Honky-Tonk Jukebox host pays homage to ‘Bloomfield Sound’ on new record
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Once a month, a historic German singing club in Bloomfield is transformed by cowboy hats, rhinestone jackets and plenty of boots, courtesy of the Honky Tonk Jukebox.
The Jukebox is hosted by Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Jon Bindley and his band, Bindley Hardware Co. They play their own songs, cover classic honky-tonk country tunes and bring a wide variety of guests onstage as the audience fills the dance floor at the Liedertafel, which dates back to the early 1900s and is home to the Bloomfield Liedertafel Singing Society.
Bindley Hardware Co. is preparing to release their newest record, “Bloomfield Sound.” Bindley, 34, spoke recently with TribLive about creating the record and the release party he’s planning at the April 19 honky-tonk.
This interview has been edited for length.
Q: The new record is titled “Bloomfield Sound” – what does the title refer to?
A: Bloomfield has a rich history when it comes to local music. Like so many, I spent years playing and going to shows at Howler’s and the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, which are (both) gone now. The record is an homage to past, present, and future from bands like The Beagle Brothers (who will be performing at the release show) and their “Architects of the Bloomfield Sound” record to The Harlan Twins whose song, “I Can’t Be Blue in Bloomfield,” we cover on this record. We’re paying homage and celebrating this little scene and its evolution. Bloomfield has been our musical home for a number of years now. I like to think that this record adds another chapter to the lore. Not unlike the “Bakersfield Sound” — this is our region’s take on country music.
Q: The band’s overall sound eschews a lot of the trappings of modern pop country music – is that deliberate?
A: I am not sure it’s a deliberate thing, I really just try to write songs that I like and that I will enjoy performing with the band. I have nothing against modern pop country music really; I know people have lots of strong opinions about the genre nowadays. I feel like at this point everything is so muddled that I’m not even sure what’s what. There are lots of “pop country” acts that I find more intellectually honest and entertaining than the folks who are branded as “anti-pop pop country,” so who knows?
Q: What was the biggest challenge in putting the new record together?
A: The grim economic reality of producing and publishing original music in 2024. Recorded music isn’t worth much, but it costs a lot to make something of quality and then comes the cost of promoting it and trying to woo listeners which is a David-versus-Goliath type of thing for a regular guy and independent artist like me. So you have to set reasonable expectations and practice wanting what you have. Right now I’ve got a small but mighty community of folks that genuinely care and listen and show up. As long as they continue to dig what we’re doing, that makes it all worthwhile.
Q: What’s your favorite song from “Bloomfield Sound”?
A: I’d probably say “Nana Mae’s Kitchen” which is a song about my late grandma, an Irish immigrant who had a larger-than-life personality. It’s been 15 years or more since she passed but I’m really proud of the way that song musically and lyrically paints the picture and takes me back to the world I knew as a child. That’s what music can do for you.
“Bloomfield Sound” will be released in digital form April 12.