On September 23, RiverJAM Music hosted its sixth official Listening Room: Songs & Stories event in Red Bank, New Jersey. The evening highlighted and honored four local musicians: Cole Hallman, Johnny Kasun, Sandi Joy, and Jack Romano. The night began with an introduction from Reagan Richards and Gordon Brown of Williams Honor, members of the RiverJAM team and mentors within the organization.

Asbury Park’s music scene encompasses many genres, and is home to a variety of singers, songwriters, and artists. Among them all, only one has been dubbed “The People’s Pop Star”. When he takes the stage in his hometown, get ready for a show that’s bigger than the music. Blaise, the independent alternative-pop artist and Asbury Park native, brought his signature energy to the Sand Stage at the 2026 Sea.Hear.Now festival, delivering a set that felt just as much a celebration of life and creativity as it did a festival performance.

Asbury Park’s Sea.Hear.Now Festival is no stranger to promoting underground acts, especially those from its own backyard. Asbury Park native Jarod Clemons opened the Park Stage on Saturday, September 19, welcoming festivalgoers with an energetic performance and a fitting greeting to his hometown. Arriving onstage in golden cheetah-print pants and his signature sunglasses, Clemons immediately brought a sense of fun and personality to the stage.

King Stingray is more than just an Australian rock band; they’re a tangible connection between home and elsewhere. A five-piece comprised of Yolŋu (Aboriginal people of northeast Arnhem Land) and balanda (non-Indigenous) musicians, King Stingray mixes elements of rock and the ancient Indigenous tradition of manikay to make something that is uniquely their own (dubbed as Yolŋu surf rock). Currently, the band’s members are Roy Kellaway (guitarist), Dimathaya Burarrwanga (lead vocals), Campbell Messer (bassist), Lewis Stiles (drummer), and Ngalakan "Billy" Wanambi (didgeridoo, vocals, bilma).

“Jordan felt a similar desperation to be Silvia’s friend that she’d once felt with Trace. It was something she wanted to tamp down inside herself. It seemed so embracing to pine for friendship, but something about Silvia was addictive.” If the Fleetwood Mac album Rumours were a book, it would be Saturn Returning. Messy relationships, a yearning for personal growth, and a determination to forge one’s identity are wrapped up together with one bow in Kim Narby’s debut novel.

No Soap Radio’s namesake is rooted in absurdity: a punchline that refuses to arrive, a story that deliberately goes nowhere. The band themselves, though, seem intent on making a habit of going somewhere entirely their own. “ was the second or third thing that came to mind when we were kids, and it stuck,” explained Drew Coll, the band’s lead guitarist, who plays the instrument alongside Jay Blezow.

As an avid music listener, I’ve had no shortage of music to soak up in August. New releases at the tail end of summer capture a particularly warm feeling that, with luck, will stick with listeners as the weather slowly, or not so slowly, cools. Regardless, this month a variety of artists are gracing music lovers with new tracks, and I’ve found myself roped in by a hidden gem.

“We have a saying in my band: ‘All roads lead to Cash.’” For Jack Romano, Johnny Cash's influence extends far beyond the sound of his country voice. Like the late musician, Romano’s catalog is rooted in honesty, vulnerability, and raw emotion—songs that explore what it means to be human and, more specifically, what it means to be a man in a world that often discourages vulnerability.

For local author Erica M. Reilly, beach season is never really over. As a self-published author of The Swells of Stone Harbor and The Shallows of Avalon, Reilly’s writing always brings her back to the Jersey shore.  “It was something I’d always wanted to do,” Reilly said about writing a book. Having grown up in and around New Jersey—her parents even met in Ocean City, and her husband's family has a house in Stone Harbor—the shore had always been a big part of her life.

In the words of folk musician Jack Johnson, "time is just a melody." And for singer-songwriter Cole Hallman, the time is now.  Growing up in Manasquan, New Jersey, Hallman was surrounded by an endless coastline and a rich, local music scene. “There is a lot of music in my area, a lot of music in New Jersey,” says Hallman. “And I live along the coast, so every bar, every restaurant you go to, there’s some kind of music.” …

“I don't think I had a choice,” Sandi Joy says about her love of music. “And that's not a complaint whatsoever. I was literally born into music.” With a pianist, vocalist, and professional dancer mother and a touring guitarist father, Joy grew up in an aspiring musician’s dream household. Her musicianship, though, blossomed not at home but in an environment least expected: the Coast Guard.

