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Arts & Entertainment

Tarrytown Musician Readies Second Album

True Apothecary's front man is working to make it big.

Tarrytown's David Brooks has his eye on the prize.

The North Carolina native and Mercy College graduate is holding down a full-time gig as a waiter at the newly-opened Tarry Tavern while focusing on his musical endeavors "pretty much anytime I'm not working."

The singer-songwriter-musician has been singing since he was a little kid and is currently working on his second EP.

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"But, I didn't start singing in front of people until I was high school," he revealed, adding he began songwriting in the early years of high school.

Since then, he's picked up the guitar, bass, says he "can get around the piano" and has experience with the trombone from the days of high school jazz band.

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Brooks said his earliest experiment in a band was like a "Weezer cover band." Later, he focused on a pop-punk vibe, and at one point, even performed in darker, experimental metal bands.

"It did not suit me very well," he recalled.

Brooks found a softer niche he felt comfortable with when he purchased his first acoustic guitar around four years ago and began dedicating more time to his music.

His first EP, titled The Lion Will Speak, was released in May 2009 and features six original songs, all written and recorded by Brooks.

"It's all very personal," he said of his music. "All the experiences are first person, things that actually happened and how they affected me emotionally."

The EP's website lists artists ranging from Michael Jackson, Pete Yorn and Babyface as influences to the music's "eclectic, yet catchy, sound."

Brooks started True Apothecary as "an electronic side project in college," which eventually became the name of the band he formed with former classmates Jared Garcin (lead guitar) and Mike Waschenko (drums and keys).

According to Brooks, the band's name is a Romeo and Juliet reference.

Though he didn't find the overload of Shakespeare during his freshman year of high school particularly stimulating, revisiting the works has been a positive source of inspiration.

"I'm a big fan of words that sound very nice together," he said. "I can definitely appreciate [Shakespeare]. It's very poetic."

The trio practices three times a week in "a shady warehouse district in Mount Vernon" and have had around 10 live shows in New York City venues since last December, including Rockwood Music Hall.

"Its more rock-based," said Brooks of the band's newer sound. "But it still maintains the poppy/soulful essence."

True Apothecary's members have decided to take a break from live performing while they piece together their EP and record it in Brooks' living room.

"Our music has grown a bit and changed considerably, especially in the past few months," Brooks explained.

The six-track EP is coming along well and should be complete by mid to late September.

Brooks is optimistic about the band's future and hopes to make it big, like, "Michael Jackson big," one day.

"I'd love to be famous and on TV and rich and touring the world," he said.

He is also open to taking the recording engineering skills he learned in college to create a "moderately to extremely successful career" in the studio.

"I'm keeping one foot on the ground while my head is in the clouds," he said.

To learn more about David Brooks and True Apothecary, and to hear samples of their music, visit their website.

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