The Bernhardt Family Band "Moonlight"
Some folks will be surprised to find you listed on the liner notes for Ali Wadsworth's album, any other surprise credits to know about?
We did some harmonies for Ron Gallo’s solo project last fall, so that’s in the works. Jerry recorded on Mike McMonagle’s album a few months ago and did a keyboard session with Chris Kasper, in addition to the Juston Stens/Get Real Gang albums. And aside from my role on Ali’s album last year, I’m looking forward to singing on one of Dirty Dollhouse’s tracks for their upcoming record (Chelsea Mitchell wrote a song with this beautiful 4 part harmony, so thankfully I will be the 4th voice).
Jerry Bernhardt as a member of Juston Stens and the Get Real Gang at Maine Caravan
Kate Bernhardt with Ali Wadsworth last summer at Sofar Sounds Philadelphia
Can you explain "The Family?" Is it because secretly you want Mike McMonagle to play in the band?
I think it was Ron Gallo who affectionately/sarcastically coined that name for us after we had successfully dodged committing to any official name for years. Even though it started as a joke, it kind of captures a joyous, closely-knit vibe that has influenced us both as musicians and as brother and sister… plus we like the playful aspect of that name, which makes any auxiliary member of the band some kind of weird familial relation (for example, weird Cousin Ben [Plotnik] on bass). We definitely would love to get our actual cousins, Mike McMonagle and his older brother Joey McMonagle (front man for a Lancaster band, Slimfit), into the mix! For now, the geography gets in the way, but we do hope to expand the “family” over time as our songs evolve into fuller band arrangements. And who knows whether that evolution involves a new name all together or not.
How did the band come to be?
But as with many things, there was no flipping of a switch that made us a band – it was really a transformative process over time that stemmed from our individual appreciation for and love of music. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that we started focusing on regularly playing our own original music together. And since graduating college and living in Philly, we have somehow been fortunate enough to meet and play with a lot of Philadelphia’s original musicians locally. I think, aside from our parents support, this has been the key inspiration and encouragement behind developing our music.
Is it hard with real world commitments and Jerry being in Juston Stens and other bands?
I’m sure all musicians can relate to the balancing act of meeting financial commitments versus exploring creative projects that make you a better artist. Because we both work full time, we’ve had to endure our share of long days and nights – but that’s just part of the balancing act. Whether it’s juggling an early morning meeting at work, or a long week night of back-to-back rehearsals, the sense of fulfillment that you get from doing what you love tends to outweigh the exhaustion. Our friends occasionally think we’re crazy for committing to so many things, but we make it work because we love it.
Writing the songs, is this your duty/passion? Where does Jerry fit in with the creation of the songs?
Our parents like to say that I’m a “singer” first and Jerry a “musician” first– but sometimes I think they only say that to make me feel better about Jerry’s effortless versatility as a musician. Almost every song I’ve crafted was brought to him in a very raw stage, so while I might be generating the idea and words behind the song, he helps hone it and translate it into something that’s more polished, more colorful – really more reflective of our musical tastes. We’re just now starting to flesh out some songs that he has written, and I think that these will quickly become the favorites among our set.
Finally the question all your fans have been waiting to hear. What comfort level will it take before recording songs comes into discussion?
I’d say it’s more so about making the time than getting comfortable. Part of it could be getting comfortable with our own decisions about tempo and arrangement and style, but the biggest obstacle has been carving out uninterrupted time where we both can dedicate a string of days to the creative process. We are fairly critical of ourselves, so there’s definitely something to be said for abandoning that perfectionist mentality when you’re doing a record. But the more time that passes, the more compelled we feel to record… I wouldn’t be surprised to see something finalized by the end of the year, if not sooner.
Just for fun, see if you can find Kate & Jerry making cameo appearances in the Toy Soldiers "Red Dress" video.
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