CR and The Nones - The Hills of Pennsylvania

New Jersey's CR and The Nones present 'The Hills of Pennsylvania', the latest single from their sophomore album 'The Ghosts Are Coming Home', released via Montclair label Magic Door Records. They earlier previewed two singles in the lead-up to this epic release - 'The Long Game' and the record's title track.

Gennone came of age playing in various projects in suburban New Jersey, including his former band, CR and The Degenerates, who released five albums from 2016 to 2018. This new project has allowed him to expand the unique hybrid of folk, country, punk, and heartland rock. CR and The Nones retains the Degenerates' core of Chris Gennone, lead/slide guitarist Jim Abbott, and bassist John Dewitt.

'The Hills of Pennsylvania' is the most Americana-influenced track on the album. Chris Gennone notes, "I wrote this song in my car while driving to visit my grandmother in the hospital. I started humming a melody and the words came pretty quick. She's hanging in there, but I was on edge! My friends Andrew Merclean and Liz Sadkowski shot this video at my apartment and around some farm land outside of Kutztown, PA".

CR and The Nones released their debut album 'Living In Fear' in 2020. Recalling past Garden State guitar music, Gennone’s soulful vocals and his band’s driving hooks invoke roads, journeys, and forward motion in general. Counting Neil Young and Jason Molina among major influences, his sound has always been propulsive.

Mixed by renowned producer Ray Ketchem (Guided By Voices, Luna, Versus, Elk City, Gramercy Arms) at Magic Door Recording Studio in Montclair, this album was produced by Chris Gennone (CR to his friends) and mastered by Nick Bolton at Bolton Sound in Jersey City.

'The Ghosts Are Coming Home' is a culmination of the sound and aesthetic that CR Gennone has been building over many years and multiple bands. With an expansiveness and introspection that recalls The War on Drugs or early My Morning Jacket, the ten tracks here showcase an irresistible sincerity and heartfelt delivery.

"I wrote and recorded this album before, during and after Covid, and I lived in five different places during this time, so it was a different experience than other stuff I’ve made. In the past, we’ve kind of just rolled with it and come up with guitar leads, riffs, and sounds on the fly. With Covid lockdowns and the help of some friends, this record really gave me the time and space to write and play my own leads, sing my own harmonies, change arrangements, and take on more of the production aspect of it," says CR Gennone.

"I went through a lot of personal changes during the making of this record and I feel like the songs kind of take you through that journey. It’s a hopeful record, but also one that still features loss and even desperation at times. But by its end, there’s a feeling of acceptance and understanding."

More thoughtful and purposive in his songwriting for this album, and encouraged by friends from the NYC and NJ music scenes, Gennone was lured out of his normal songwriting process and comfort zone, opening him to new influences and fostering his growth as a songwriter. Gennone recalls listening to Brian Eno non-stop while recording 'Ghosts', and the synth sounds and ambient textures that underpin much of the album are certainly a testament to that.