That Eric Alper

Connecticut-based Northfield is the musical equivalent of your favorite old flannel: a little frayed, a lot worn and questionably stylish, but surprisingly comfortable and you probably have had it since the 90s. Fronted by songwriter and self-admitted music nerd Jesse Perkins, the band stumbles along somewhere between indie rock and alt-country, often forgetting which was the goal to begin with.

Northfield has just released its debut single “It’s Too Easy,” recorded in early 2024. It’s a song that doesn’t merely evoke the sound of the 90’s – it was in fact written in the 1990’s by Perkins. As if sprung from a musical time capsule, fans of bands from that era, like Dinosaur Jr, Wilco, and Pavement, will find Northfield to be a slice of the 1990’s, perfectly preserved in its sonic freshness.

“It’s Too Easy” will be the first single released from Northfield’s upcoming album titled “Lost and Found.” The title “Lost and Found” refers as much to Perkins himself, as to the songs that he unearthed from his early days of writing, recording, and performing. After being away from music for the past twenty years, Perkins re-discovered that early passion for music and formed Northfield in 2024.

“This album could have, and maybe should have come out 25 years ago, but here it is now – better late than never!” said Perkins.

After recording the basic tracks in his basement studio, dubbed Good Enough Records, Perkins, a native of Northwest Connecticut, who spent time in Boston before returning to his old stomping ground, sought out old friend and co-producer Mike Goldberg to finish and mix the album. Goldberg added brash guitar solos and subtle keyboards to Perkin’s songs. Together, they recruited bassist Randy Kane, a player Perkins had known from the Connecticut music scene, and Kane’s cousin Ethan Sawyer on the drums.

With the Northfield line up completed, “we concocted a rag tag cacophony that’s equal parts fuzzy and jangly on the surface, while being both earnest and reckless underneath. Northfield’s not going to change the world, but we might make Tuesday night a whole lot better. Come in with low expectations and you just might have a new favorite band!” said Perkins.

Despite his flair for nonchalance, bordering on 90’s indie-rock self-effacement, while he may have felt lost from music over the past 25 years, he certainly wasn’t wasting time. The singer was in fact teaching high school, and by all accounts he was incredibly passionate inside the classroom as he is now behind a microphone.

One of his students from that era, Tom Burger, who followed Perkins advice to pursue music along with athletics, went on to manage the band Hall and Oates, working with the prestigious Los Angeles, CA-based Wolfson Entertainment. Burger, who now runs his own Nashville, TN-based TAB Management, credits Perkins as an influence in his career, and considers Northfield one of his favorite new bands. He was also instrumental in introducing Northfield to Pilot Light Records, which is now managing Northfield’s distribution, promotion, and publicity.

“Northfield delivers a live set that is full of grungy alt-country heart, energy, and hometown pride – tight grooves, scuzzy 90’s vibes, soulful melodies, and a feel-good atmosphere that brings the whole crowd together,” said Burger.

With the release of “It’s Too Easy” on Pilot Light Records, now streaming around the world on sites like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music, Northfield has also released a music video produced by Connor Rog of Kicker Pictures, Inc. The music video, now on YouTube, is a montage of original 8mm footage, set against footage of the band captured earlier this year. The music video has an experimental feel, perfectly capturing the spirit of the band, and the era of music it represents.

“It’s Too Easy” is the first of several singles to be released over the next few months, with the complete album due in early November, 2025. The band plans to release a music video for every single, following a “unique cascading waterfall strategy,” according to Marc Alan of Pilot Light Records.