The Garden Roads is a band from South Jersey that came out of the friendship and musical collaboration between Tim Malcarney and Evan McIntrye. They were the driving force behind The Silence, a band that began when they were in high school. The Silence would go on to perform in clubs throughout the northeast and release several records. The Garden Roads has a record release show scheduled for "Destination Never Known" on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at The Tap Room in Haddon Township and NJ Stage reached out to Malcarney to learn more.
Did The Silence officially break up or go on a hiatus?
The Silence didn't as much break up as.. timed out. Evan and I have been playing in The Silence since the 90s. We would write songs, record, put out an album, play shows, repeat. We did it very well for a long time but a few years back he moved to San Diego. We could still write, record and put out albums – which we did in 2017 but the playing live part was challenging. We only played a few shows after the last album. We initially started recording these current songs as a Silence project but it became clear that we were in the same "not able to play the songs live" cycle and I didn't want to do that again. It takes a lot of work to write and record. To release and album and not be able to play the songs live is deflating. So, I needed to figure out how to break the cycle. I formed a new band and gathered some awesome musicians to learn the songs. It only seemed natural to change the name of the band. Playing live as The Silence without Evan was not an option. It wouldn't be right. Plus, I think these songs took a slight departure form pervious work so the new name was a clean break.
On the band's website it says this was the first time you ever formed a band without Evan. Did the two of you play in any bands together before The Silence?
Nope, we started the Silence together and it is the only band I've ever played in. I occasionally play in a Tom Waits Tribute band but that's it.
Is there a story behind the band name?
The name comes from one of the songs on the album called" Sentimental Charm". That song is essentially about us figuring out how to carry on music. There is a line in the song that references me on the East Coast and Evan on the West Coast- "From the Garden Roads to the Golden Shores". The Garden Roads seemed to fit plus it was searchable online. At one point in time we were the only The Silence (we owned the rights to the name) but if you look up the name on streaming media there are a bunch of other The Silences. If got to be too hard to direct people to the music.
Tell me about the process of recording "Destination Never Known". The songs were recorded in your studio in New Jersey and Evan's studio in San Diego. Was it difficult to pull together? Or is the technology so good these days that it wasn't much of a problem?
Having started out recording on tape machines and then 2" tape and having recorded in the early days of Pro Tools- the technology is amazing. The fact that we can live on separate coasts and record and record like it sounds like we are playing in the same room is amazing. We tend to use Pro Tools like tape and focus heavily on the sounds of the equipment, the rooms, mic placement, etc. We are a bit old school in that way. Yes, it would be a lot easier if we just used plug ins, etc. but what is the fun in that. It helps that we each have home studios to work out of. And then when it comes to mixing we leave that to the pro- Pete Rydberg of 1935 Studios in Philly. He is an unbelievable talent and has a great ear.
How good does it feel to be releasing new music again?
It feels incredible. Dare I say, better than ever. I believe that this is the best music we have put out to date. I am really excited for it. I am really excited to still be making music after all these years and to have found a group of like minded guys that want to do it with me.
There definitely feels the sound I remember from The Silence in some of these tracks. Was there an effort to write in that style or does that style just come naturally to you guys?
There is never a conscience effort to try to write in any particular style, so I guess its's just I think that is baked into us. We are two guys who have written a lot of music together for a lot of years – since we were 13.
Does the band have a set lineup?
The band is made up of a very longtime friend of Evan and mine - David Laganella on guitar and keys. He was the first call I made when I knew I needed someone to fill Evan's shoes. My cousin Jon Malcarney on drums- since I am not drumming live I needed someone that I could really trust and Jon is awesome. I did not know either of the other two guys before we started playing in January of 2025. Frank Dellorco is on bass. Frank has played in a bunch of bands over the years and is a great player and quick learner. Fran Camardella is on the second guitar. It is quite possible that Fran and I have played at the same gigs together but didn't realize it. We live slightly parallel musical lives. Great guitarist. All the guys are awesome musicians but maybe even more importantly they are awesome people. Rehearsal is really fun.
** NOTE: Fran Camardella has been in the bands: Overlook, Quick Step John, Modus, and The Everthere. Frank Dellorco has played with Paisley Pickles, The Rubbs, Rude Boy, Krypton Daisy, Grizelda, and Road to Ruin. Jon Malcarney is from Cabinet of Curiosities and Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra.
I see you have some shows coming up. How often does the band play?
Well, we are just getting started. Hopefully we will play on a regular basis all around the area. We can't wait to get these songs out of the rehearsal space. We are actively booking shows for the Spring. Even with years under your belt and the ability to bring out a crowd, booking shows can still be a pain.
Has the new album received any radio airplay that you know of?
It was played a few times this week on a Philly local radio station. We are working on getting spins on radio, streaming services, and online. This is the part where being an indie musician is challenging. Putting out an album can feel like a major victory but its only the first step. Getting it into people ears can be challenging but we've got patience and persistence.
What would you like to see happen with the band? Do you have any goals or simply want to play some shows?
I would love to just be able to keep recording albums and playing shows until I can't. I'd love for the band to get legs of its own so that we can play regular shows to people in different areas that are interested in our music. We don't have unrealistic lofty expectations but we do know that we have a really good band and some really good songs. We want to get the music out to people and continue to build a following. We aren't looking to hop back in a van and travel all over at the moment but a string of short road trip shows would be fun.
You've got new music out in the world (despite the challenges); was able to work with your long-time collaborator again; and put together a group of guys with a solid resume in the local scene. What are you most proud of with the band and the album?
I love the band that I put together. Such great guys in the rehearsal space and out. But when it comes down to it I am most proud of the songs. I really love how they turned out. A lot of time was spent on the nuances and I really hope that people take time to listen to the album. And then come see us live. We don't try to recreate the songs note for not. They hold true to the spirit of the song but they have a life of their own.
Where is the band based?
We all live in South Jersey but we tend to call ourselves Philly based since that is typically where our home shows are. But oddly enough all of our shows this Fall are in South Jersey - that's a first for us!
Way back in 2005, I interviewed Tim Malcarney about The Silence for Upstage Magazine. That article is available here.
