Specialists are a New York City based funk collective founded by guitarist Will Harden and bassist Mikey Rotunno. The duo has composed works for bands of various sizes, across a multitude of genres. The duo began with a tradition deemed Funky Friday, releasing new music on consecutive Fridays. Their sound comes from a cultivation of Harden’s powerful vocal and compositional style and Rotunno’s masterful production laced with frequent harmonies and hip-hop verses.
They kicked off Shaky Knees 2021 on Friday afternoon with a fantastic set of funk and jazz inspired jams on the Criminal Records stage that had people up and dancing. They had a big group of friends that came down from NY city to see ’em and that only added to the atmosphere of fun.
I sat down and talked with the guys after their set.
Atlanta Music Guide – John McNicholas
All right, let’s go from stage right to left. Introduce yourself and say what you play.
Pete
Hello, my name is Pete Hardin and I play keyboards.
Mikey
What’s up? It’s Mikey and I’m the bass player.
Billy (Will)
Hi, my name is Billy and I play guitar.
Christian
My name is Christian and I am the drummer.
AMG
I noticed you guys brought some people from New York with you? I was thinking “People from New York showed up!” Do you know these people?
Billy
Mostly longtime friends of mine. Not to take all the credit. But that’s really what it is.
AMG
Without him, there would’ve been like 10-15 people there, but you brought the extra 300.
Billy
Reverse that! (laughs) Our older brother came to see us with a bunch of his friends, and then my closest friend, since like three-years-old was in the audience. We’ve been friends for like, 20-plus years.
AMG
So you’ve got a new single out called, ”Head in my Hand.” The last 18 months or so… it’s just been so bizarre. Did you guys record that during that period or is this something brand new?
Mikey
It’s interesting, our recording process, it really hasn’t changed all that much because Will and I have always been doing it ourselves. So, we never went to a studio for it. During the pandemic we started making music online a little bit.
Billy
We figured out a way actually. Yeah, ‘cuz he got to the point. He was like, We got to write music, but there’s nowhere to meet up!
AMG
So you were literally trading files online?
Billy
Basically. What we did is we worked out a system where we were able to record and upload our files through Google Drive.
Mikey
I’d drag them in and I’m like, you know, the engineer and producer of the projects.
Billy
But we co-write all the music.
Mikey
Yeah, he and I write most of the music. So, once we figured out how to do it online, it really felt like the same process.
Billy
The process hasn’t changed all that much.
AMG
A lot of times when I hear music that is just sort of generically jazz-funk-pop, it seems to come out of extended jams. And a lot of times people will edit that stuff down. But if you two are the principal songwriters, is it a different process?
Billy
Ironically, you say that because it began as extended jams. We started a project originally that was just “open jam.” We didn’t write anything, it was all about spontaneous composition, and it got to the point that we should try to sit down and write music. So, it kind of comes from that as you described.
AMG
“Head in My Hand” has these great, intricate, little unison lines and a totally ripping solo at the end, and I’m thinking, okay, this might have been a jam, but they’re doing something completely… they’ve really organized it well.
Mikey
We all structure jams. But at this point, me and Will, when we come down with an idea it’s usually not from a jam. It’s usually from being just home, chillin, making music.
Billy
That’s a great point. That’s a great point.
Mikey
So, although we started off doing jams, I would say like 95% of our music doesn’t come from jamming, it mostly comes from a broad idea and then I add an idea and he adds something.
Billy
But the extensive jam is what brought us together. To kind of summarize it.
AMG
Tell me about Funky Fridays. When I read about that I thought that was a really cool thing.
Mikey
Funky Fridays are how we started doing music. We met in Oneonta, it’s where we went to college at SUNY.
Billy
Upstate New York. Very cold, long winters. We decided once we wrote our first song that we’re going to release a song next week and then next week became the next week, and then for our first like, 20 weeks or so making music, we released a song.
Mikey
It was like 25.
Billy
There’s a 25-week stretch where we just released music on Friday. Every Friday.
Mikey
Unfortunately, we can’t do that anymore. When we release music, of course, it comes out on Friday.
AMG
The fact that you even did it in the first place is crazy.
Billy
It’s where we got a lot of original listeners. Eventually, all of our friends and extended family checked out one song, you know, and it kind of just started to evolve from there.
AMG
So your last full length came out about two years ago? 2019? And you guys have done some singles… What’s the plan for the next full length? Or is there one?
Mikey
It’s in the works.
Billy
I’d like to say it’s coming up because our last project was an EP, and for some reason this year, the ideas have just kept flowing and honestly being on this festival has given us time. We’ve been able to expand our fan base more in a live setting, instead of a studio setting or a recorded material setting on the internet. So we’ve been kind of just letting the songs continue to build up until we have a record. It’s close.
Mikey
You know what’s funny, I feel like recently, what’s been happening is that we’ve had enough (songs). We’ve talked about doing an EP, which would be five songs. When we got to five, I was like, “we can do better,” but then I’m looking back on them, like, they’re all cool. They’re all good. So we’re at eight now.
Billy
It’s very close. It’s one or two songs away from being an album
AMG
So, you’re trying to try to pick the last couple? And then it sounds like you’ve got them recorded as you go?
Billy
Yeah, I do all the recording. Actually, when we write the songs we basically record them and then we bring him in for drums when the song is ready.
AMG
How’s the response been now that you’re back out playing again? Do people need this kind of fun music?
Billy
It’s been awesome. Our keyboard player, Peter. He turned 21 a couple of weeks ago. We threw a birthday show for him in our hometown, because he’s my brother, and, just the response we received, especially with Shaky Knees. The response we got from people who just kind of felt like they wanted to send us off, it’s been awesome. We played a few local shows, and they’ve all been incredible.
AMG
Music is back, and it’s really joyful. When I walked through the front gate today, and you guys were coming out on stage, I was thinking, “Bands are starting! Bands are back!” How does it feel to be out and doing it again, after such a break?
Pete Hardin
Yeah, basically, over the pandemic, we rehearsed a lot. Every show, Billy would just be saying, I can’t wait to be playing in front of people again. So, coming here to Shaky Knees is just like the culmination of the past year and the hard work we’ve done. Even the local shows have been way better than before the pandemic. I don’t know if it’s because we’re better or if everyone needed it. A little bit of both. So it’s been a great few months for us.
AMG
I’ve only been to a few shows in the last couple months and I get misty-eyed walking into venues now.
Mikey
There was this woman crying in the audience today. She was telling our manager that she hadn’t been to a show in like, 18 or 19 months.
AMG
Well, you could just see the smiles on people’s faces all over the crowd.
Billy
I had a hard time singing at some points. I was just so happy to see people in the sun and playing music.
AMG
Thank you guys for being my first band at Shaky Knees this year.
Specialists
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, man. Yeah, thank you!
LINKS
New Single “Head in My Hand”
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1lxO5IohAS9NtoVXmBffY1?si=qXth3atiSySpAFes5YVPeQ
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/specialists.music
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/specialists.music/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lLCDvfL62g
By John McNicholas