To Ruby Alexander, nothing is sacred. But don’t take this the wrong way; the mantra serves as her reminder that everything is just a moment in time, that music is meant to be playful. “As I was recording this whole project,” she said, speaking of her upcoming EP, “my message to myself that I had to keep reiterating was that nothing is sacred.

Throughout his career, singer-songwriter Nathan Johnston has taken the road less traveled—and it has certainly made all the difference.   Brought up in the musical hub of Mullingar, Ireland, Johnston set out on his own journey as a performer at a young age, first picking up instruments around his family home. “My grandad was a showman,” says Johnston. “He used to perform onstage, but singing old ballads and things like that.

If you’re a writer, you probably have that one story scribbled down in a journal from when you were fourteen that will never see the light of day. Getting lost in faraway worlds and imagining dynamic characters fostered a goal of maybe, one day, becoming a real author.  The manifestation of every young writer’s dream is embodied in Dragon Pearls…

“A lot can happen in a year. I could become a whole new person. I could be famous by then.” This paragraph wraps up I Could Be Famous by Sydney Rende in a bow. This eleven-story collection is a darkly comedic and somehow timely book that touches on the lives of celebrities and those who admire them and are determined to be “more.” 

Fifteen years is a long time to dedicate to anything—but for Asbury Park-based rock band Halogens, the journey has been, in the words of their appropriately titled 2023 EP, Time Well Spent. For lead vocalist and guitarist Zach Henry, his relationship with music felt serious “pretty much right from the beginning.” “I started playing guitar, and we made Halogens a couple of months later,” he explains.

“I hope people open their minds when they listen to .” That philosophy sits at the heart of EG Vines' newest album, Kaleidoscope Dream. Blending Americana storytelling with alternative rock energy, the record draws from a life shaped by a conservative upbringing, a decade spent working in corporate America, and the leap of faith required to leave it all behind in pursuit of music.

Rising high school senior and New Jersey native Sydney Schirripa is putting her passion to paper.  Exploring many aspects of the arts from a very young age, it didn’t take Schirripa long to realize her unique call to music and love of songwriting. “When I was younger, thankfully my parents allowed me to experiment with many different things and I had a lot of opportunities to try different stuff,” shares Schirripa.

Film sun, music moon, and fashion rising. That’s how Natasha Kalila best described the persona of her passions. The Maryland native moved to New York City 11 years ago and has since woven a myriad of mediums into an impressive career. Kalila’s most recent venture has been in the world of music. She released her debut EP, Everything Ain’t for Everybody…

From a young age, director and screenwriter Colin Hankenson knew he had a story to tell.  “My family would love to attest to this. I’ve always loved hamming it up, performing, and doing all that other stuff. Just presenting fun stories and ideas,” says Hankenson.  Starting with childhood performances in his grandmother’s house to making YouTube videos with his friends in middle school, Hankenson's own story quickly transitioned from stage to screen. 

“All the enchantments of the place were gone.” Hillary Behrman scours the human condition with no time to slip on rose-colored glasses in Lake Effect. This debut short story collection received the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize for Short Fiction, a distinguished award firmly rooted in the indie literary world. Its recipient is chosen by a rotating featured writer and is presented by Sarabande Books, an independent, non-profit publishing house in Louisville, Kentucky—my home city—which published…

A debut album has one job: convince listeners that a band is worth paying attention to. Great ones become more than just introductions, instead establishing themselves as almost mythological benchmarks that every future release is measured against (such as Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not or even The Killers’ Hot Fuss). In the least threatening way possible, BACKHOUSE’s debut…

When people picture a hair salon, they often imagine rows of classic styling chairs, neutral colors, and shelves lined with hair products. But at Defiant Hair and Lonely Girl Vintage in Freehold, New Jersey, that familiar image is turned on its head. Equal parts salon and vintage boutique, the shop offers far more than a haircut. The space invites visitors into an environment where personal style and self-expression are all promoted and accepted.

“I don't just record them myself, but I write them too,” explains indie pop artist Sasha Perskie. “And that's been a huge part of my life: writing music, performing, playing gigs, playing open mics.” Last year, Perskie released Day Night, a four-song EP self-described from the influences of Fiona Apple and Lizzy McAlpine. The project is self-composed, with mixing and mastering assistance from producers James Sleeman and Colin McCab.

