Hollis Brown is an honest American rock band.
About Us
Hollis Brown is a rock band from Queens, New York, formed in 2009 by singer and guitarist Mike Montali and guitarist Jonathan Bonilla. The band’s name is inspired by the Bob Dylan song “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” reflecting their American roots and songwriting style, which has been praised for its timeless quality.
Background
Mike Montali and Jonathan Bonilla, friends since high school, formed Hollis Brown in 2009 after years of collaborating as songwriters. The band’s name was taken from Dylan’s song, “The Ballad of Hollis Brown,” chosen because it resonated with American themes and their admiration for Dylan as a significant American songwriter.
Over the years, the band has seen several lineup changes, including former members Mike Wosczyk on bass, Mike Graves on drums and percussion, Dillon DeVito on bass, and Scott Thompson on bass. As of 2017, the group consists of founding members Montali and Bonilla, along with Adam Bock on keyboards, Andrew Zehnal on drums, and Chris Urriola on bass.
Musical Journey
The band started out performing in clubs around New York and built a solid local following. In 2009, they released their debut EP, Nothing & the Famous No One, followed by a self-titled album later that year. Both releases received positive feedback, with critics praising the band’s tight performance, memorable lyrics, and straightforward production style.
In 2013, Hollis Brown released Ride on the Train, produced by Adam Landry and recorded in Nashville. This album came after touring extensively across the U.S. with acts like Deer Tick and Lucero. The band also embarked on their first European tour and performed at a Lou Reed benefit show in New York, where they played the Velvet Underground’s Loaded album in its entirety. This performance inspired them to create their own rendition, Hollis Brown Gets Loaded, which was initially released as a limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day and quickly sold out.
In 2014, with members Bonilla, Montali, DeVito, Zehnal, and Bock, the band began working on their album 3 Shots. This project featured the song “Rain Dance,” which utilized an unfinished track by Bo Diddley. After a meeting with the Diddley estate, Hollis Brown was granted permission to use a piece found in Diddley’s studio. The album was recorded at Don Dilego’s Velvet Elk studio in the Pocono Mountains, mixed in Brooklyn, and included a duet with alt-country singer Nikki Lane. Released in 2015, the band toured again in the U.S. with Counting Crows and returned to Europe later that year.
In 2016, the band released the Cluster of Pearls EP, a special Record Store Day release limited to 800 copies on Starburst Vinyl, featuring rare and unreleased tracks. Later that year, they released the single “Run Right To You” and a cover of Jesse Malin’s “She Don’t Love Me Now.” Their music has been included in various media, such as the trailer for “The Founder,” TV shows like Shameless and The Real World, and films like Bad Country.
By 2018, Hollis Brown had signed with Mascot Records, leading to the release of their album Ozone Park in June 2019. In December 2021, they released a cover of “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, the first single from their upcoming tribute album, In The Aftermath, slated for release in February 2022.
Discography
- Nothing & The Famous No One (2009)
- Hollis Brown (2009)
- Ride on the Train (2013)
- Hollis Brown Gets Loaded (2014)
- 3 Shots (2015)
- Cluster Of Pearls (2016)
Hollis Brown on - Audiotree Live (2016)
- Steady Ground (2016)
- Run Right To You – Single (2016)
- Ozone Park (2019)
- In The Aftermath (2022)
In the aftermath
Hollis Brown Recreates The Rolling Stones’ Seminal First Original Album, ‘In The Aftermath’
Mascot Records
Ron Burman / [email protected]
Booking (US) APA
Bruce Solar / [email protected]
Dan Boyle / [email protected]
