The band first came together as CR and The Degenerates in 2016, then backed by James Abbott on lead guitar, Max Rauch, and Keith Williams of LKFFCT on drums and bass. Later, we solidified a core with James, John Dewitt on bass, Harrison Bieth on synth, and Evan Luberger of Rosey Bengal on drums. And following the release of our last record in 2020, I formed a new lineup known as CR and The Nones with James and John, and we added James's wife, Nicole on synth and vocals, and Tom Barrett on drums.
My buddy Dash actually suggested the name, The Nones, as a play on my last name, Gennone. But I learned that The Nones are actually a real group of people that have no religious beliefs or affiliations. And I kind of connected with that belief, not just with religion, but sort of not belonging in society in general.
I've always been into music, riding around in the car with my dad, who introduced me to a lot of 60s-70s stuff. But I became obsessed with Neil Young and CSNY in high school and I started playing harmonica. I don't know why, I just wanted to. And I learned everything I could, all of Neil Young's harmonica parts, Bob Dylan's, Springsteen's. Then I bought a cheap acoustic guitar and started writing songs.
Can't remember the first "local" show I went to, but I went to a lot of basement shows in New Brunswick a while back and met some good friends in that scene that I'm still close with today.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
Well I'd add some Neil Young but he's not on Spotify. But I'm a big Jason Molina fan. His voice, lyrics, imagery, and sounds with Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. are so moving and heartbreaking. Tom just got me into Sparklehorse and I love It's a Wonderful Life. I just love the vibes and the tenderness of that album. Always been a big Wilco fan, mostly everything pre-Sky Blue Sky. I love Silver Jews and everything David Berman does. His lyrics are unmatched. Being from Jersey, I naturally love Bruce. Gram Parsons and Gene Clark are two of my favorite songwriters, both with incredible voices. And I've been a fan of Kurt Vile and The War on Drugs for years. I love the sounds and the vibes of those guys.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
I think the live experience should be different than what's recorded or else it's really boring. I've seen so many bands that play the songs exactly how they sound, and that's cool but it's never memorable. We play the songs a little differently live, whether it's a harmony, tempo, or something else, the songs evolve live. And that's the exciting part. That's what makes live shows exciting, playing every show just a little differently, having a different experience each time.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?
Yea we've toured regionally a little bit. We toured with our buddies Joy Cleaner down to Richmond, DC, and Philly. We toured with LKFFCT through New England, and I went on a week-long solo tour down south to Georgia and Nashville.
DIY touring has definitely been a mixed bag. We've played shows that had two people there, and played a packed college house where you couldn't move. One thing that was constant though was the hospitality of so many people in different places. No matter where you came from or how many people showed up, mostly all of the hosts were so nice and gave us a place to stay and some money to get to the next gig.
Best show was definitely at this college house in Richmond called Carpet Palace with Joy Cleaner. It was so crowded that people were bumping into us while we were playing and actually knocked Kyle's bass out of tune in the middle of his set. I think Kyle and I agree that we're still chasing the high from that show.
Worst show was probably at this place in Cambridge, MA next to the Middle East with LKFFCT. It was the last show of the tour, no one was really there, and we were hungover and exhausted. And Evan had a cold and I started feeling sick before the show. We drove home from Boston at 2 am and all went to work that day. It was pretty miserable.
What's up next for the band?
We have another single coming out soon and our new record is coming out September 8th on Magic Door! We have a couple shows coming up in Jersey City on 9/7, and we'll be playing in Brooklyn 9/22 and more this fall.
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