Scrambled

A local acoustic trio is laying it all out there with hopes of making it big in the music business down the long and winding road.

Scrambled, which consists of 2009 Waterloo High School graduate Zach Hoock and Red Bud High School grads Britton Liefer (2009) on mandolin and Ray Bieri (2010) on acoustic guitar, is releasing a 15-song album of original material next month.

A CD release show will take place Saturday night, April 2, on the third floor of Gallagher’s restaurant in Waterloo — a place they have played several times in the past.

Scrambled’s sound combines elements of bluegrass, Americana, rock and blues with a pop sensibility. The band refers to their unique sound as “bluesgrass.”

Hoock and Liefer formed the band with Mark Vironda a few years ago, making the switch from an electric rock band to a truer, more appealing acoustic effort.

Scrambled ventured out of town to get a taste of the traveling band lifestyle, and they hope to do it more often with the release of their new CD.

Following the departure of Vironda, the band added Bieri and have been playing places such as Gallagher’s, J.Fires’ Market Bistro and other venues in an effort to hone their craft.

All three members sing and take equal parts in the songwriting process.

“Whoever sings that particular song probably wrote it, for the most part, but everyone adds their own flavor,” Hoock said. “We make each song our own, that’s for sure.”

Scrambled decided to record the new CD at Bieri’s home in Prairie du Rocher, using just one microphone similar to the early days of recorded music. The entire recording process took about one year, band members said, and features all of their respective musical talents.

Songs on the band’s new album tackle topics of lost love, road trips and current issues.

“Just the way of the world, the state of things these days,” Hoock said.

One song in particular, titled “Back This Way Again,” is about a road trip the guys took to California. The trip stuck with them because they were able to visit places with growing music scenes.

“We just really loved it out there,” Hoock said.

Another standout song on the album is “Back on Track,” featuring the lead singing of Hoock with tight vocal harmonies and all three band members taking listeners on a foot-tapping musical journey.

In addition to the cohesive, rhythmic elements of guitar, mandolin and bass the three musicians meld together on the new album, the banjo makes a welcome appearance on a few numbers.

Following the April 2 album release show, the goal of the band is to get their music heard everywhere and anywhere by playing shows in St. Louis and throughout the country.

Scrambled recently opened for fellow folky bluegrass band Grass Fed Mule at Broadway Oyster Bar in St. Louis.

“We have fun and would like to take this thing as far as it can go,” Liefer said.

And despite the upcoming release of 15 original tunes, the band is already itching to get back in the studio and record more new material.

“We want to record again real soon,” Bieri said.

For more information on Scrambled, including music samples, videos and a schedule of upcoming shows, visit online at www.scrambled4music.com.

To view a video of Scrambled performing the song “Back on Track” from the new CD at the Republic-Times office, click here.