Meet The Talent Show Rejects

By Stacey McEvoy

Photos by Christine Loy Photography and The Talent Show Rejects

It’s probably no surprise that Azi Richman and Jacob Mathews of the Chatham-based indie band The Talent Show Rejects have landed on the cover of Chatham Living magazine. This talented duo, seniors at Chatham High School, have been keeping themselves busy during the pandemic—they wrote and released their debut EP “Jack and Jill” during the summer, and recorded a music video for one of the four songs from the album. They just finished writing their first full album which they are recording this month.

Friends since 2012 when they met on the bus going to their Jewish summer day camp, the two guitar players knew they wanted to collaborate, but they fell short of successful. “We had a huge stylistic clash, but as time marched on, we learned to embrace that and began incorporating it in the music we ended up making,” says Azi, who also fronts another band called Scarlet Magnum, an Alt-Rock Duo.

“When we started The Talent Show Rejects in April of 2020, the band was created as our outlet to express what we were feeling in this crazy time--whether it was loneliness, sadness or optimism, we used the music and each other to lean on,” says Jacob, whose first solo concert was Relay for Life at Haas Field in 2018, which led to playing 16 more shows in Chatham.

The origin of the excellent name of their band? “I always like to experiment with words and names and stuff of the sort. I just came up with that name out of the ether and I guess it just stuck,” says Azi, whose most recent gig in Chatham was at Fishawack Festival 2019 where he played material from his solo catalog.

“When Azi came to me with the name, it caught me off guard at first,” says Jacob. “To be honest, I was a little skeptical, but it grew on me and I think it captures the essence and style of our music well.”

Azi and Jacob wrote “Jack & Jill” as a concept EP (half-length album) about a couple's relationship that fell apart. “The idea stemmed from the first song “The Ballad of Jack and Jill” which really laid out the framework for how the EP would play,” says Jacob. “The innocent optimism of that song quickly shifts to a darker, more ominous tone as Jack and Jill realize things aren’t meant to be. Songs like “Scars Always Show” and “Shellshocked” present this shift to the audience.”

“We recorded in the thick of quarantine while we were under stay at home orders,” says Azi, adding that his favorite song "Shellshocked" has a special place in his heart. “Not only because it sounds like a blend of Coldplay and Death Cab for Cutie, but it is also the fact that we all have been in relationships that ended because of us or because of our partners. We felt the need to talk about it because it’s something we all can relate to.”

Putting the EP together was a very different process that neither of them was used to. “Not only because the entire project had been done on Zoom but also because we were both very involved in the creation of the music,” says Jacob. Jacob Mathews in concert at Relay for Life 2018 “This made the music more personal and allowed us to be more invested in the work.”

“The creative process has been a blast working with Jacob,” says Azi. “It removed the “radar clutter” of overthinking certain sections of a song. We fed off of each other in a very cool way. I would love for it to grow and develop in the future.”

Both say that the pandemic changed the way they write and produce music. “It used to be the case where I had to go to Jacob's place and jam with him until we came up with a vague idea of a song that eventually went nowhere. There was just a lot of pressure to come up with something good on the spot, and that was unhealthy for both of us,” says Azi. “The pandemic offered us time to ourselves to come up with good ideas and then we could pop up on a Zoom call, exchange ideas and write something of quality that sounded amazing.”

“Working on this project during quarantine changed the way I produce music. Ordinarily I’ll record a song with someone and then the next day mix/ master it alone, but with this unique opportunity and open schedules, Azi and I were both able to contribute to the mixing process which I believe has enhanced the songs and given them more character,” says Jacob.

Making the music video at an abandoned overpass on Rt. 78 and at the abandoned bridge abutments in Chatham Borough for the song "Terrain" was a fun experience for both of them. “We recorded the whole thing on our phones because technology has advanced to the point where we don't need big, expensive camera gear to make a quality video,” says Azi, adding that he did all of the editing with Jacob assisting him in post-production.

When Azi is not attending school, doing stuff for The Talent Show Rejects or Scarlet Duo, he spends time with family and friends, works part-time at Staples in Madison and studies military aviation history and current events.

When Jacob is not attending school or playing with the band, he works at his mom’s store Flip Consignment in New Providence and at the School of Rock in Chatham. He’s also involved in school clubs including the Chatham Performing Arts Club, Debate Club and GarageBand. A

zi says the positive reception of “Jack and Jill” led the pair to begin working on the full album right after the release. “The reaction to “Jack and Jill” has been fantastic and we’re happy that our songs have resonated with others,” Jacob says. Check out The Talent Show Rejects EP “Jack and Jill” on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

We would like to thank Salerno Duane Inc. in Summit for bringing you this month’s cover story.

Contact us at smcevoy@bestversionmedia.com.