New Relics gain national attention

Morgantown-based country music group The New Relics have gained recognition and nationwide radio play with the release of its sophomore album "Monongalia."

The album is named after the band's home county and was released in June 2009. It has attracted the attention of major players in the country music business.

"It's not twangy, cowboy hats and boots country but it's not glossy pop-country. I like to say that what we are doing is what The Eagles were doing in the '70s and Mellencamp in the '80s," said Josh Swiger, bass player for The New Relics. "We tend to fuse it all together, and you (the listeners) just get us."

The New Relics' single "Beautiful" debuted on the Music Row Breakout Chart in its first week of release.

The new album also won a Music Row DisCovery Award, an award presented to impressive up-and-coming country music artists.

The band recently finished filming its first music video for the single "Beautiful," and it is scheduled to play on the Country Music Television and Great American Country channel in October.

With influences ranging from Dave Matthews Band to the Allman Brothers Band, the band's new album has been described as bluegrass, alternative country and even rock, a sound that The New Relics likes to call "fusion country."

Lead singer Mike Arbogast, with drummer Bryan Martin, wrote most of the songs on "Monongalia."

Arbogast takes his inspiration from "just life in general" and claims growing up in Morgantown shines through the songs on the new album.

"Things happen to me, my family, my friends, the people I meet, and that's where the stories come from" Arbogast said. "We are really proud of where we are from, and the album is a collection of tunes that reflect our lives here so we thought naming it ‘Monongalia' was appropriate."

The band claims to have stuck to its signature sound but admits the new album brings some changes.

"Style-wise, our older material was everywhere; a little country, a little jam band, a little rock, and it never really worked," Swiger said. "On this album, we paid a lot more attention to detail and have produced a more cohesive sound."

The band has declared "Monongalia" its "crown jewel" and best work to date.

Arbogast added about the band's newly developed sound, "Each song is still unique, but the album as a whole has a distinct theme and sound so it works more as an album rather than just a collection of tunes we wrote."

The band has worked hard on the album and has high hopes for it's outcome.

"I think that good music reaches all people. We want to attract an audience that wants to have fun and enjoy music" Swiger said. "Good original music that can stand up to anything on the radio."

Currently signed with Morgantown label Blues Alley Records, The New Relics have started working with Nashville audio promoters Jack Pride and Jerry Duncan of Spinville Records.

Pride and Duncan have worked with artists like Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn and Alison Krauss.

The New Relics' new album "Monongalia" is available on several Web sites, including iTunes, www.cdbaby.com and www.amazon.com. The album will also be sold nationwide at Best Buy before December.