Community Highlights: Meet James Pace of Unchained Brands

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Pace.

Hi James, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me..Excited to be here.  I would be happy to share some backstories….I’d say it was around 1991, when I started gigging in the Asbury Park, NJ music scene.  This was the general area I was from and it had all the lore to go with it having clubs like the Stony Pony and the Fastlane(s) hosting Springsteen and Bon Jovi respectively since 1970’s and 80’s.  My ignorance at age 17 was bliss and the impact that this area had on me was profound.  The Asbury Park area was an artsy location and close to NYC – Essentially, we had the beach and Wall Street (within an 45 minutes) presenting quite a stark contrast of people types.  There wasn’t much “in-between” so we learned quickly about mixing art and the music business in that general area.

I grew up in Atlantic Highlands, NJ amongst a lot of clam diggers, lobsterman, electricians, plumbers and roofers who often enjoyed beers with my dad after a hard day of work.  The stories from this area are a bit glorified, but quite true – Good people who helped each other at all times.  We didn’t have much money and there were plenty of times the local Tavern owner would help my dad with the food bill or the local roofer would come by after work to help my dad install spark plugs into his (again) broken down Monza Junker.

I was fortunate to be gifted my first electric guitar on my 12th birthday. This came after 2 years of begging everyone in my family for a few dollars while working as a dishwasher at the Towne Café, a local popular diner.  Once the guitar was in my hands, the first question I asked my Dad was, “Dad, When can I consider myself a musician?” I loved the work and the struggle to get “it” right and find my meditative space, even as a 12-year kid.  Frankly, this was therapy – Growing up in a home where my father was a passive alcoholic was traumatizing and the guitar was the escape.  So, I played a lot.

After working in the Asbury Park club scene starting at 16, I began meeting and working hard to sell and promote local shows for concert promoters with influence. This earned my band the right to get the opening slots for large National Acts passing through town – This was important – This taught me the business side was just as important as the art side of music. It was quite thrilling to score an opening slot for King’s X, LIVE, Material Issue, or Jeff Healey, the legendary Blues Genius. It was a matter of hard work on the instrument and marketing and selling the brand we were building equally.

This was done before age 21 and was an informal MBA in the music business. While this maturation felt global, this was very local since all of our accomplishments were within a 5 square mile radius of venues along the Jersey Shore. Clubs like The Stone Pony, The Fastlane, and T-Birds Cafe (later the Saint) all carried weight, but it wasn’t Los Angeles or another mid/large city.  The daily touring schedules of every huge artist passing through their east coast leg between NYC and Philadelphia; Asbury (Park) was a stopping point. A lot of good stories here to share – text me (laugh).

As time passed, scenes changed, and Philadelphia became a rare opportunity to build an adjacent audience. Whereby acts such as Chris Duarte, Los Lonely Boys, Ana Popovic, Savoy Brown, Toots and the Maytals, JD SIMO, and Philip Sayce all were supported by the James Pace Band across the Philadelphia region into the 2000s. We often drove strong attendance to support these acts at theaters and Music Halls into the hundreds. Blues Review Magazine featured the 1st James Pace Band EP Release (King’s of Groove) in the early 2000s with strong accolades and support. Since then, the James Pace Band has been featured in 7 articles since 2020 as the preparation for the second full album release, “The Sierra Madre Sessions,” scheduled for release in Fall 2022.

While visiting LA guitarist and friend Philip Sayce at his LA show, I ran into a contact who offered a full band and studio to record my dream album. Fate and timing could not have been better as I was in the flow and had the majority of an album written all in LA. The “Sierra Madre Sessions” could not have been conceived without the beautiful and serendipitous luck bestowed upon me.

As I prepared for this, I only had a brief chance to meet with the members before the recording (by phone if I recall). We quickly gelled to pulled together the framing of the 8 tracks we were to record in LA on June 6^th 2019. One hired band members was bassist Johnny Griparic (Slash’s Snake Pit, Carole King, Walter Trout). Johnny and I hit it off in conversation and bonded over a unique “Chain” Johnny was wearing in the recording session.  I asked him – Who makes that chain? He said, “I do.” From years in this music business at this point, my gut instinct jumped out, and I offered to partner with Johnny to make the “chain” an accessory every rock and roll fan would love to have. By investing in this idea financially and emotionally, we became official partners that day verbally.

