the sketches by the sketches

Their earliest influence was The Beatles, whom their oldest brothers Louie and Jorge played relentlessly on their stereos and guitars. The Beatles strong vocal harmonies and unconventional, yet memorable tunes quickly became the model. Later, the brothers would discover the rawness of Led Zeppelin, passion of U2, angst of Nirvana, and ambience of Radiohead.

Lead singer Charlie Bernardo has a forceful tenor in the style of QUEEN'S Freddie Mercury and U2's Bono, both of which he is often compared to. His other duty being the rhythm guitar, in which he uses both acoustic and electric guitars for song dynamics. Lead guitarist Tony Bernardo balances the grit of Zeppelin style classic guitar with the ambience and discipline of Pink Floyd and Radiohead style effects creating a unique sonic landscape, while holding down the vocal harmonies. Tony is also featured as the lead vocal on the track "Costar," in a delicate and sincere vocal performance.

The brothers are joined by Greg Watkins on bass, whose natural feel for rock is a surprise given his musical background. Having received classical training at the world-renowned Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore MD, Greg is highly in demand as a classical and jazz bassist. In addition, Greg is a studio recording artist, whose playing can be heard on numerous film, television, and radio soundtracks, as well as string arrangements for the "screamo" band Thrice on their album The Artist in the Ambulance. Greg adds an interesting touch to The Sketches sound with his melodic rock bass, and occasional use of the double bass for stripped down, acoustic songs.

Drummer Anthony Allen's credentials include having played jazz on four continents, a freelance columnist for several drum magazines, and a published author. His attention to detail and different percussive styles are a testament to his focus on finding the right beat for every song's individuality. When Anthony is not playing with The Sketches, he's busy giving private lessons and running his online drumming school www.drumsallday.com to teach the "future unemployed drummers of tomorrow."

The Sketches have just completed their first album. Originally titled The Demo Collection, the band decided their name served as a more appropriate metaphor for their experience, making the CD a self-titled debut. The tracks were recorded at Salad Days studios in Maryland with producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Snapcase, Cave In), 747 studios in Tennessee with producer Paul Ebersold (Spacehog, Sister Hazel, Three Doors Down) and DC with local producer Casey Danielson (Pale Brother, The Hard Tomorrows). Most tracks were recorded before Anthony and Greg joined the band, but the two newest, "Ellie" and "Costar," do feature them. For more information and to purchase the new album, The Sketches, you can visit us on the web at www.thesketches.com.

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