Styrofoam Junkies are at a turning point in their career.

By Will James

When The Standoff learned that their band name was taken by an English group just as they were in the midst of the “legal stuff” preceding their first recording, the potential for disaster was there. But they took the news in stride – after sifting through a list of 500 potential names, the five-piece, based in West Hempstead, settled on “Styrofoam Junkies” in May of 2007. The name, they say, can inspire either love or hate, but it sticks.

Now, newly rechristened, the band is anticipating the release of “Guided by Speciner,” their debut EP, and they’re busier than ever. After Styrofoam Junkies recorded with Ryan Sellick (Armor For Sleep, Jetlag Gemini, Crash Romeo) at Northshore Recording Studio in Madison, NJ, the EP was shipped over to Michael Fossenkemper (Madonna, Miles Davis, The Getup Kids) for mastering at Turtletone Studios in New York. And judging by the quality of the demo songs up on the web, the two studio veterans made their mark.

The New York/New Jersey split in the record’s production mirrors a theme in the band itself. Bass player Ricky Cody, guitarist Rich Nardo and drummer Vinny Previti grew up blocks from each other in West Hempstead. Singer Stephen Faig and guitarist Ryan Arthur are childhood friends from Madison, NJ. “It makes it a little difficult when you have half your band in New Jeresy, getting gigs on the weekend,” Nardo said. Arthur and Faig have been driving to the Island on weekends to practice and play gigs. With the release of “Guided by Speciner,” the band anticipates weekends filled with shows – the plan is to perform five or six times a month, half locally and half out-of-state.

It’s a step up in work, and Styrofoam Junkies already have a full plate. Apart from the band and their own clothing company, Nevermore Apparel, Nardo and Cody manage their own label, 24 West Records, which is releasing the upcoming EP. “We kind of tried to do it ourselves,” Nardo said. “Now we can promote distribute, and it’s ours. The music is ours.”

It gives them freedom. As a result, the EP’s stylistic diversity is a selling point. There are few influences that all five members agree upon: The Used, Muse, Ben Folds and John Mayor. Individually, the members cite a wide spectrum of pop-punk, grunge, indie and acoustic rock. They pride themselves on sounding “eclectic” while not being “random.”

To Nardo and Cody, 24 West Records is also the vehicle with which they can make their broader visions a reality. They remember the Long Island scene they grew up with – nights at the Downtown, exploring music they had never heard of. “It really was a really tight knit community when we were growing up,” Nardo said. Nardo and Cody think today’s teens have lost that sense of curiosity. “They go to hear one band and then leave,” Nardo said. “It’s kind of lost that community feel, that open-mindedness.” In the fall, the pair would like to expand their label, and start hosting all-ages shows and theme parties on the Island.

Loyalty is what matters to Nardo, who suspects the iPod generation of being riddled with attention deficit disorder. “A big problem with music today is that they’re listening to one band or they’re single-driven,” he said. “If you’re getting into music now, find something interesting and just dig it. Get into it.” 24 West Records is releasing a compilation this month, featuring Long Island bands like Casari, All Grown Up and Stealing Jane, alongside acts from other regions. Nardo and Cody hope to give it away at the Styrofoam Junkies EP release show on Aug. 12, which doubles as the one-year anniversary of Nevermore Apparel.

So, with a debut EP, a performance regimen, two expanding companies, a mission to save Long Island music and a state border dividing the band, Styrofoam Junkies may be the busiest band in the world. As Cody puts it, “It’s kind of rough on the social life, ya know?”

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