A few months later, we agreed to create a company called Unchained Brands that “gives back” and donates a large portion of all revenues to help others in the music business struggling from addiction. As the son of a recovering alcoholic (and having lost my father to alcoholism), having Johnny as my business partner was a strong driver for us.  We both went “all in” and MusiCares (Grammy’s) became our first official partner and full recipient of the funds we raise today. Slash, Gilby Clarke, Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper), Alvino Bennett (Stevie Wonder), Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath), Peter Stormare (actor), and many others are public representatives of our brand www.unchainedbrands.com

My band once again was the life line to help others and create new ways to help others via Unchained Brands.  I like to say that the James Pace Band is a transcendent journey from Asbury Park, NJ to Los Angeles, CA, that continues to move forward and get better with time.

Not only with our music, but our compassion for others and our deep passion for transcending and creating a meditative state onstage. The new album this fall will hopefully bring us great success. As of today, we are in the running for “the Opening Act” (Audacy) for Cold Play and Black Eyed Peas at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2022! More great news to come.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Over the 25-plus years in the music business, no road has been paved. Having lost my father to alcohol addiction, band members to personal illness circumstances, and business partners to addiction, I have managed to stay away from the demons, write about them in the 3rd person, and share a sense of optimism and hope in the meditative space of the stage. Every artist has their share of luck and timing, and while everyone has different goals, my goals at this stage continue to grow into more transformative and transcendent ones that offer hope to those who need it through music.  I like to say… “healing through tone, rhythm, and sound”.  The economics have changed three times since I came into the music business, but one thing that has remained is my audience searching for a thrilling ride where a guitar can honestly change their lives and improve their day. That is what keeps this interesting – Just as Robert Sechrengost sits atop of the SEDONA VORTEX every day to play his flute to spread the message of love, so did Jimi Hendrix – That simplicity needs to stay in its place.  I feel a small responsibility to also hold that candle as we move forward together to heal. We all have healing to do these days it seems…

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Unchained Brands?
I would love to give some background for sure……Unchained Brands is an LA-based Music Merchandising company that “gives back” a large percentage of our profits to others in need in the music industry. We are also creating a community platform to help families impacted by alcohol addiction.

Unchained Brands started with a simple yet meaningful 3-ring design. The signature rings of our product collection symbolize our core values of courage, community, and compassion.

Our mission is based on the convergence of our product collection and support community. We are proud to provide a portion of our proceeds to benefit MusiCares®. This non-profit organization provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.

Our designs were born in LA in the minds and hands of our co-founder, professional musician Johnny Griparic and James Pace Piacentino. Johnny designed, built, and road-tested the 3-ring chain on stages worldwide, from club gigs to arena tours. From inception, the positive feedback on the chain design was inspiring. This also led Johnny to wonder: Could this “chain” hold a greater meaning? On June 6th, 2019, in a recording studio in Sierra Madre, CA, Johnny and co-founder James Pace Piacentino first met. Within minutes of James seeing the chain, it clicked. A rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle brand that GIVES BACK was born.

The vision of a company that inspires and helps others, once just an idea, became a reality. We believe that beliefs drive behavior. We believe in those who share common values. We believe in people who give back. This is who we are as individuals, and this is what Unchained Brands will always be all about. Together, we will lead the journey to inspire through our products and community.

Our Core Values:
COURAGE – Having the courage to confront any obstacles in your life.
COMMUNITY – Having a community to support positive change in one’s life.
COMPASSION – Having the ability to see past challenges and have compassion and empathy to support others.

Had we loved to hear about any fond memories you have from growing up?
That is an excellent question – I think there are several that mean a lot as they cross into adulthood. The first was when my dad would come home from work, and we would run down to greet him – I assume this was more thrilling for him, and I also believe this to be a fond memory only because I am a parent now and understand the mutual love there. The second was the first time I heard a melody that made me cry – I was 4, and it was the Beatles song “Yesterday”.  Also a huge impact was the first time I heard a guitar via the hands of Edward Van Halen on Van Halen 1.  I loved the way it sounded but thought it was a chainsaw at the time – I think I was about 5. Both were epic eye-opening moments of equal power in my life. The third was probably the first bike and first guitar – Both were the greatest feelings of childhood FREEDOM. Freedom to leave the nest and freedom to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unchainedbrands.com
• Instagram: @unchainedbrandsllc
• Facebook: @unchainedbrands
• Other: www.reverbnation.com/jamespaceband

Image Credits
Unchained Brands Photos by Allison Morgan Photography James Pace Band Photos by Ron Adelberg Photography and Tina Pastor Photography (first 2 only) James Pace took photo of photo labeled Album Cover