Brooklyn-based, raucous, pop rocks duo, Secret Music is cultivating an image of mystery, which is refreshing in a culture consumed by reality TV, Facebook, Twitter and a society of over-sharing. The band took issue with wanting to put their faces on things like the album cover and starring in their own videos, and staying true to their convictions, their faces are not found anywhere in any of those places. “Right now, that’s not really our main focus,” Secret Music frontman, Daniel Fry says. “There’s intrigue with the unknown and we’re trying to get people interested in that.”
Fry met bandmate Chase Nicholl in 2009 while Nicholl was visiting roommates of Fry’s. At the time, Fry was doing music by himself, and Nicholl was living in Boston. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Nicholl migrated south to New York, and within a week, the two were making music together.
Fry and Nicholl wrote their self-titled debut album while rooming together, and the result is a frenetically cohesive, synth-pop, guitar rock record with a nod toward Passion Pit, which is fitting since Ayad Al Adhamy of said band produced Secret Music on his label Black Bell Records. Adhamy also released the Joy Formidable’s A Thing Called Moaning EP on Black Bell, and there are tinges of the three piece’s chaotic art rock sound all over Secret Music’s debut.
Fry best describes their sound by looking at where they came from. Nicholl was in a synth pop band in college. Fry came from more of what he describes as a “bluegrassy, folksy background.” Nicholl was not the type of guy who’s serenading his girlfriend. Fry was in punk bands in high school were it was “all about going ape shit,” he laughs. “Music was second.”
Such is not the case now that the two have joined forces. Now, music is very much first priority, even if they’re not necessarily catering to any particular audience or outlet. “We really had no intentions of our music being for a record or for a blog. You gotta do 
it and think about it later,” Fry says. “I have this mindset where you can’t have preconceived notions about making records that people have to listen to. I’m all about ‘produce produce produce’ because if you’re always producing, you’re always getting better.” Build it, and they will come.
“They,” of course, would be the fans. Secret Music drops March 6, and, after a revolving door of musicians, Fry and Nicholl are ready to get out on the road and show audiences what they can do. Fry describes their live vibe very simply: “It’s good fucking rock and roll.” There’s no backing tracks. They have five people when they play live. They want to play to people who will let loose and dance. And it’s all got to be perfect, “We gotta impress the competition,” he says.
Secret Music is one band who is off and running and up and coming.
For more info, check out http://www.secretmusicband.com/.
Photos by Scott Marceau
Rock is a Verb 
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