When asked about New Jersey rock veteran Wayne Olivieri, The Rascals' Eddie Brigati said, "He's one of the most charismatic singer/frontman I've seen in a LONG time.....when he's on stage he doesn't let you NOT pay attention". Starting his first band after 8th grade, at the age of 17, Wayne formed Rockids, and was already performing fulltime in iconic clubs like CBGB's, Max's Kansas City, The Limelight, The Village Gate and more, playing on the same bill as unsigned young bands such as The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Blondie, and a plethora of others. The Rockids went on to become one of the top drawing bands in the N.Y/N.J/CT club/concert scene, often opening for national acts such as Aerosmith, Roger McGuinn, Twisted Sister, among other esteemed artists.
After a five year run with Rockids, Wayne moved to Asbury Park, where he formed Oliver's Twist with Rockids' band mate Brian Hadley, and performed at legendary clubs like The Stone Pony, where he opened and headlined numerous times for artists like David Johansson, Huey Lewis, Southside Johnny, Cindy Lauper, Beaver Brown, Rick Derringer, Billy Idol, and many more. It was also in Asbury Park where he met and became fast friends with a young, unsigned singer John Bongiovi. John was a fan of The Rockids and Oliver's Twist and the two remained tight friends.
After Oliver's Twist had its run, he formed another band, Oliver Wylde, with former Rockids member Gar Francis. Following that, Wayne took a hiatus to get married, and raise his daughter, until 2014, when he started his own label, Oneway Records, releasing the single and video "I Love Christmas Time", and the June 2015 single, "She's My Girl". Now, with his daughter currently in college, and his marriage ending in divorce, the multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter has returned to writing and performing, and is excited about the release of his debut full length album, "Eclectic Mind". "'Eclectic Mind' is a collection of songs that reflects many of my experiences I've had and thoughts that I've pondered over the years", he says. "I wrote half the album by myself, and the other half with a few close friends and fellow musicians. There are songs about love, work, God, hard times, good times, and even one to my mother. I'm very proud of this album and the people who helped make it a reality."
"Eclectic Mind" marks his evolution as a songwriter and individual, crafting each song with care, and every line was written with the intent of relating to the listener on a personal level. "I've been writing songs and singing since the 7th grade and have accumulated hundreds of tunes I co-wrote with various people", Wayne says. "I'm mostly a melody/lyric guy, but for the first time in a long time, I sat at my baby grand and finished a bunch of songs, music AND lyrics, and took them to my longtime friend, engineer/ producer Dan Caruso's studio, and with the help of some more extremely talented players like Gar
Francis (guitars & production), finished them.
The thirteen track LP is reminiscent of classic blues and rock, with song titles ranging from "I'm Broke Again" to "I'm in Love Again", and even one titled "Mom", which gives the listener an idea of what it means to relate to the songwriter. Wayne seems to bring a rich inner life and the ability to craft positive vibes, even during the dark times, and takes inspiration from some of the greats from the 70's and 80's.
You can check out the first single, "I'm A Music Man" here:
https://soundcloud.com/wayne-o-10/sets/eclectic-mind-new-lp-wayne
Designed to evoke emotion, be it positive or negative, "Eclectic Mind" is an exercise in understanding what it is to truly feel. "I hope at least one song can make you feel good (or sad...that's OK too) but for a Musicman (or Woman), we just want to help you enjoy a few minutes away from the crush of life with the sounds we create", he says. http://www.wayneosongs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/WayneO-Weegee-972747572756943To preview "Eclectic Mind", available at CD Baby, iTunes and other online stores, visit: https://wayneolivieri.hearnow.com
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