The Garden Roads is what happens when good songs demand to be heard—and a drummer decides to front the band.
Tim Malcarney had a stack of rich, melodically driven songs written with longtime collaborator Evan McIntyre, from Philly’s The Silence. The tracks were recorded and shaped through separate home studio sessions by Malcarney and McIntyre, then mixed and polished by Pete Rydberg at 1935 Studios in Philadelphia. The finished tracks were well-crafted and undeniably catchy—the duo knew they were onto something.
But with McIntyre based in San Diego, performing the songs live wasn’t possible—at least not the usual way. So, for the first time, Malcarney built a band without McIntyre in the daily mix, stepping out from behind the drums to lead the group himself. (McIntyre still joins the lineup whenever he’s in town). To bring the songs to life, Malcarney enlisted the help of extremely talented and experienced musicians—all hailing from the same hometown of Haddonfield, NJ. The first call was to longtime childhood friend and guitarist and composer David Laganella, who joined on lead guitar and keyboards and naturally stepped into the role of musical ring leader. Philly scene veterans Fran Camardella (Overlook, Quick Step John, Modus, The Everthere) came on board for second guitar and backing vocals, and Frank Dellorco (Paisley Pickles, The Rubbs, Rude Boy, Krypton Daisy, Grizelda, Road to Ruin) took on bass and backing vocals. Drumming for a drummer is no small task, so Malcarney kept it in the family—handing the sticks to his very proficient cousin, Jon Malcarney (Cabinet of Curiosities, Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra).
With deep ties—through family, long friendships, and shared roots—the band locked into a symbiotic rhythm almost immediately. Everyone was in a musical place where this project arrived at exactly the right time.
Which brings to life The Garden Roads—a band built on shared history, hometown connections, love of music, and the ongoing refusal to let good songs stay quiet.