413 20th Street
Galveston, Texas, 77550
United States
On October 20th, 2017 The Bergamot released the dreamy anthem P.D.R. (Both Records LLC). The single launched the band’s career who was then discovered by Matt Wiggins (Adele, U2, Florence and the Machine) and achieved great reviews being called ‘The hottest emerging music talent’ (People) and ‘a gorgeous sound’ (Daily Mirror).
Fans have discovered the band through an unbelievable series of music videos released to promote the new album ‘MAYFLIES’. The videos have been heralded by music critics as ‘Lush’ (PARADE) and ‘The Perfect Blend’ (EARMILK). These groundbreaking videos have brought light to difficult topics and continued to build upon the band’s momentum from ‘P.D.R.’. The videos have garnered over 150k views on YouTube.
Music blogs from all over the world have taken to ‘MAYFLIES’. The band’s single ‘L.A.’ has landed at the #1 spot on SubmitHub and the group looks to expand it’s presence on the radio both domestically and abroad.
The Bergamot is composed of husband-wife duo Nathaniel Paul Hoff and Jillian Speece from the post-industrial town of South Bend, IN near the southeastern shores of serene Lake Michigan. The duo is all American sweethearts from the heartland. In a recent interview Hoff states, ‘Jillian and I both look back fondly at our years growing up in Indiana.’ Growing up they both sang and performed in the church band. They pulled on influences ranging from Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Nick Drake, and Bob Dylan.
The band’s main writer Nathaniel discovered the literary genius of fellow midwestern poet Carl Sandberg and his work capturing the life and strain of American life. ‘The music and the songwriting itself is pinnacle’ Hoff explained to Trend and Chaos (NYC). Telling the American story one word at a time the songs touch on many aspects of American life in 2019.
One of the main inspirations behind MAYFLIES is a 50 State journey in 2016 filming a documentary called ‘State of the Unity’. Speece reflects that ‘It was a journey to try and understand people, not judge people’. This deep human connection is where the band pulls inspiration. ‘One Mile’ was described as a song that can ‘Restore a sense of empathy in the human heart.’ (CHILLFILTR).
In 2013, The Bergamot relocated to New York City to focus their efforts on touring liberal art colleges in the mid-Atlantic region and refining their unique sound. The band was performing in singer-songwriter acoustic nights weekly when the first major break came. The group won a songwriting competition, which propelled the group into People Magazine right next to Gavin DeGraw. The band used the momentum to create their most critically anticipated album MAYFLIES with producer/engineer Matt Wiggins (UK).
Another tipping point came for the band when Rock Band along with ReverbNation and Firefly Music Festival licensed the group’s song ‘Forget About Tomorrow’ for the video game ‘Rock Band: Rivals’. Overnight the band was on the front of YouTube gaming pages with people performing the band’s music in the video game. ‘It brought about a level of awareness we had never seen before in our music overnight,’ says Hoff. The Bergamot was becoming a household name.
‘Our band name has always inspired our music’ states Speece. ‘We were spending a lot of time writing and learning new ways of living – in and out of co-ops and mom and pop groceries’ reflects Hoff. ‘I came across bergamot oil and the word just grabbed me – the way it looked and what it meant,’ he states. Bergamot oil is used to induce happiness and release stress. ‘Our music reflected this same ambiance – so we landed on our name: The Bergamot – it illuminated our purpose,’ says Speece.
The cinematic quality of The Bergamot’s videos can be seen in the videos for ‘L.A.’ and ‘Bones’. The ability of the group to dissect a difficult topic from a perspective that is both relatable and engaging. ‘Mayflies’ brings awareness to environmental destruction at the same time engaging the listener with dream-like luridness. ‘L.A.’ landed on the pages of PARADE magazine and instantly drew in critics from all over the world. With the help of Matt Wiggins the band could bring this ‘Dreamy Folk Pop’ to a new level. With songs like ‘Young Again’ and ‘Ceasefire’ the band had found what Where the Music Meets called ‘The Magic Formula’ blending a ‘flawless’ vocal duet. Combining the harmony with a sound of lazy guitars and impeccable productions the band has developed a mesmerizing ‘perfect harmony’ (IGGY MAG).
‘Then we won an Emmy with The Grotto Network’. Showcasing the versatility of the band and also the story they have built The Bergamot won an Emmy for their part in a piece called ‘Trailblazers: The Bergamot’. The piece showcases their journey in music while bringing awareness to a worthy cause. ‘After our 50 State journey were people signed our car with a message of unity, we auctioned the car off for a children’s hospital in South Bend’. The story has impacted thousands of people and set the stage for the release of the bands highly anticipated documentary State of the Unity filmed in 2016 and set to release in 2020 coinciding with 2 highly contentious election cycles to which MAYFLIES will be the soundtrack.
In recent months, The Bergamot revealed the fascinating ‘Bones’ video filmed by evolve Films. The entire music video was filmed underwater and marks a poignant message about depressions and suicide. The glitches of the video reflect a fragmented perspective and touch the viewer in an empathetic and revealing way. After making the band’s UK debut in The Daily Record and The Daily Mirror, the band is being heralded as ‘one of 2019 finest’ (mp3hugger) and a band that ‘We’ve been lauding for years’ (Atwood Magazine).
The stream of singles released this year has set the world stage for The Bergamot. The next album, ‘Mayflies’ is set to be the biggest release in the group’s history. The band has announced a full U.S. tour this fall, more music videos upcoming, all the while the band’s fanbase grows by the day. It’s been an overnight success that has been 10 years in the making.
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