Jared Hart kicks back on his stoop. He’s enjoying the comforts of home on a break between tours. He’s in Bayonne for only for a few weeks before heading out on the road again with his punk band, The Scandals.
If you don’t know Hart from his music video, which you might see at your local Target, then you might remember him as the cover boy on the premier issue of Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula (Spring 2014).
His bags are barely unpacked from his last tour, where he did double duty as both the solo opening act and as backup guitarist for the headliner, Brian Fallon.
He might spend a lot of time traveling as a musician, but New Jersey is still home for Hart. “All of my junk mail still makes its way to Bayonne,” he jokes.
He says that he does miss one thing about his hometown while he’s away: “Pizza; 110-percent pizza.”
He’s clearly still the same guy that he was when he was featured in this magazine just before he left on his first European tour with The Scandals.
“It was an absolute blast,” he says. “We made a ton of friends who I still keep in touch with regularly, and it really motivated me and the band to push the music to a new level.”
He’s just come back from his third trip playing in Europe. This past tour was supporting his new solo album, Past Lives and Pass Lines, which features acoustic songs that are gritty but heartfelt. After opening each show as a singer-songwriter, he stayed on stage to play in Fallon’s band. Fallon is known for fronting the New Jersey rock band The Gaslight Anthem, but this tour was to promote his solo album, Painkillers.
“Playing with Brian has been amazing,” Hart says. “Standing on a different end of the stage took a bit to get used to, and playing two sets a night was a new experience. It was definitely exhausting, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Working with Fallon has put Hart in the spotlight. He has performed on shows like The Daily Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“When I was asked to play with those guys, the possibility of doing that never even crossed my mind,” Hart says, “It was something I had always wanted to do but never really thought it could happen, so I’m extremely grateful for the experience. The weirdest part was watching the shows after they aired. I think I was more anxious watching them than the part where we actually played.”
He was also featured in Fallon’s music video for his song, “A Wonderful Life.” In the video Hart isn’t strumming his guitar; he plays more of a romantic lead, strolling down the Asbury Park boardwalk and making out at a bonfire party. The video is popular enough to be played at Target stores nationwide on the giant screens that tower above the electronics section. Hart learned this when friends spotted him while they were shopping and texted photos.
“That’s hysterical and totally bizarre,” Hart says. “I felt like I was in high school and I got caught kissing in the hallway, except of course on a screen in Target.”
Bayonne Break
The short break that Hart is taking in Bayonne isn’t all rest, relaxation, and pizza. He’s been working on new music as well.
“I’ve actually been writing a lot while I’m home,” he says. “I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by a lot of really talented people who are working on some great things right now, and it’s helped kick me into gear too. There’s been many nights locked in the studio over the past couple of weeks.”
Next week The Scandals will be back on the road playing concerts with California punk band T.S.O.L.
“I’m excited to get back in the van with those guys,” Hart says. “We’re going to be putting out some new music in the coming months, so we’re really looking forward to that.”—BLP
Past Lives & Pass Lines is available at say-10.com, and tour dates and information about The Scandals can be found atfacebook.com/NJscandals.