Foggy Bottom-based independent rock band Home Remedies will be performing at Union Stage this Friday, Feb. 10, along with DMV groups Lobby Boy and Makeup Girl.
Home Remedies consists of drummer Isaac Appelbaum, bassist Andrew “Gibby” Gibson, and guitarist/vocalists/songwriters Zach Basile and Max Cohen, who have been playing together just shy of a year now. The George Washington University student music scene is tight-knit, where the boys eventually found each other, and they are so glad they did.
The band exudes dedication to their passion despite having to balance their rockstar and student lives as they finish up their degrees. Additionally impressive is that they are all self-taught with no extensive formal training, and they find the utmost joy in performing.
“The last DC9 show was so awesome,” Appelbaum says. “The energy was just really amazing and it felt really gratifying to perform in front of a group of our friends.” That is how their shows feel – a party full of friends…“being part of something bigger than yourself” – and the GW/D.C. community has repeatedly shown its support.
The band is excited to move to an even bigger stage, where instead of climbing on from the front, they’ll have their own backstage area and get to walk on from the sides, as they’ve seen some of their favorite artists do in the past. “There’s a good amount of history there; we’ve all seen our favorite bands play there. And so being able to be under that same spotlight, just for a night, is pretty kickass,” Gibson says.
Sharing the stage with the DMV’s Makeup Girl and Lobby Boy is also particularly exciting for the band. “Makeup Girl was one of the first bands when I moved here that I ever saw them play live at [Comet] Ping Pong, so this is a full circle moment,” Basile says.
They are especially stoked about this show because they are debuting two new songs: Cohen will be singing “Dolores”, “a power pop Weezer kind of sound,” he says. “And we’re doing one that’s in very traditional Home Remedies fashion – quiet folksy, and then a little hard rock thing at the end – called ‘Cable News’.”
Each member has something unique to add to their songwriting process, and they exemplify a solid workflow and strong communication when coming up with a creative piece, taking their time to feel out different dynamics. Patience is key to their vision, as well as hard work. Their record “Live from Before” was recorded over one November 2022 weekend in the recording studio in the basement of GW’s West Hall, where Appelbaum conveniently was fulfilling his work-study job.
The band commits to having more professionally recorded music in the future and releasing another album this summer; a tour remains one of their dreams. “Home Remedies takeover,” Gibson jokingly adds. “Yeah … world domination is the eventual plan.”
Make sure to catch them if you can, as their music is about to take off. Their chemistry and energy is enough to encapsulate you, and their killer music is definitely a plus. Find more information about Home Remedies here, and buy tickets to their upcoming show here.
Emma Page, a recent Journalism graduate of The George Washington University, possesses a passion for music journalism and storytelling in all its forms. Originally from Baltimore, MD, when she is not writing, she can be found at a local concert or making music of her own.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
