It’s not often that you walk into a bar or club and see its patrons focused on the band playing, through every song, but for the alternative pop band, The Blue Rhonda, it is normal. “Writing compelling songs that catch a new audience’s attention is number one. Whenever people ask if I am a musician, I tell them I’m a songwriter,” says TBR’s frontman Glenn Kendzia, a skilled guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in his own right. Their brand of alternative pop blends contemporary rock with throwback organ sounds of the 70s, evoking the affect of Jason Mraz and Maroon 5, and the quirkiness and experimentalism of Ben Folds, Death Cab for Cutie, and Silversun Pickups. TBR’s noteworthy compositions and dynamic, buzzing energy has been on the stage across the United States, from bars and theaters in New England, to the clubs in Los Angeles such as The Viper Room, performing with bands such as The Rocket Summer.
The band’s debut album, “Black Marigolds,” was recorded between August 2009 and May 2010, and released in October 2010 on Wax on Felt Records. “When we were offered the chance to record this album, I really wanted to cut the songs I had written long before that point. They have such a youthful innocence to them, that I knew if I didn’t record them then, they would be lost,” explains Glenn. Yet “Black Marigold’s” youthful feel has taken hold in listeners of all ages. The album was downloaded over 1,000 times in the first few weeks after it’s release. It was featured in Seth Green and Ken Fuch (The Bachelorette)’s new reality show, “ControlTV,” and its singles have been pitched by a sync agency for numerous high profile ad campaigns. The song, "The Line" won an EVVY Award for Best Original Recording before the album was even released.
In 2011, the band will begin working on a new EP, as well as touring. Look out for their songs on your TV, and their energetic music on a stage near you.
The Blue Rhonda. Making pop music cool again.
