The Key Studio Sessions: Ages

“Our record took, no pun intended, ages to finish,” says Dave Downham, guitarist for South Jersey indie four-piece Ages. That might be because a full album wasn’t always in the cards; the band initially came about as an excuse for some friends from the South Jersey punk scene to record original Christmas songs for their local label’s holiday compilations. By the time Downham and singer Jeff Blatcher realized they wanted to make non-seasonal music in the mid-aughts, they were both enmeshed in their respective careers: Downham co-owning Gradwell House Recording and Blatcher working as an air balancer (one of the most interesting and unusual day jobs I’ve heard of). Hence, Made in the Trade, their seven years in the making full length debut that was, they admit, occasionally worked on during downtime at the job. It’s a spunky set of power pop goodness filtered through their late 90s punk roots – think Nada Surf – and the punchy performance at their Key Studio Session made me all the more excited for their set at Johnny Brenda’s this Friday. Download the Key session below, stream the album here, get more information on their show here . And tune in to the Key Studio Sessions hour on XPN2 tomorrow at 7 p.m. to hear the full session and an interview with the band.