Today we’d like to introduce you to Blue House Band.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Blue House Band was formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2021. Alex Bonyata and Trey Poluga met in Tampa and moved to Nashville together in 2020. That same year, Alex met Nathan Moll through an internship at a local recording studio.
I (Tony Salomone) moved to Nashville in 2021, barely knowing anyone. Looking to meet other musicians, I decided to check out an open jam at this old dive-y bar Cafe Coco. As luck would have it, Alex and Nate were there that night. We clicked right away, and later that week I went to a jam at their house, where I met Trey.
After playing together, it was obvious we had great chemistry. We started talking about our long-term goals and realized we all wanted to build something together. Rather than focusing on being an original band, we decided to become a backing band for hire, working with local, regional, and eventually internationally touring artists.
We saw a real need for that in Nashville. So many artists were putting together bands made up of musicians who had never played together, which often made rehearsals and shows stressful. Our goal was to create a band that artists could trust. When someone hires Blue House Band, we create our own charts, come fully prepared, and perform as a cohesive unit because we’ve spent years playing together.
The next challenge was getting our name in front of artists, so we launched Artist Night: a full-band open mic where singer-songwriters can perform their original music backed by a band of professional musicians. That event became the catalyst for building relationships throughout the Nashville music community, and over time it helped us grow Blue House Band into a full-time business.
In addition to live performances, we also operate Blue House Studio, led by producer and engineer Alex Bonyata, where we help artists bring their music to life in the studio as well.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Luckily, the road has been pretty smooth because (miraculously) our personalities work really well together, so we’ve been able to stay tight as a unit and as friends.
One of our biggest challenges has been finding the right long-term home for Artist Night. We needed a venue that could support the event consistently, but especially in the early days, it was difficult because open mic crowds don’t typically spend a lot on food and drinks. In many cases, the venue would only break even, or even lose money.
From the beginning, it was important to us that Artist Night remain completely free to attend and free for artists to perform. While that makes it more challenging to keep both the venue and the band financially supported, we’ve stayed committed to making it as accessible as possible.
In the end, that approach has worked in our favor. Artist Night has become a sort of “free trial” for Blue House Band, giving artists the chance to experience what it’s like to perform with us before hiring us for future shows or recording projects. More importantly, it’s allowed us to build an incredible community without putting a paywall in front of creativity and connection.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a backing band for hire, we get to play with a lot of different artists across many different genres, which is one of our favorite parts of what we do. It also requires a certain level of discipline and adaptability. One thing we’ve discovered about ourselves is that we all genuinely love songs. When we’re playing with an artist, our goal isn’t to show off or be flashy on our instruments—it’s to serve the song.
A lot of the time, what a song needs isn’t crazy chops. It needs the right tone, the right part, a great pocket, and musicians who are really listening to each other and to the artist. I think that’s what allows us to play so many different styles of music effectively and, more importantly, makes the artists we work with feel supported.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Tony Salomone: Keys, MD
Alex Bonyata: Guitar, engineer, producer
Trey Poluga: Drums
Nathan Moll: Bass
Jack Gardner: Saxophone/Vocals
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bluehousebandofficial.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/bluehousebandofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueHouseBandOfficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bluehouseband
