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Arts & Entertainment

Novae Music Video Premiere Brings Out Local Stars

Manalapan's own Jenna Bush directed the band's music video.

Local stars aligned on Friday, Sept. 16, as New Jersey rock band Novae premiered their first official music video for “Broken Days”, directed by Manalapan resident Jenna Bush. Family and friends of the band and many Manalapan supporters came out for the glamorous event which took place at the on Route 34 in Matawan.

Jenna Bush said she was sought out by the band Novae’s lead singer, Rich Genoval, after he saw her short film “The Ground Keeper” at the .

“[Genoval] was fabulous. He had some idea of what he wanted to do, but he wasn’t sure. He came over and we just talked and really collaborated,” said Bush about the filming.

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Bush considers this her first “real-world” music video, having been the cinematographer for “Never Enough” by the band Big Baby Ernie. She worked on the student project with director Daniel Quinn, a classmate and fellow May 2011 graduate.

She and Quinn returned to campus for filming, enlisting the help of a some other TCNJ alumni.

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“It came out really well. I was happy with the finished project," said Quinn. "The actual taping was good; it flowed, it worked well. It was fun, but we also got a lot done."

Novae’s song “Broken Days” tells a story of love lost, and Bush’s direction perfectly captures the emotion of the song while going beyond the break-up message in the lyrics.

“I thought that it was a really emotional piece, and she really got across the desperate feeling that this young woman (Cat Cosentino) was experiencing,” said Judith Drucker, a long-time friend of Jenna Bush and a member of the Manalapan Arts Committee. She commended the counter-balance setting of the video - half takes place in a natural setting and the other half takes place in the young woman’s bedroom.

, an actress-singer-songwriter from Oceanport, stars in the video as the young woman. She has previously worked with Bush, acting in both “The Ground Keeper” and in the Big Baby Ernie video.

“I feel like a rockstar,” said Cosentino about the premiere. “Aside from me playing my own gigs, I feel more like a rockstar here. Or Hollywood! Route 34 has now become Hollywood,” she added with a laugh.   

In the background, Novae and their fans gathered for a photo shoot as others gathered on the venue’s large dance-floor.

“We don’t have millions of dollars to make this movie –it’s not a Lady Gaga video,” continued Cosentino. “But the quality and the creativity that has been poured out into this project – it’s incredible.”

According to frontman and keyboardist Rich Genoval, Novae is a fairly new band, having formed in 2009. He found bandmates, Jim Arra, bass, and Mark Scandariato, lead guitar, through the internet and drummer Kevin Hill joined the group later.   

“We really just got lightning in a bottle with the convergence,” said Genoval. “It’s a pretty young band, but we have a lot of individual experience.”

Genoval co-writes songs with Scandariato, who has played with a range of exemplary artists including Bob Dylan, Kenny Aronoff, The Spin Doctors, Hootie & The Blowfish, Charlie Sexton, and Lisa Loeb.

The band's music has been dubbed “poetic-pop,” and Genoval feels that it is very accessible to various listeners.

“When you dig in is when you kind of start to realize that a little more is going on than the general radio-friendly stuff that’s out there,” he said. “We try to keep it as poetic and meaningful as possible.”

Their EP, Novae: One, was produced by Anthony J. Resta, a multi-platinum producer who has worked with Elton John, Collective Soul, Duran Duran, Perry Ferrell, Blondie, and Megadeth. Already, the EP has been picked up by seven major network television shows, including the Kardashian shows and MTV “Road Rules.”

“He’s the best in the business, so we were very fortunate to come across him,” said Genoval about Resta.

“This band could be placed anywhere and develop a following,” said Janet Kirchheimer, Novae’s booking agent and owner of Stage Top Music. She said that the band knows how to connect with a crowd and have been called back to various venues throughout the state.

“They are probably one of the finest bands in the state of New Jersey, as far as I’m concerned, and I really think they should be on the big stage in Hollywood," she added. "Because that’s how great I think their presence is.”   

Genoval also reflected on the band’s first experience shooting a music video and had nothing but praise for its director.

“[Jenna Bush] is just a consummate professional,” said Genoval. “From her angles, to her knowledge of lighting, and just her general friendliness and professionalism, she’s a total pro.”

Genoval said her idea for the video encapsulated the meaning of the song “Broken Days.”

“For being so young-  she’s got such a fresh vision, but it’s still really classic, too,” he said. She’s got a really, really long career ahead of her, and I can’t wait to see where she goes.”

The morning of the premiere, Bush announced via Facebook that “The Ground Keeper” had been accepted to the Rumschpringe Film Festival in Pennsylvania, the third state where it will be shown. The film was also accepted into the NewFilmmakers NY summer series at the Anthology Film Archives on the Lower East Side. The event is Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Additionally, Bush is currently a production assistant for “Sinister,” a horror film starring Ethan Hawke and directed by Scott Derrickson. When asked if she had met Ethan Hawke yet, Bush laughed and said that he was expected on set the following week.

“I hear he’s a really cool guy and really awesome, so I’m very excited,” she said.

According to Upper Deck management, approximately 150 to 175 people attended the music video premiere that concluded with a live performance by Novae.

Genoval dedicated “Broken Days” to Cosentino, as she and Bush watched from the dance floor, smiling and belting out every lyric.

To view the Novae music video, and for a link to Jenna's other notable projects, click here.

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