Biography
Having grown up amid the countryside surroundings of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, bassist, songwriter, producer, and AMG contributor Pemberton Roach passed much of his early years absorbing the vintage country LPs amassed by his father. This exposure prompted him to start creating music, leading him during his teenage years to perform with a variety of punk and garage bands, including one occasion when he was expelled from school after performing the track “This Whole World Is a Piece of Shit” in front of an auditorium packed with shocked parents. Upon turning 17 he relocated to New York City, where he immersed himself in the local rock and contemporary folk communities. By 1993 he had become a member of the influential alternative/indie outfit Thumper, freshly arrived in N.Y.C. after its time in Athens, GA. From that point forward Roach maintained a schedule as a frequently hired session musician and producer. In 1999 he helped establish the popular Latin-influenced rock group Ernesto, an act that went on to release material through Elektra Records. Under the masked persona Baron Klaus von Goaten he additionally handles bass duties for the cult favorites Satanicide. Beyond performance and production work, Roach has also achieved recognition as a music critic and record executive, most notably through his close collaboration with Allen Toussaint at the legendary New Orleans producer’s NYNO label.
Singles