Photo by Ella Jacob '24. James Miller, Chris Sciucco, Spencer Rosenfeld, and Alex Nordlund make up The Baxbys, an alternative rock band based in Amherst, Massachusetts.
By Ella Jacob ’24
Arts & Entertainment Editor & Copy Editor
Based in Amherst, Massachusetts, The Baxbys is an alternative rock band consisting of four Connecticut born 20-somethings — James Miller, lead guitar; Chris Sciucco, drums and the occasional tambourine; Spencer Rosenfeld, bass and Alex Nordlund, lead vocals and guitar. After the Nov. 18 release of their second EP, “Side By Side,” Mount Holyoke News sat down with the band to answer the question: Who are The Baxbys?
“COVID birth,” as put by Miller, is perhaps the most appropriate epithet to describe The Baxbys’ origin. Before the creation of what we now know as The Baxbys, Miller and Sciucco met as freshmen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. “I knew Alex in high school,” Sciucco began. “Our dads were actually in a band together at one point, so they had us get together in high school, and we would just jam.” Miller and Rosenfeld also knew each other in high school. “We each kind of took a guy that we knew from high school and formed the band,” Sciucco explained.
The band formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of people were back [in person], and we weren’t. So we were home in Connecticut, and we were all getting together then,” Sciucco began. When asked about the meshing of all four members to create the band, Miller emphasized, “I think it was all up to Alex because Spencer, Chris and I were just having fun. And then Chris was like, I have a friend named Alex. … [Then he] showed me [his] music, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty good.’ And then we met Alex, and I remember that Spencer was on the phone with his brother, and Alex was playing the drums really loud, and I was like, ‘What is this guy doing? I don’t even know him. I don’t even know his last name.’ … Then [Chris] sent some other music [Alex] made, it was [a demo of] ‘Stay Trippy Weirdo’ … And I was like, ‘This is awesome.’”
Reminiscent of early 2000s indie rock, The Baxbys are, in an interpretation that some may find contentious, a combination of Modest Mouse’s harmonic melodies and The Strokes’ hazy sanguine strings. Most songs center around the connection one has with a girl, echoing the youthful orchestration style typical of indie rock. The band composes tracks that likely lyrically appeal to a younger audience experiencing the enthrallment and disorder that love precipitates while simultaneously constructing a groovy-rock sound.
The evolution from the band’s first EP, “Meet the Baxbys,” to their newest one, “Side By Side” — both released in 2022 — involved more uniformity and creative input from all four members. “I’d say [this EP shows] a lot more of us as a band,” Sciucco explained. “The first [EP] was very strong in songs Alex wrote before we got together as a band. … This [EP]: It’s an Alex, it’s a Spencer, it’s some James. But I feel like we all had a little bit more to do with these songs. It’s definitely more of us.” Rosenfeld echoed this explanation, stating, “The first one was very [reminiscent] of when we met. …Those were the very early songs. The second one was right after that.”
In terms of the comfort and time it took to record each EP, Sciucco emphasized, “The first one was very, ‘Get together, let’s record it as quick [and] as fast as possible,’ and it’s efficient. Whereas [in creating] this one, … we outfitted our house as a studio and did it all much more together. It was more lenient, and we got to play around with a lot.”
Discussing the creative process behind each song they made, Rosenfeld commented, “It’s quite random,” a sentiment each member echoed. “Someone brings an idea or a good portion of an idea, and then we kind of just work on reworking together and then try to round it out together,” Sciucco explained. “Songs come out of every hole, every direction,” Miller concluded.
Moving from smaller venues to bigger ones, such as The Drake in downtown Amherst, where the band had their Dec. 3 concert, Rosenfeld noted the show was “So relaxing,” a feeling Miller echoed. “It’s much more comfortable, and it’s much better,” Miller stated. “We started to see more of the danger and stuff [of performing at house parties] … It was just a lot better and more comfortable to play like a real venue. It’s fun. We still do house parties from time to time, ones that we set up and structure,” Sciucco explained.
Regarding future plans, Miller explained that the band is “Playing it by year. Like Y-E-A-R, not by ear. … Chris, Alex and I are going to live in Amherst one more year after we graduate. We’re going to write, be creative and play some shows in Boston, hopefully New York. Definitely The Drake again. And we’ll see what happens from there.” Sciucco agreed, “We definitely feel it’s worth it to at least pursue another year and try to make venues like The Drake and our online presence a little more consistent with everything. And then we’ll see what happens after next year [and] just kind of reassess and decide what we're going to do going forward.”
As The Baxbys continue exploring their distinctive style, with over 1,300 monthly listeners on Spotify and more venues to play in the future, they have become an artist for everyone to keep an eye on, not just Amherst locals.
What each band member has been listening to recently:
James: “Revolver (Super Deluxe)” by The Beatles, released on Oct. 28, 2022
“They just came out with the remaster, and it sounds incredible. Well, I think that’s my favorite Beatles album. Alex, you say the same, right?
Alex: “Revolver (Super Deluxe)” by The Beatles, released on Oct. 28, 2022
“Revolver has always been my favorite. … Very, very good.”
Chris: Band On Being an Angel and album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” by The 1975, released on Oct. 14, 2022
“Okay, I have two answers. My one to not be embarrassed is a band called ‘On Being An Angel.’ I found them in the bio[graphy] of Narrow Head, which is another band I really like. And then my actual one, which is embarrassing, is ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language.’ Okay, not that embarrassing, but like, good album. Yeah, [a] little cliche album.”
Spencer: “Room On Fire” by The Strokes, released on Oct. 28, 2003
“It’s an addiction, it’s a problem.”