In 2009 Marty Van Loan and Jeff Evans started The Mini Bar Project as a song writing project. “We didn’t necessarily want to start a band because we wanted the freedom to write in any style or genre we saw fit. We’ve both, from an early age, just loved songs! All kinds of songs. When we were kids we’d listen to the top 40 every week and back then of course the top 40 was made up of a truly diverse catalog of songs. One might hear a pop song followed by a country song followed by a hard rock or soul song etc. We loved them all”.
Over the years Marty and Jeff have played together in many different bands and have been fortunate enough to share the stage with such acts as Los Lobos, The Desert Rose Band, Roger McGuinn, Toy Matinee, David Crosby, Dave Mason, The Byrds, Don McLean, Freddie Fender and more.
They have had their songs placed in Movies, Indie Films, and TV including HBO, (True Blood). As The Mini Bar Project they released their self titled first album in 2011.
Our second album “High” released in 2014. This seven song EP was three years in the making. Jeff and I took our time with the songs and the recordings. Another perk of not being in a band that needs to tour. ( : This album also was our first time experimenting with horns, strings and drum loops. Robert Rachelli played drums on most of the tracks. Dave Palmer: keyboards track 7. Bruce Conway: bass on track 6. John O’Conner lent a hand with the strings on track 7. I played acoustic guitar and percussion and keyboard on track 1 The rest was on Jeff’s shoulders as was more and more the case as our recordings progressed. Jeff plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, samples, percussion, and occasionally the kitchen sink! We had a lot of fun recording this one.
Marty : On this album Jeff and I assume all the musical roles. More out of expediency and trying to save a buck than any good reason. ( : We did have one guest on the recording, Licity Collins sang backing vocals on track 4. Thanks Licity! I took over playing drums on all but track 5 which Jeff played drums on. I also played my trusty Martin D18 GE lefty guitar and some odd percussion. Maybe some keyboard on track 10. ( I honestly don’t recall but have this vague recollection..) Jeff plays all other instruments: acoustic and electric guitars, bass, keyboards, Kitchen sink…
As on all our albums we share vocal duties, each singing lead and backing vocals. This album also marks the first (and last) time we included a cover song. Track 10 is a cover of the Golden Earring song Radar Love. I’m not sure how this came about, I think were just playing one day and stumbled into it as sort of a joke, but it was so fun to play that we ended up recording our version of the song. This whole album was a blast to record. We hope you enjoy it!
This seven song EP was recorded is a relatively short amount of time. (for us ( : ) It’s a fairly eclectic group of songs. Track two, “Only You” is a cover of our own song recorded on our first album in a sort of Cow Punk way and re-recorded here more in it’s original folky manner. There are a couple of folky songs and a couple rockers and for the life of us we don’t know what you’d call the last “song”! But as always we had a great time recording this album. I played acoustic guitar and drums and Jeff played everything else, guitars both electric and acoustic, bass keyboards, samples, etc.
Recorded during the pandemic of 2020. “We recorded remotely on this one, Jeff from his studio and Marty from his room at home. This took some getting used to but so did everything else that year. The word of the year was Adapt! So we did.”
Imagine That is our 6th studio album. After recording the previous album remotely due to the pandemic it was good to get back in the studio together. This is a rather eclectic mix of songs. From the semi jazzy title track to the almost orchestral One Good Rain to the folky tenderness of The Third Jewel of Lyon, we did our best to mix it up. Hope you enjoy it!
This album is pretty much what the title implies. The B sides are songs previously released but never promoted or included in our live shows. Usually because of the limitations of doing duo or small band performances.
The Oddities and Out Takes are mostly songs that were initially intended for an Alter Ego band idea called Perry Menapaws and the Hot Flashes, and later Jay Scott and the Needle Drop 😃 These songs have more of a 60’s or 70’s vibe in their writing style and production. We had Great fun recording these songs, but felt they didn’t really fit on a Mini Bar Project album…until now 😊
We hope you enjoy our music and will share it with others..
