The Anderson Council

Established in 1999, The Anderson Council is the brainchild of singer and songwriter Peter Horvath, whose love affair with late 60’s pop informs and inspires both the band’s sound and direction. The quartet of Horvath, guitarist Michael Potenza, drummer Scott Jones and bassist Simon Burke enthralls listeners with irresistible hooks and captivates them with intelligent layers of sound.

In 2001, The Council released its debut album Coloursound (The Sinclair Recording Co.). Coloursound made its radio debut on Little Steven’s internationally syndicated radio show “Underground Garage" and the first single “Sitting on a Cloud”, was named the “Coolest Song in the World” in April 2002.

In 2006 the band released its second full-length album, The Fall Parade (Groove Disques Records), which was nominated for “Best New Release” and “Best Album” by the Asbury Park Music Awards. The album quickly made its way to the Billboard Garage Rock charts on the strength of its first single “Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours” which entered at number one and propelled the The Fall Parade to number nine. Both the single and album remained in the Top 10 charting for three months straight. The second single “Strawberry Smell”, which is featured on the soundtrack of award-winning film I’m Reed Fish (2007), continues to spin regularly on Underground Garage and radio stations across North America.

In 2012 The Anderson Council completed and released their 3rd full length album, Looking at the Stars. Recorded in Highland Park, New Jersey by Kurt Reil (leader of the Grip Weeds, and producer of Mark Lindsey and The Smithereens) on Sinclair Records, “Looking at the Stars” featured 13 new songs ranging from high-energy 60’s power pop to 70’s Mod Revival to 00’s British re-invasion. Their video for the single and lead off track "Don't You Think" received extensive views online on YouTube and in the blogosphere. The single also appeared in the Canadian film The Right Kind of Wrong (2013). The record continued to surge, behind the support Little Steven Van Zandt, who deemed a deeper cut, "Gardening Man" the “Coolest Song in the World” on his Underground Garage Sirius XM radio (channel 21) and syndicated radio show. Combine that with a public endorsement from Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, annual appearances at multiple metro area music festivals and all was looking good in the power pop world for The Anderson Council.

Over the next two years, the band stayed busy and productive playing shows and kept their name in the public eye. They made appearances on several tribute records, recording their versions of songs by Elvis Costello, Bobby Sutliff, The Posies, New Jersey’s own, The Critters and most recently, the Canadian rock band, Sloan.

In 2014 Christopher Rousseau joined the fold, taking over bass duties from long time member Rob Farrell. Energized, the band brought Christopher up to speed, and later that year, the band embarked on writing and demoing new material. The result is 2015’s Listening Party!, a six song EP which gave their fans some well deserved tracks to spin while awaiting the next album. The EP tracklisting was unique in that each member contributed one original and chose one cover.

In 2016, fresh from signing with Marty Scott’s JEM Records, the band re entered The House of Vibes to cut some tracks. Scott’s intention was to introduce the rest of the world to the sounds of The Anderson Council without having to purchase their catalog. Thus the idea behind Assorted Colours, an aural history of The Anderson Council was born. Under the stewardship of Reil, the band began a massive re-mastering of tracks from the first three albums. With the intention of including three tracks from each previously release along with 4 newly recorded “jems”. Assorted Colours combines the old with the new sounds in a seamless presentation. The remastering adds punch to previously released songs like “We’re Like The Sun” and “Hole in the Sky” while the new tracks “Girl on The Northern Line”, “I Never Feel”, “Magical” and “Fire Island” simply sparkle.