All good things must come to an end, and every once and awhile something even more amazing ascends from the ashes. This was the case for vocalist/guitarists Jon Loudon, Dave Klyman and Ben Pierce. After the demise of the trio’s long-running Philadelphia rock outfit, Jena Berlin, the three regrouped and formed Restorations.

In this incarnation, the musicians were able to revive a positive, creative vibe, which translates into the music. At the beginning of this month, the band released its sophomore album; aptly title LP2, via SideOneDummy Records. This collection of songs at times grab from influences like The Hold Steady and Against Me!, while maintaining a genuine, genre resistant sound.  While in the midst of releasing the album and planning a tour, Loudon was nice enough to chat with me about record, touring, and his childhood musical inspiration.

Katrina Nattress: Before Restorations, three of you played in Jena Berlin together. What caused this band to break up?

Jon Loudon: That band was just finished. We’d been a band for six years and done everything we could do with it. We’d been touring for a couple years straight and creativity and enthusiasm had peaked.

KN: After the breakup, what made you decide to start this band?

JL: Restorations was built with the intent to be a long-term project that we could work on from home. No touring, no spending money on it. We wanted to get back to making music without all of the pressures of being on the road. Initially, we were just trying to branch out creatively. I started playing guitar for the first time, and Dave started singing more. I think a lot of the genre bending we do now came out of not feeling like we had to make a “complete” sounding project.

KN: Does the name “Restorations,” stem from the way this band formed?

JL: Absolutely. It was a return to mental stability for me. We wanted to use our music to make our lives better instead of worse.

KN: You released your second record, LP2, at the beginning of this month. How does this one differ from its predecessors?

JL: This record is maybe a little more optimistic from our previous records. It’s the product of us being out on the road and becoming more confident in ourselves as a unit. Everything that’s on the record happens live. It’s a bit more focused, I think.

KN: You are gearing up to tour in May. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen while on the road?

JL: We saw a car on fire on the way back from North Carolina last year. The crazy part wasn’t that the car was on fire, but that there was no rubbernecking traffic. We cruised right past it.

KN: Where’s your favorite place to play?

JL: The First Unitarian Church in Philly is my favorite venue in the world. It’s an all-ages space in a basement with great sound and is staffed by nice people (shout out to R5 Productions). None of the usual crap you get from playing clubs and bars. If I had my way, we’d never play anywhere else.

KN: You are known for your energetic live shows. How would you describe a typical Restorations performance to someone who’s never seen you play?

JL: We’re just happy to be out playing shows. We never thought we’d have a second chance at touring. A huge part of our enthusiasm comes from the crowd that we usually get to play to. Its really nice to play to a smart crowd that’s more interested in the music and being decent to each other than seeing who can get their stage dive onto YouTube. 

KN: Was there a band that influenced you to make music growing up?

JL: Bad Religion was big for me growing up. Hearing heavy melody and major chords like that with intelligent lyrics in a punk band at a young age was super influential. Thirty years in, you can say what you want about them, but I’ve always found them inspiring.

Photo by Mike Vorrasi

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