Details:
Coming out of the same 90's music scene at the University of Notre Dame that produced jam-band Umphrey's McGee, the Renaissance Men are similarly composed of a variety of musicians from different campus groups. Mark Lang (guitars, vocals) of Sozo and George and Freeks, and J.P. Hurt (bass, percussion) also of George and the Freeks are joined by Kevin Fleming (drums, percussion, guitar, vocals) of Dissfunktion and Emily Lord, guitarist Michael McGlinn of the Fighting Irish Offensive Line, keyboardist P.J. McCurry and singer Mike Novak. Performing inadvertantly for the first time during an impromptu night of music in South Bend, the music revealed potentials waiting to be tapped. Word got out. Invitations and offers were made. In the space of two months' time, the band was in the musical playground of Nashville with a handful of songs and hundreds of thousands of dollars of recording equipment at their disposal.

The "regular" timeline of musical production was thrown an unusual curve ball when singer/songwriter Mike Novak decided that he just had to have a Ph.D. Drummer Kevin Fleming already had one in Psychology, which just proved how cool it was. Nevertheless, this is not the usual tabloid-grabbing stunt one expects of a musician, and it has definitely proved a major distraction from the sole production of music. On the other hand, the Renaissance Men are firmly of the opinion that it is because they are so rooted in real life that their musical productions have a lot of soul. So it's a give-and-take: if they couldn't concentrate on marketing lots of music while Mike (and then P.J. and then J.P.) were collecting more degrees, they could at least still make the music. Worrying about grabbing everyone's attention? That can come later. If you're reading this already, you're in on the secret for now, and we hope you are enjoying it.

Life and Other Impossibilities: Real Songs for Real Life.

Quotes:
"Once in a great while, musicians gather and it just works really well."

– Michael McGlinn, Producer/Tracking Engineer, guitarist

"Probably the most exciting moments of making this music for me would be when we were in the midst of recording one of the songs 'live' with the whole band in the studio, and we'd come to some instant where you'd see people's eyes start to get wide with surprise and excitement, and that look on their faces that said, 'Yeah, this is the way music is supposed to be.'"

– Mike Novak, singer/songwriter

"Recording this album taught me a lot. That one can make music without losing one's whole self reminded me of why there is so much lightness to the feel of this project. We all were simply ourselves: doing what we love, while not giving up other loves. Makes for a killer recording...."

– Kevin Fleming, drums, guitar, vocals

"The album is an example of the wonderful fruit that can come from equal parts grace and friendship."

"Kevin Fleming is either the daddy-mac or the mac-daddy on the drums; I forget which."

"I think the magic of the album and the process was that the musicians were faithful to the songwriter's deepest intent - and that the musicians were faithful to the deepest part of themselves."

– P.J. McCurry, keyboards, guitars, tambourine, unexpected Latin voiceovers

"This is our album.... These are some tracks from it.... I hope you listen... and if it makes you, you know, shoot out of your mind, and you want to buy it, man... that'd be cool."

– Mark Lang, guitars, vocals

"What's a press quote?"

– J. P. Hurt, bass, percussion, impromptu Gershwin preludes


Contact Info:
NovakFreek@aol.com

Degree Count:
Continuing the quest to be the Most-Educated Band on the Planet! Current degrees held or in progress:
Ph.D.: 2
J.D.: 1
M.A.: 2
M.Div.: 1
B.A.: 6
B.S.: 1
Total: 13!