I’m a firm believer that seasons shouldn’t be rushed. The hype for Halloween in July and the Christmas rush in November make me physically ill in a way that should be studied by the pumpkin spice latte enthusiasts. As much as I am stubborn in this and in more ways than one, I am open-minded. Thus, the only exception I’ve made for this rule in recent years is Margot Miller’s recent EP, …

Alex Pickert made the strenuous, cross-country move from Pleasanton, CA, to Boston to attend school at Berklee College of Music. Once he started to play in bands and book DIY shows, he never made the decision to turn back. “What started as helping friends book gigs in Allston basements eventually turned into Get To The Gig Boston,” Pickert explained, “where we’ve spent the last decade helping local artists find opportunities and building community around live music.” …

Every photograph is, in some way, an act of preservation. For photographer Conni Freestone, whose camera has captured everything from sweaty club shows and wrinkled bulldog faces to classic cars and the changing landscape of Asbury Park, photography has always been about proving a moment existed before it didn't.  That philosophy became the foundation of Proof I Was Here…

“It has always been my dream to publish a book of poetry,” said Srijani Mitra, a poet based in Bangalore, India. Now, with her debut collection, Mantras of the Moon, she can finally say it has come true. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, Mitra has been a poet ever since she was a child. “I really felt that poetry was my safe space,” she said.

Paul Luke Bonenfant took a semester off for a reason. Who knew it would lead to late-night sessions and New York City bookings?  At the ages of 12 and 13, Paul Luke Bonenfant and Gavin Kim performed alongside each other in Broadway’s School of Rock; nearly ten years later, they now do so in Blush Boy as budding guitarists.

If you could go back to any day in your life and relive it one more time, which would youchoose? The independent, coming-of-age short film, Garbage Day, could help inspire ananswer. This feature, directed and written by Kyle Silverio, a filmmaker and recent NYU graduate, firstbegan after he experienced a creative rut in the Fall of 2024.

What do you think of when someone says the word “romantasy”? Medieval worlds full of castles? Dragons and magical creatures? Warriors and queens? The popular subgenre that combines fantasy and romance has slowly become a monolith that promotes a singular aesthetic vision; yet, Verity Guild veers away and paves its own path.  Written by Mai Corland and published last month by…

Srijana Mitra’s collection of poems, Mantras of the Moon, reflects an appreciation and longing for one’s culture and past heritage. Mitra herself is a writer based in India who has spoken at many literary festivals (Mangalore Lit Fest and Shoolini University Literary Festival, to name a few). She’s been published previously in publications such as Certain Age Magazine and ItGetsBetter.

Jake Radano knew exactly what he wanted from a young age: to be in a band, to be a musician, and that’s exactly what he’s made of himself.  As a music industry and business major at Rowan University, Radano now stands as the drummer of Blush Boy. But his journey with the band dates back to his middle school days, with Blush Boy’s guitarist…

“I think that I view the page as a playground,” Kay E. Bancroft said, describing their writing style. “And what I mean by that is I seek to understand what the limitations of the page are.” This writing approach has sustained Bancroft’s work since they embarked on their MFA in creative writing with a poetry focus at Randolph College, from 2020 to 2022.

There’s something instantly intriguing about SYLVR (pronounced “silver”). This UK-Peruvian duo seems to have arrived fully formed, with a sound that feels less like a debut and more like recollecting your dream from a few nights ago. Made up of Jamie Thomas and Raquel Bartra, SYLVR's sound lives somewhere between goth-pop and electronic haze. It’s what they call “nightmare pop”—a phrase that makes perfect sense when you press play.

Since the early days of rock and roll, New Jersey has demanded greatness from its music scene, inspiring transformative acts like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, and My Chemical Romance. Now, Bobby Mahoney is answering the call.  Growing up in East Brunswick, NJ, 31-year-old songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Bobby Mahoney first began cultivating his ear for music like many kids do—in the back seat of his parents' car.

On an unassuming Tuesday evening in the East Village, a sequin-studded popstar stepped towards the stage. The lights were bright, and the bass was loud as she made her way through the crowd. When the lights come up on Avery Cochrane, it feels like her three hundredth concert, not her third. The Seattle-born singer embarked on her first headline tour after releasing her latest EP, …

Solstice is reworking the long-standing definition of “Riot Grrrl,” purely by existing. Solstice, an all-girl band from Asbury Park, New Jersey, was pieced together through the love of music and the collaboration of talented people. Made up of four girls, Milania (singer/guitar), Amelia (guitar), Harmony (bass), and Alexis (drums), Solstice currently identifies as a cover band, performing upbeat music, while also sticking to some punky classic bands like Title Fight and Bikini Kill.

