By Michael Pedro
If you’ve been looking for a new artist to add to your playlists, the solution may just be right here on campus. Who is it, you may ask? His name is John Bieszczad, and he is a sophomore student-athlete here at Western New England University. The cross-country runner from Grantham, New Hampshire, recently released his debut EP, the self-titled “John Bieszczad,” on September 22nd. The EP consists of eight songs between three and five minutes in length, which makes the EP itself run for just over 31 minutes. I’ve known John for a little less than a year now, and I was excited to hear what he could bring to the table. While waiting for my classes to begin that day, I put the EP on in the background and began to listen. Initially, I had gone into the EP thinking it would have a more country-like sound, but I was met with something that could be likened to both indie rock and folk music. In the end, I was impressed with what I had heard. Overall, my favorite song on the EP was “Quarters,” with both “Too Late” and “Groundless Room” fairly close behind.
A few days after the EP had been released, I interviewed Bieszczad, who had a lot to say about what went into the album and the struggles that came with it.
“I started writing the songs my senior year of high school, and the EP was a mix of some songs I wrote during high school and college,” Bieszczad said of his experience creating the EP. “The recording and editing started about a quarter of the way through December. I was going to record at a studio, but they wouldn’t get back to me, so I borrowed equipment from a local place called UVJam and set everything up in my basement. I also borrowed an amp and an electric guitar from my neighbor.”
Due to him recording in the basement and learning how to play some of the instruments around the time of production, the EP gained a fairly unique sound.
“(Initially), I just wrote my songs for acoustic guitar, then learned how to play the harmonica and the electric guitar, then just built the songs in the moment. Now that it’s out, I’d say it sounds a little like the band Camp, but it still has a unique sound since it’s not very produced in any way.”
When asked about his favorite song of the eight, he said, “It’s a three-way tie between “Doing Alright,” “For Goodness Sake,” and “Apple Trees.” This isn’t the last we’ll hear of Bieszczad’s music, as even more is set to be approaching the horizon. “I have more songs recorded that I’m working on editing. Hopefully, they’ll be out by the end of the school year,” he said of his future plans.
Being a student-athlete like Bieszczad comes with its struggles, especially when you’re writing and producing songs.
“I was training for a triathlon during the summer, which isn’t entirely related to cross-country, but it reduced the amount of time I could spend working on (the EP). Usually, my schedule would be packed until around eight at night,” he noted.
Another of his struggles stemmed from not having an advanced studio to record in. Instead of having a team, he produces the music on his own.
“I want to record a lot more, but it’s hard doing it alone. It was a slow process since most of my time was spent learning how to do everything through videos on YouTube.”
In conclusion, I enjoyed the EP. It had its strong points, and I feel like anyone who enjoys songs with a more raw, unproduced sound will appreciate what he brings to the table. Personally, I’m excited to see if he can keep up the pace and make his next EP just as good, if not better, than this one. You can stream “John Bieszczad” now on all music streaming services.
