This American Song Moves Forward to Play It in Reverse
How the Erie band stayed active over 15 years, evolving into a collective art project
It was a cool summer evening when I met with This American Song – sitting on a front porch in Downtown Erie. The band served homemade salsa that we snacked on throughout the conversation. It's that kind of laid-back welcoming feeling that distinguishes the band, which guitarist John Johnston described as a "group art project" more than anything else. This low-pressure vibe helps underscore how they've been able to stay together for over 15 years.
Prepped for the release of their latest album Play It In Reverse, the band looked back on how they have expanded and evolved past their teenage years of existence, reflecting on all the various forms of physical media they have intentionally created over the years. From the early collaboration between Jeff Phillips and John Johnston to the nine-member collective it is today, This American Song has grown into a creative project that's consistently productive. Taking time between releases to write, record, and reframe the band, they've built a healthy discography at a steady pace. "We have always been a band that has put a lot of thought into creating physical media from our recorded materials. Our first record was pressed on vinyl and we hand-stamped and lettered 300 sleeves – far too many records – and we severely underestimated how time consuming it would be," says Jeff Phillips, frontman and guitarist for the group.
The band consists of Phillips on guitar and vocals, Johnston on guitar, Larry Wheaton on trombone and percussion, Jesse Guerrein on trumpet, Marissa Litzenberg Tamulonis (40 Under 40 Class of 2023) on saxophone, Brent Knight on drums, Dave Tamulonis (40 Under 40 Class of 2022) on violin and keyboards, Michael Milk on bass, and Mckenzie Sprague (40 Under 40 Class of 2025) on vocals.
This album found the band doing things a little differently. With more active singers and songwriters contributing to the total product, they have developed a familial quality – This American Song is free to share the spotlight from member to member. For sections of the new album, Phillips explained that "we basically had three acoustic guitars, and we just tracked them with live vocals and acoustic guitars," noting that "it was way different than we'd ever recorded before. It took over two years to arrange and record this set of songs."
Play It In Reverse is the first album created from beginning to end with the current nine-member lineup. Its recording process began in early 2024, with six tracks being laid down and a separate session of four newer songs recorded in the fall of 2025. The 10-song album is currently available for pre-order through the band's Bandcamp site and will be released on jade green vinyl with cover art by Sprague. "We decided to press it on vinyl because we wanted to make sure that the physical product we create reflects the same amount of effort and attention as the music itself. Mac made a full sized watercolor painting that ended up becoming our album cover." Johnston also speaks to the band's choice to take the extra effort to press a vinyl record, "I grew up before the age of streaming services – if you wanted to hear a band, you had to invest in their physical media. I fell in love with this process: tangible art that you could hold in your hand, while your ears and brain absorbed the music."
Over time, songwriting has shifted from being handled primarily by Johnston to being shared among members of the band. The group has a standing practice date every Monday, but the complete band often isn't present unless they're preparing for a specific show. They often break into sectionals with their horn players, or smaller songwriting teams, to work out specific parts or structures. "We went from playing 100 percent John-written songs to now having several songwriters in the band," explained Phillips. Dave Tamulonis explained that "everybody isn't so possessive of their songs. Anybody who gave a song to the band kind of let the band do what they wanted to do with it and didn't really direct. There was a lot of experimentation."
With upwards of six different songwriters, they still have one recognizable sound. "I think the band has not only evolved in sound, but I think you can tell through the songs that they have different feelings," said Phillips. "I think it still blends together with how we all play. It doesn't sound like different people's songs," Wheaton added.
The band has grown from the early musical imaginations of John Johnston and Jeff Phillips to now include nine members, including a full horn section, to become what Johnston refers to as "a group art project." (Photos: Marissa and Dave Tamulonis)
Johnston's basement doubles as the band's rehearsal space and a small home studio, giving them the opportunity to record at their own pace without worrying about money or scheduling. "There's not a lot of editing," Johnston clarified. "I try to treat it like a tape." The band often opts to record some tracks live in the studio. Access to the studio also gives them opportunities to revisit tracks months later with new ideas for harmonies or other layering. "There was no sense of urgency like there would be if you were recording somewhere like [local producer Brian] Gloskey's, where you only have the studio for a certain amount of time," said Dave Tamulonis.
One thing the band has learned is when not to play, choosing the shows they play with care, maintaining necessary flexibility (due to so many members) and prioritizing shows that serve as fundraisers or benefits, like their upcoming show at Our West Bayfront's PorchFest on Sept. 26. "This group is a very values-based group as well," explained Marissa Litzenberg Tamulonis. "There's a lot of intentionality behind the shows that we're playing." She detailed how suggestions involving food donations or community support are greeted with unanimous enthusiasm.
"The art of recording music is all about capturing a song or set of songs at a specific moment in time with the intention and hope of making something timeless. So many artists or bands through the years never get the opportunity to record and release their music," Phillips explains. After they released their first vinyl record, The Grey is Darker in 2013, they went on to explore nearly every other type of physical media on which to record music. "We released a trio of 7-inch records that were splits with friends (Matt Texter, Planet Claire, and C. Brown). The release show featured limited box sets that were handmade and numbered (34 total were produced). We released an EP (Black Sunshine, 2017), a full-length album (People Of The Stars, 2020), and a live set (PACA LiVE!, 2023) on CD. When we recorded another set of songs in 2023, we made the decision to release them on cassette (Connect the Dots, 2023) specifically because it was one form of physical media that we hadn't yet produced."
Talking to them, it's clear how they've stayed together. They've done it by chasing creativity and opening things up, giving themselves the freedom and leeway to hear each other – figuratively and literally. They've survived for 15 years precisely because they don't treat the band like something that has to consume their lives. This American Song has become a comforting outlet for its members and no doubt will continue to be for years to come.
To pre-order This American Song's latest vinyl LP (some pre-order bundles include hand-printed shirts and risograph prints of the album artwork), visit their Bandcamp site: thisamericansong.bandcamp.com
Nick Warren's first event spotlight written for the Erie Reader was a This American Song record release show in 2015. They can be reached at nick@eriereader.com
