The Nancy Atlas Project Rocks On Stage and Off!
by Meredith Sanger Katz, July 3rd, 2003

The members of The Nancy Atlas Project have developed a local cult following. Their southern-infused rock-and-roll style has struck a resonant chord at the local clubs and bars the band plays. Nancy Atlas, Johnny Blood, Brett King, Rich Rosch, and Neil Surreal are five local and professional musicians who came together out of mutual admiration, band members said this week. They are a family. Despite the fact that each member of the band has several other projects, musical and otherwise, The Nancy Atlas Project is everyone's first priority, and they are hoping it will eventually be their only project.

Atlas, front-woman and songwriter, started making the rounds at local and New York City open mics. At the same time, King and Rosch were playing together, with Blood occasionally sitting in. The four musicians became The Nancy Atlas Project, and began playing regularly. Now, the band's CDs are selling, their shows are sold out, and they have appeared on national TV and in a movie.

"It's a fun, freaky, really strange, different kind of band," said Blood. Atlas manages the band, books the shows, sells the CDs, runs the website, and writes most of the music.

Neil Surreal, professional keyboard, harp and accordion player, saw the potential in the band and joined. "I don't know how I got so lucky," said Atlas, "I got incredible men on top of incredible musicians. We get along better offstage than on!" On stage, the chemistry and coherence is palpable.

Blood, a professional guitar journeyman for 35 years, feels that his home is on the stage. He has been performing live since he was 15 years old, and when there is a dry period, he feels as if he's "losing his mind." Blood plays with many other bands and songwriters as an independent musician as well as running his own studio upIsland. He loves working in the studio because it allows him to make other people's dreams come true, but playing with the band is his own dream, " I feel at home on stage, especially with Nancy, because sheπs a real natural at it. We complement each otherä She's really spontaneous and engaged with the audience."

King, who plays bass in the band, sheepishly admits that he is the only member of the band with a "real" job. He realizes that there is, "something mystical and magical about these five people." His goal is to be a full-time musician, someday. While the band is King's first priority, he has been writing for years and would like to put his own material out into the world. In addition to his independent music, he is writing a book, which he hopes will be completed in the next two years. According to King, the Nancy Atlas Project, "is Nancy's baby, we're along for the ride -- but we made it our sound."

Surreal, who claims he got into the music world because he was, "Too lazy to work, and too nervous to steal," is working on many musical projects. The band, however, is what he's most excited about, "I love the band, and Nancy cracks me up. She loves life, she's got her dog, her boyfriend, and her surfboard. That's what it's about." Surreal, the last member to join the band, is glad he did.

Everyone agrees that Atlas is the binding force that keeps the band together, successful, and moving forward. According to King, "We're just four guys who have been doing this for a long time. If you take Nancy out of the mix, we're just four aging rockers." Blood asserts, "This whole thing is based on the idea idea that Nancy had to be a singer/songwriter." One member of the band even jokingly admitted that they were all secretly in love with her.

The band, hoping to get signed by a major label, does not equate a record contract with success. Atlas said, "I am very happy with my artistic freedom, and I am not going to give it away easily. We'd definitely be interested in a major label, but only if they are behind us 100%." Surreal knows that the way to measure success is not a contract, but "love of the music."

The Nancy Atlas Project, who call Amagansett's Stephen Talkhouse their "homebase" and "favorite place to play," will be making Independence Day history by rocking out at 10:30 on July 4th. Atlas asserts, "The best shows on the earth will always be at the Talkhouse!"