Roark (musician)

Roark, 27, of Pompton Plains, New Jersey is a singer/songwriter who released his first album "Break of Day" in 2007 under the California-based Love Minus Zero record label.

Roark (Brian O'Neal) fronted the group Casual Blue from 1998 to 2004. Casual Blue built a following on the New York/New Jersey club circuit, but disbanded when band members drifted apart. One of Casual Blue's brightest moments came in 2002, when their song "Blur" was heard in an episode of the television series "Dawson's Creek." After Casual Blue broke apart Brian O'Neal decided to keep pursuing music, so he re-emerged under the name Roark. He chose the name Roark from a favorite novel, Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead," and its protagonist, Howard Roark. "I wanted to take something with meaning, as opposed to just looking through the dictionary for random words."

Roark is the first artist signed on the Love Minus Zero label, a new subsidiary of the Drive-Thru Records label. Drive-Thru has been one of the most successful punk/emo indies of the last decade.

Roark's "Break of Day" has been received with outstanding reviews.

In the first week of the release of "Break of Day", Roark's song "Never Felt So Lucky" was used on MTV's serial show titled "Engaged and Underage."

Roark has toured solo across the US and continues to appear in the NY/NJ club circuit.

References

Classic Case, by Purnell from The Skyline Press, February 17, 2007 Roark Emerges As A Solo Performer, by Jay Lustig, The Star Ledger, April 6, 2007