and enjoy solo classical guitar events as well.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
Matt: Our sound is a lot of rock and roll with a little blues mixed in here and there. Each one of us comes with different influences and we do our best to blend them together. We’re not, nor did we intend, to be a “blues band,” in the classic sense. While there are elements of blues in some of our songs, it is merely one ingredient in the recipe that makes our sound unique.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
Matt: To be honest I have no idea why I picked bass over guitar. I remember being in the local music store with my mom and picking out an Aria Pro II bass off the wall (I still have it). It was all downhill from there. As far as being the lead singer goes, for as long as I can remember I wanted to front a rock band. I never did before because I was incredibly self conscious about my voice and needed someone to give me a nudge (shove) in the right direction. When I joined the band with Mike, he and the boys gave me room and most importantly (to me) encouragement to experiment.
Mike: I grew up listening to ska, punk, and rock and roll. As I’ve grown up I’ve been drawn to emotional music and music that tells a story. There isn’t a genre more geared towards that then blues and rock and roll.
Mark: I think hearing hard rock tunes drew me into the rock multiverse as opposed to other genres at the time. I still enjoy rock and many of its sub-genres, but really enjoy playing different styles and try to incorporate that into the band. Guitar stood out to me (as it did many a burgeoning teen) for its versatility, and it just stood out above the other instruments for some reason. Plus, it’s a lot easier to lug around an acoustic guitar than a piano. Guitar doesn’t seem to be the focus of most bands today, but music has come a long way with a lot more to offer in the 21st-century.
What inspires you to write music?
Matt: Life. It’s pretty much that simple. We all have stories to tell, good and bad. Writing music is a beautiful avenue to tell those stories in a way that is one one hand safe but on the other leaves you completely vulnerable and exposed. I have found tremendous healing in writing songs about the things in life we may otherwise keep inside.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
Matt: This new EP is a collection of stories about life, love and the occasional roadside robbery. Writing the music is a collaborative process that we really do well. Everyone is open to ideas and trying new things. As the primary lyricist, I aim to write about real things. I have always found that our best songs are rooted in something real. Something we can lean into. I can’t seem to write a song about nothing, or about things that don’t mean anything to me. Much like our last record, my hope is always that someone hears the words and the music and can relate.
I think about our new single “A Drink Before the War” as a love song. I wrote the words for my wife. It’s about finding the person you’re going to spend your life with and then fighting life’s battles together. Sometimes I’ve found that before we’ve had to do a hard thing together, it’s good to take a moment, gather our collective strength, and then get after it. A quiet moment before the fight. I think every couple has had those moments. That’s where the strength happens.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
We hope that people listening can hear the intention behind the music. While some songs certainly come together faster than others, we spend a lot of time honing solos, transitions, intros/outros and melodies to get to the finished product. We’ve never just “slapped together” a song and put it out to the world. If it’s not up to our standards, it doesn’t make the final cut.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
Matt:That’s a tough one. It is constantly changing, but I’d say the top three rock artists that stay in rotation either in my head or on the turntable are Queens of the Stone Age, All Them Witches and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Mike: Royal Blood, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton.
Mark: Led Zeppelin has always been in my top three. John McLaughlin is also one of my favorite artists for his contributions to guitar, jazz/fusion and many styles of music that he has created and inspired (even utilizing some Indian classical music and different modes). Miles Davis has to be another favorite of mine for his genre-bending music, style and the many careers he spawned from his band iterations over the years. His autobiography was not very flattering but I still admire his musical contributions, style and perseverance.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
We are @falselyaccusedband on Instagram and Facebook. That’s the best place to find and connect with us. We’re always happy to hear from friends and fans that want to connect.
Homepage: https://thefalselyaccused.biz/index.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/falselyaccusedband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/falselyaccusedband
Bandcamp: https://falselyaccusedband.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jASm57OKMGTGNWEqPapuv?si=ljlKFdGiTcuRhJWm3KuG-Q&dl_branch=1&nd=1&dlsi=e250be6a03164051
What’s next for you?
We have some great shows coming up this fall as we release new singles ahead of the EP, which is scheduled to come out in January. After that we look forward to sharing that music live wherever we can.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Thank you for chatting with us!
Bio:
Falsely Accused is an emerging alternative rock band in the Boston and greater New England area. The trio’s evolving style encompasses the energy of classic and modern rock and roll bands from Jimi Hendrix to The Black Keys, with a cultivated sound that is richly unique and entirely their own. Falsely Accused cite influences that range from early swamp blues and the edgier genres of hard rock to the life and lessons that surround them each and every day. The power trio consists of Mike Azzolino on drums and percussion and backup vocals; Matt Tavano on bass and lead vocals; and Mark Young on guitars and backup vocals. Debut album Compression arrived in 2021, followed by a holiday single the following year. A new single titled “A Drink Before the War” is due out in September 2024, with more new music to soon follow.
