[By JoAnn R. Walter]
Binghamton-area musician, Craig Palmer, is releasing his first album soon. If his name doesn’t sound familiar, you may have heard of the well-known band that he co-founded, Wreckless Marci. Wreckless Marci has performed at several Owego events in past years, including the Strawberry Festival. In addition, Palmer also plays in another popular band, Remnant.
Palmer’s album is being recorded at Madison Avenue Recording Studios in Owego, N.Y., which is owned and operated by Steve and Michele Johnston, and both members of the band, Messy Truth.
Palmer invited several 607 musicians to be a part of the album. Palmer wishes more of his talented musician friends could have been a part of the project and will leave the door open to collaborate in the future.
The album features nine new songs and two bonus tracks. No songs sound alike, Palmer said, and he described song themes as “life stuff,” featuring love, better days, and even nightmares.
Within the last year or so, he realized, “I am way overdue on making an album.”
Pictured, from left, are Lucas, Sayre, Sasha, and Craig Palmer. Binghamton area musician Craig Palmer will soon be releasing his first album. His children participated in the album. Photo provided.
Palmer is especially proud to include his family on the album. Children Sayre, Lucas, and Sasha provide laughing sounds on the song “Nightmares,” and Sasha’s speaking voice appears in a narrator segment on that same song. Daughter Ava inspired Palmer to write a song about a “Hedestown” production she performed, and Palmer’s better half, Kristin, joined in with backup vocals and wrote a song verse.
Palmer chuckled, “My twin sons and I recorded a goofy rap song, too,” which appears at the end of the album.
Palmer has always been a prolific songwriter and noted that the album features a mix of new and old songs.
Palmer explained that his process is to compose the music first and then write the lyrics. He shared a snippet of lyrics from his song “Better Days.” “So you say better days will come. Who’s going to fix the damage done? When can we reach our goals as one? A losing battle we never won. Nothing’s shining except the sun. Where will you go when you run?”
A proven creative writing outlet that shines a little light on Palmer’s sense of humor is singing in the shower.
Palmer remarked, “I was literally getting in the shower one day and had this guitar riff in my head. I thought, once I take this shower I’m going to forget the idea,” and laughed, “So, I came down in my towel, grabbed my guitar and started writing ‘My Love’ for the album.”
Palmer started jamming three hours a day on guitar in his senior year of high school, and after three months, he joined his first garage band. Several garage bands later, Palmer started the band Higher Ground in 1993, and earned his first gig just before turning twenty. A band called The Underground followed in 1995, and they had the fortune of opening once for Foghat.
Pictured are Steve Johnston (seated) of Madison Avenue, Recording Studios in Owego, N.Y., along with Craig Palmer, best known as the guitarist and co-founder of Wreckless Marci. Palmer will soon release his first album, with a little help from his 607 musician friends. Photo provided.
Palmer reminisced, “We had a good fifteen to twenty original songs with The Underground, and then Acoustic Avenue started.”
Next, he received a call from 607 musician and Music City-Vestal owner, Benny Fiacco, and who asked Palmer to join him in the band, Brothers of the Road.
At first, Palmer told Fiacco he wasn’t interested, but Benny persuaded him, and enticed him with, “Just come and jam with us, it’ll be fun.”
Palmer recalled, “So, I did go jam and ended up joining Brothers of the Road. I couldn’t believe how awesome everyone was in the band, and most of them were like twenty-plus years older than me.”
When Palmer learned the joyous news that he had twin boys on the way, he informed the band he needed to leave and took 18 months off to devote his time to being a dad.
After the year 2000 rang in, the band Wreckless Marci was born, which Palmer co-founded with long-time bandmate Matt Jensen.
By that time, Palmer said, “I was content playing in a cover band and being able to come home to my kids.” Over two-decades later, the band is still going strong.
Accompanying Palmer on his album are Wreckless Marci bandmates Matt Jensen, Mark Sedlock, and Brady Goldsmith. Goldsmith also plays in the band Storm Front and was in one of Palmer’s earlier bands, The Availables.
And for all of the album songs, Palmer noted, each one matches the particular artists’ strengths.
Providing backup vocals on Palmer’s song “If I Was a King,” is Joseph Petrocelli, a retired solo artist who previously played with Palmer in Acoustic Avenue.
Benny Fiacco, who played with Palmer in Acoustic Avenue and Brothers of the Road, plays bass guitar on the album. Fiacco also plays with other bands such as Frostbit Blue, B-3, and Nick and the Neons.
Providing bass guitar on the album is Michael Wu of Gunpoets. The duo used to play together in an acoustic band called Palmer Wu, which later added Matt Jensen. Palmer and Wu are working together on an original song for a future release.
Three of Palmer’s Remnant bandmates perform on the album, including Tom Haen, who plays bass guitar on the previously recorded song, “Bluebird” (Patty’s song), Brad Gordon plays the drums, and Tim Bowers offers bass guitar. Gordon and Haen also play in Two Dollar Pistol.
Brian Casterlin, who was Wreckless Marci’s sound engineer for many years, plays drums on the album and previously played with Palmer in the band Wildcard. Another past Wildcard alum is Jack Rifenburgh, who plays bass on Palmer’s album. Today, Rifenburgh plays in Aftermath.
Mike McManamon plays drums on Palmer’s album and plays in Kipani and Nick and the Neons.
Steve Johnston of Messy Truth is the sound engineer for Palmer’s album and is using his multiple recording talents to add various sound effects such as keyboards, drum fills, and more.
Palmer expects to complete the album soon, and is considering calling it “Being Trent.” An amusing side story; while celebrating his birthday at Texas Roadhouse last year, he gave Kristin a heads-up, “No singing Happy Birthday.”
Palmer’s friend Bob Pornbeck broke the birthday news, though, and recorded the staff singing thetune. The Roadhouse crew misunderstood Palmer’s first name and instead cheered, “Let’s wish Trent a happy birthday!”
People are still calling him Trent.
The album will be made available on all music streaming platforms, and Palmer will have both CDs and albums for purchase, with an album release event to be announced. As a CD pre-sale kickoff for the album, Palmer started a Go Fund Me site, https://gofund.me/e1a816193. You can also find Palmer on YouTube at “Craig Wreckless.”
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