Mixed influence rock band Ordinary People is making waves in the Northern N.J. D.I.Y. music scene with groove, grit, and glorious jams – with more music on the way.
With genre influences spanning from funk, jam, to prog metal, grunge, and rap, with folk and indie lyrical inspiration, Ordinary People is, in fact, extraordinary.
The group performed at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, N.J. back in December 2024, packing the house with the largest audience of the three bands performing that evening.
The seemingly unassuming quartet entered the stage donning ugly Christmas sweaters – the theme of the night – picked up their gear, and jumped right into a tenacious rendition of the theme song to Disney Channel cartoon “Gravity Falls.” This unexpected warm-up for new audience members set the tone for a striking, bass-face worthy performance.
Ordinary People’s presence takes over the stage, and their sound takes over the room. Crowd members danced, headbanged, and barked back lyrics to the stage.
Their style is to get the crowd riled up with moshable tracks, while also telling a story through meaningful lyrics reflective of the ups-and-downs of life; a sound reminiscent of the musical intensity of Rage Against the Machine, combined with the introspective lyricism of 90’s alt rock like Blind Melon.
Coping with self-acceptance, outside perception, addiction, religion, and love are a few of the common themes discussed in Ordinary People’s lyrics. Performed as poetry with a rhythmic flow, lead vocalist Seamus Murphy does not hold back in expressing emotion with his unique, raspy, yet higher pitched voice suitable for punky screams.
Original songs including “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” “Holy Wars,” “Take a Hint,” and “Control Freak” are amongst Ordinary People’s most popular releases. Whereas the first three songs ring true to fan focus on the band’s high-intensity rap-rock, “Control Freak” shows the versatility of Ordinary People as they diverge into slower, grunge rock.
Ordinary People is the musical collaboration of N.J.-natives Seamus Murphy (vocals/keyboards), Frankie Revis (guitar), Donny Mueller (percussion) and Spencer Thron (bass). Murphy, Revis, and Mueller founded the band in 2018 with a previous bassist after conversations of hypothetical band names and an eventual jam session.
One practice between friends turned into several years of band development. A demo called “Sun & Moon” was recorded in 2019, kickstarting four years of back-to-back releases. These releases included singles, one EP, and three albums: “The Sun & Moon Conspiracy” (2020), live album “What’s 911’s Phone Number” (2021) and “Burning the Midnight Oil” (2022).
“You just got four guys who like making music together,” Mueller said. “Not only do you go together musically, but in a friendship way… at its core, it’s really awesome.”
Thron was a recent addition in 2024, naturally meshing with the band’s style and sense of brotherhood. Before joining Ordinary People, Thron discovered the band by chance at Montclair, N.J. underground venue The Meatlocker.
“I have never been so impressed by a Meatlocker show in my life,” Thron said.
Months later, after a thorough vetting process consisting of an audition, rundown of responsibilities, and “interrogation” with questions like “what’s your favorite Ween album?” Thron was officially a member of Ordinary People.
Since then, Ordinary People has picked up touring the East Coast, releasing live performances and recorded covers on Youtube and Spotify while working on an upcoming album.
Recent covers include a rendition of Blind Melon’s “No Rain,” Ween’s “Voodoo Lady,” and Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” – tied into their 2020 single, “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now.”
“It’s cool to have the live [recordings] and covers of things we put our own spin on,” Revis said. “If someone checks out our music or stumbles across it, it gives an essence of who we are [as a band].”
Ordinary People’s most ambitious project yet, a 12-song upcoming album titled “These Birds Don’t Fly South,” is a rock opera adapted from a novella self-authored by Murphy.
“Our first two albums are kind of like a rapper’s mixtapes; this will be our debut album in a way,” Murphy said. “It’s been a while so we’re itching to get the project out there.”
The album showcases Ordinary People’s refined sound through a story of planned musical concepts – each song features thoughtful lyricism and varying music qualities, from spacey jam portions, to grungy funk and shreddy distortion.
In the meantime, catch Ordinary People’s return to the stage April 5 at Soho Live in N.Y.C. Upcoming performances continue with a feature at Doomfest in Butler, N.J. on May 2, and a homecoming performance at The Meatlocker in Montclair, N.J on July 19. An East Coast 2025 summer tour announcement is coming soon.
More from Ordinary People can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Updates from the band are posted on Instagram, @OrdinaryPeopleBand, and their official website, www.ordinarypeopleband.com.
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