Most people can articulate the significant events of their lives: graduations, weddings, funerals, birthdays. Those usually stand out. But much of our humanity is captured equally, and for some even more so, in the seemingly small experiences that make up our day-to-day lives. “Sometimes it’s not about the insanely dramatic —the tragedies and the comedies and the romance. Sometimes it’s just about everyday life and the different aspects that go into it,” Sophia Considine explained passionately.

In recent years, Pride Month has become more than just a half-assed and disregarded moniker for June, as queer individuals use the month to celebrate, honor, and revel in the beauty that is queer joy. Ignoring the disastrous attempts at corporate allyship (i.e., Target’s visually offensive Pride collection), art flourishes during June as artists align with an inherently built-in, gathered community. 

From Memphis, Tennessee, singer, guitarist, writer, and pianist Luisa Wilson harkens back to soul, rhythm & blues, and jazz. Many would overthink this blend of genres, but Wilson turns it into art through her lyricism and smooth vocals. Named on 1883 Magazine’s “2026 Breakthrough Artists You Need On Your Radar” list, Wilson released her EP, Love & Oxygen, at the beginning of the year…

In a world increasingly shaped by AI, Dutch singer-songwriter PJM Bond has made it his mission to reject it and embrace life’s imperfections — especially in his music. “What’s the point of listening to immaculately perfect pop songs?” he questioned. “By allowing mistakes to happen and by not focusing on perfection, I wanted my album to celebrate the aspect of humanity in music.”

In the world we’re living in today, we can all relate to the feeling of doom we get from watching the news. We’re surrounded by endless reports of the devastation felt around the world, and then we turn to social media, drowning out the noise with our favorite influencer's newest vacation vlog. We watch the celebrities, influencers, and even politicians living in luxury, knowing we will never be able to afford any semblance of that lifestyle.

Over the course of this decade, the subgenre of “romantasy” has soared in popularity. Specifically on BookTok, novels that fall under the fantasy-romance hybrid category are pushed to the forefront of viewers’ feeds and social media doomscrolling. Despite the mainstream quality of romantasy, the style itself is uniquely beloved by indie writers and young artists. For example, A Court of Thorns and Roses…

Many would characterize the path to photography as a passion, or even a calling. But for New Jersey-based photographer Kenny Bieber, his introduction to the visual arts could be described as a requirement. Bieber first began his journey as a professional photographer while finishing up his degree in journalism and media studies. Like most college kids, he found himself in need of just a few more credits in order to graduate.

Before becoming a father, Sam Slick had already built a family of his own through music. Over the years, the folk-rock musician surrounded himself with a close-knit band whose chemistry and collaboration helped shape the sound of his newest album, After the Dream, Before the Memories, turning years of songwriting into his most fully realized project yet. Slick’s newest project, released in March of this year, introduced a bigger sound to his fanbase, one shaped by years of playing alongside the same group of musicians.

Future Teens, a bummer-pop band from Boston, Massachusetts, just dropped their newest album titled Still Life. The band's fourth album premiered on May 8 with Take This To Heart Records. With a 35-minute run time, Still Life exemplifies both similarities to their previous discography, as well as a newly settled sound, focusing on drum-driven songs laced with guitar riffs and synths.

Writers get inspiration from a variety of sources: their personal lives, the news, movies, television shows, or even writing prompts. Sophie Riley got hers from a 2014 Tumblr post. “I had saved that so long ago and just put it in my brain,” Riley said. “I just got this idea for a book about the end of the world, but where a mother and a daughter are still going to have their mother-daughter issues and where a teenage girl is just still going to be a teenage girl.

It all started with a gifted cake—and a misspelling. A small yet thoughtful gesture from family after Yawn Mower released their album To Each Their Own Coat. But instead of “congrats,” the icing read “congarts.” It was the kind of mistake most people would get mad over and soon try to forget, but Mike Chick didn’t. “I immediately knew it was going to be the next LP,” he said.

On April 28, Claire Martine released her newest dreamy single, “Got it wrong.”  Produced by Alejandro Flórez and Liam Hartnett, "Got it wrong" uses wistful, lo-fi-pop-adjacent beats accompanied by beautiful bass and guitar playing to describe how hard it can be to express yourself at the right times. Lyrics like, "Sorry about last night / rolled your ankle / but I’m the one who cried" encompass this idea perfectly, as Martine details how raw emotion that you're trying to keep down can come out at the wrong times, because of suppression.