Roselle Park-based East Clay Ave won the 2025 Carteret Battle of the Bands on Sept. 20. PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN
The young Roselle Park-based R&B/funk band East Clay Ave won the 2025 Carteret Battle of the Bands on Sept. 20. Their prize was $1,500 from Carteret Business Partnership and six hours of recording time at Rahway’s Carriage City, where they happened to have recorded their first two singles as a band called Dreamscape.
In August, the band changed their name to East Clay Ave on honor of the Roselle Park road on which they rehearse.
Coming in second in the Carteret Battle of the Bands was the Bayonne-based classic rock cover band BreakTime. Also competing were The Accelerators and Bloomy Remmy.
For more about East Clay Ave, visit instagram.com/eastclayave/ and enjoy the following interview:
What are the names and instruments of the members of East Clay Ave?
Asia Johnson, lead vocals; Sherwin Fabe, background vocals; Spencer Fabe, guitar; Bryan Singer, keys/synth; Rolan Bansil, drums; Amir Nassar, bass (he was subbing for the Carteret Battle of the Bands).
Which members are from Carteret?
Spencer and Sherwin Fabe.
Did they go to Carteret High School, and when did they graduate?
Yes! Sherwin graduated in 2017 and Spencer in 2018.
Where else is East Clay Ave from?
We formed in Roselle Park, but we have members from West Orange and Teaneck as well.
When and how did East Clay Ave get together?
It started after Bryan and I met at Montclair State. He was doing music therapy at the time, and I was getting my master's in vocal performance. We had this jazz vocal ensemble together for a few semesters, and he started subbing in some of my rehearsals and joining in on gigs. From there, I told him I wanted to start a band and got some people together.
What inspired your name and why? Was it the road in Roselle Park?
We tried brainstorming a bunch of dream-related names, but none of them felt right, and so many artists already use them. East Clay Ave is the street we rehearse on in Roselle Park. Spencer was actually the one to suggest, and we all loved it.
Why and when did you change your name from Dreamscape to East Clay Ave?
We started changing our name at the beginning of August. We were getting confused with other bands/artists that had a similar name, and it was tough to make it our own. We decided to change it to stick out more and be more unique. No one else had it.
It looks like East Clay Ave released two singles on YouTube, ‘Positive Energy’ and ‘Where Am I Now,’ as well as an NPR Tiny Desk clip of a song called ‘Fever,’ but I don’t see any releases on Spotify or Apple Music. Has East Clay Ave not started streaming there yet?
When we started the name change, we decided to take down our two singles so we could re-upload them under East Clay Ave. We figured it was worth it given we only had two singles out and started recording two more last month (mid-August). We had to wait to release them again to ensure we wouldn't run into any issues. They are in the process of being re-uploaded, and ‘Fever,’ along with our newest single, ‘Careless,’ are still being recorded/mixed with the studio.
Did you release on Spotify with Dreamscape?
We did, but the only place they are still on is YouTube since that was easy to change. I recommend keeping an eye out on our socials because we will be posting all the updates there!
During your performance at the Carteret Battle of the Bands, you mentioned that an East Clay Ave single would be coming out on Spotify and other platforms. What is that song and what inspired it?
Both ‘Fever’ and our newest single, ‘Careless,’ will be coming out on all streaming platforms by the end of the year. ‘Fever’ is about feeling so empowered and driven that it’s almost contagious. A part of it contributes to how our band has been growing and improving over the last couple years. Winning the Battle of the Bands is a great example of what we mean. It’s that amazing feeling you get when you really start to hone your craft and build a skill.
‘Careless’ talks about someone in your life that never really valued you but never wants to let you go. It’s that internal struggle of wanting to let something go because you know it’s bad for you but getting pulled back in by that sweet addiction.
Coming in first at the Carteret Battle of the Bands, East Clay Ave won $1,500 in cash from Carteret Business Partnership and six hours of recording from Rahway’s Carriage City Studios with whom they have worked in the past. PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN
How does it feel to have won the Carteret Battle of the Bands and why?
Amazing! Honestly, we as a band have such high standards and can be pretty hard on ourselves.
Sometimes leading up to a gig, the rehearsals can feel so lackluster, like we’re going backwards, but something about the stage really pulls us together. Winning not only gave us a nice confidence boost but also reminded us that we are improving and growing together. I don’t know if we could’ve performed that way a year ago.
Is winning the Carteret Battle of the Bands your greatest accomplishment so far? If not, what is it?
I would say so. We did not have a whole lot of gigs before now -- only about 3 -- so this was the most we ever put ourselves out there. It’s a cool experience!
Your prize from the Battle the Bands is $1,500 from the Carteret Business Partnership and six hours of recording time at Carriage City Studios in Rahway. What will the band do with the funds received, and what and when do you hope to record at Carriage City?
There is some equipment that we have wanted for a while and wanted to raise funds for. This money will go toward a Nord keyboard and hopefully a mixer. You may have noticed on stage, we had two laptops connected to the keyboards. It has been a bit of a hassle to get the sounds we want with the equipment we currently have. We are hoping this will improve things.
As far as Carriage City, that is actually where we have been recording our newest singles so hopefully we can use it toward them, but if not, we will definitely have more music to use it on!
I noticed on your Instagram that you have a video that says, ‘Carriage City Presents.’ What is that clip from?
That was a very recent session we did with them in August. We also worked with them on our first two songs. We absolutely love the environment and the space and are so grateful such an amazing studio is available for artists/bands like us. Spencer is also a professional photographer and recorded the whole thing. You may be seeing those clips in the future for some surprise projects!
What introduced you to the Carteret Battle of the Bands, and why did you compete in it?
Spencer and Sherwin have been talking about it since last year. We unfortunately missed the sign up last year so we were extra careful to make sure we were ready for this year. It seemed like a cool opportunity and a great way to try out our first battle of the bands.
How many of you have enjoyed Carteret’s Ethnic Day in the past, and what do you like most about it?
Most of us aside from the Fabes did not know about the event. Their family always goes and says it’s a great time. I loved how you opened the stage for so many performers to come out. You don’t see a lot of city events host something like this.
When and where has East Clay Ave performed in Carteret before?
This is our first time!
When and where will East Clay Ave be performing?
We have a couple gigs coming up next month! The first is on Oct. 5 at Warwick AppleFest in New York. We'll be doing an hour set at 11 a.m. on the Chase Stage.
The second is on Oct. 11. We will be performing in Cranford's Porchfest at 5:30.
Where would East Clay Ave most like to perform and why?
Asbury Park is a huge music scene that we would love to participate in! My fiancé goes there a lot, and I have seen/know so many talented musicians who perform there. It would be an amazing opportunity!
Is there anything I didn’t ask on which you would like to comment?
We are just so grateful to have experienced this and for getting to connect with new people. We have so many new things coming up over the next few months, and we hope everyone can join us on this journey to see it. Thanks again, Carteret. We’ll be back real soon!
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook & Instagram and contact Bob at [email protected].
