ABOUT US
Photo by Jimmy Giambrone
mis-chief
[ mis-Chif ] noun - (collective) A group or pack of rats.
Hailing from Hamilton, New Jersey, Charles Laurita & The Mischief is a 6-piece all original powerhouse. Once described as “the love child of Black Sabbath and James Brown,” the band sports their very own brand of music, aptly titled, “Alternafunk.” With a tight horn section and heavy dance grooves, as well as their solid basslines and memorable melodic styles, The Mischief breaks down the barriers of genre and offers something to music lovers of every walk of life.
Conceived in 2012, The Mischief was created by Charles Laurita as a secondary group to his cover band to showcase his own original music. Being from a music scene in which cover and tribute bands thrived, The Mischief was a rarity, and quickly gained popularity in their home town.
In addition to Charles, the first iteration of the band consisted of Kenny Hamilton on bass, Darwin Morua on drums, and Chandler Scales on tenor sax. Before the idea of a full horn section was even put into place, the group would be accompanied by two female backup singers - which would be a very short lived idea.
To fully flesh out the horn section and bring it to a three-piece, Sean Joyce on trumpet and Steve Balalis on trombone were brought in, thus completing The Mischief's first lineup. After a year packed with numerous successful shows, this iteration of the band would go on to release their first album in 2013 - a well recieved self-titled EP that boosted the group's popularity almost over night.
Following the band's success of their debut EP, The Mischief would go on to record their first full length album in 2017 - Interstellar Fortuneteller - a concept album depicting an overarching outer space epic from the point of view of both the hero and villain. Joined by Will Sarver on drums and Tommy Allen on bari sax throughout the recording of Interstellar Fortuneteller (as well as the time preceding it's release), the band truly was a powerhouse.
As of 2019, Charles Laurita & The Mischief is:
Charles Laurita - Vocals/Guitar
Noah Rusnak - Bass
Will Sarver - Drums
Chandler Scales - Tenor Sax
Sean Joyce - Trumpet
Will Caldwell - Bari Sax