Band whacked into spotlight with 2 scenes on ‘Sopranos’

Popular HBO show helping band gain
national exposure

By sandi carpello
Staff Writer

Band whacked into spotlight
with 2 scenes on ‘Sopranos’
Popular HBO show helping band gain
national exposure
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer


Jimmy Farrell of Milltown plays guitar during a No Soap Radio performance.Jimmy Farrell of Milltown plays guitar during a No Soap Radio performance.

In an era when rock bands, like cartons of milk, seem to have expiration dates, local band No Soap Radio intends to stick around for a while.

The four-man rock band — guitarist Jimmy Farrell of Milltown; vocalist and guitarist Danny Roselle of Summit; drummer Chris O’Hara of Cranford; and bass guitarist Walt Lockhart of Franklin Park — was catapulted into the public eye last month when they were featured as themselves on the Oct. 13 episode of HBO’s The Sopranos.

The group, which draws its music from a palette of influences such as pop and punk rock, performed in a bar during one of the show’s scenes and had their name announced by a cast member in the scene.

It was actually No Soap Radio’s second time on the show, as during an earlier season the soon-to-be-doomed Jackie Aprile Jr. listened to the band’s song "All About You" on his headphones. The band members say it was Sopranos creator David Chase who heard their music and decided to use it in the show.

After that first encounter with the HBO series, the band got a phone call from the show’s administrative offices and was eventually booked to play on the show this season.

No Soap Radio received about two minutes of air-time in the show, resulting in an enormous number of telephone calls and a flooded e-mail in-box.

"The day (on the set) seemed like a total dream with the cast of The Sopranos in it," Roselle said. "It felt like we were watching The Sopranos in one of our living rooms and someone hit the ‘beam me up’ button on the remote. We were dropped in the middle of our favorite TV show. That’s exactly what it felt like for me."

"Apparently working on a TV show is like food Christmas. We had a trailer," said Lockhart, who was particularly impressed with the abundance of catered food available on the set. "Acting is mostly standing around doing nothing with brief periods of frenzied activity."

Farrell, a Spotswood native, said working on the Sopranos was a major stepping-stone in No Soap Radio’s now five-year career.

"This is what we want to do. Get the music out to the people," he said.

No Soap Radio was formed in 1998 when Roselle was introduced to Farrell through a mutual friend. They found O’Hara, who was friends with Lockhart, through a newspaper advertisement. Since then, the band has played all over the northeastern United States, including performing all around the New Jersey and New York City club circuits. The group will start a northeastern promotional tour of its self-titled CD in December.

Although the members’ musical influences include Elvis Costello and the Ramones, the band members said they are strongly influenced by New Jersey success stories such as Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi.

"Jersey is one of the greatest states to be in for good bands. Being from New Jersey is really cool. It made us who we are," Farrell said.

Farrell said the band members are committed to the music, as well as to each other. Writing lyrics and composing music in this band is a joint effort, he said.

No Soap Radio does not have any intention of being among the scandalous rock bands who become feature stories on VH1’s Behind the Music. Farrell said the band members are like brothers and have been "through good times and bad times," and will make music together for years.

"I wouldn’t ask to be in a different band," Farrell said "We trust each other. Their dream is (my) dream."

No Soap Radio is scheduled to perform with The Blakes at The Saint in Asbury Park on Nov. 30, and at Maxwell’s in Hoboken on Dec. 28 with Knuckle Sandwich.

To view the band’s other upcoming dates or for more information, log on to www.nosoapradio.net.