In Overdrive

David Bierman returns to rock   by Kayla Williams David Bierman is no stranger to rock n’ roll. He was the lead singer of Detroit alt-rock band Junk Monkeys in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. In 1994, he took a break from music, a break that lasted 20 years. “In the last couple years, I just started sitting down and writing songs to a point where halfway through, I thought, ‘This sounds like something I can get behind.’ So I made a few phone calls, and got some of my favorite musicians to help out,” Bierman said. David Bierman Overdrive, his new band, is an unexpected return from a Detroit rocker who was silent for 20 years before going into Tempermill Studios with new songs ready to record. The band includes Bierman’s former Junk Monkeys band member Kevin Perri on bass, David Feeny (who produced the album) on pedal steel and keyboards, Jim Faulkner of The Beggars on drums, and Stephen Palmer of The High Strung on guitar. Bierman’s early musical education started in Detroit. “There was a punk and new wave scene going on in Detroit when I was a kid, and I would sneak in and see bands like The Mutants; local bands like that had a huge influence on me,” he said. With his current project, however, Bierman leaves the punkier sounds of youth behind, instead focusing on a more reflective, seasoned approach. Overall, Bierman describes his new band’s sound as “a distillation of classic [types of] American rock n’ roll.” The album starts with “Clock” and ends with “Alarm Clock,” parallel bookends of the same song done in different styles, one quirky pop, and one more rock, two different approaches to an instrument of time. The track “Swept Away” tells a story. “It’s a true story,” Bierman stated. “The guy [who the song is about] sadly passed away. He heard the record prior to passing away and called that track out [as a favorite] specifically, and indicated he might have known it was about him but didn’t mention it [outright].” “Waltz of Spilled Drinks” has a sound reminiscent of indie-rock outfit Wilco, and is about “a night that is collapsing around a couple,” Berman explained. Berman looks to Wilco as a model for rocking at an older age. “They aren’t pretending they are still 22. They are up there and they are grown men playing their instruments and singing their songs. What’s really inspiring about those guys is they just do their thing and play from where they are now.” When asked if David Bierman Overdrive has plans to release a follow-up record, Bierman stated, “I’ve got a few songs started. I’m not going to wait another 20 years.” The band plans to play Toledo for the first time, this year. Stay tuned for more info here.