| "I told the guys at the start that I wanted to keep things very casual for our discussion and have some fun. So, with that, comes drinks! First things first, I needed to know everyone’s favorite drinks": |
| Favorite Drinks: |
| Gavin: Bourbon Manhattan |
| Josh: Knobcreek Bourbon |
| Max: JD Single barrel Whiskey |
| Lee: White Russian |
| Linda: Red Wine |
| Given that song writing is a collaborative effort with the band, there is always one that will stand out or mean the most to each member – I wanted to know from the guys, which song it their personal favorite and why! |
| Favorite tracks from the band: |
|
Josh:“Hero”, it's a metal-ish but pop-ish song |
| Gavin: “Losing Control”, lyrics are personal and mean something |
| Max: “Artificial Picture P 2”, a structured sound that his heart and soul relates to the world we live in. |
It was a cold Friday night in November that I made my way to see a band play in Burlington. It was my first time at this venue so I kicked back, sipping a glass of red wine, enjoying the atmosphere when I noticed stickers for different bands all over the bar. There was one in particular that stood out the most: BRANE”, perhaps it was the unusual name or the logo that caught my eye - I couldn’t help but be intrigued since I wasn’t really sure what “BRANE” meant.
Oddly enough, I was contacted by Gavin (Guitar) from the band “BRANE”, requesting an interview. So, a few weeks later I met up with the guys from “BRANE” for an exclusive interview! Upon arriving at our location was Josh (Vocals), Gavin (Guitar), Max (Bass) & my partner in crime & photographer extraordinaire (Lee). Unfortunately their drummer Adam was unable to attend.
We ordered our drinks and were ready to go! I couldn’t help but start things off with getting background on the name of their band, “BRANE”. It was Josh who shed perspective on things. He indicated their name “BRANE” was not symbolic, although the name was intended to be non-conventional. In actuality, they wanted their name to be representative of what the band stands for because this is the most important factor behind the band and in the creation of their music. Josh indicated that “BRANE” is about “being yourself and not having others dictate what the band is about”.
With the exception of their drummer, Josh, Gavin & Max are the original members of the band. Originally formed in late 2005 by Josh and Gavin and later joined by Max, the guys have stuck together, pursuing their passion of creating music while maintaining a tight friendship. Josh and Gavin, prior to forming “BRANE” had been jamming together for years. Despite going separate ways for a short period of time, both reconnected again to create “BRANE”. Max, who joined in February 2006, was originally taking guitar lessons from Josh and through Max’s frequent visits to the rehearsal space along with the chemistry between the three of them, he just became part of the band and Max indicated he didn’t actually audition for the band because it “just happened” and was a natural partnership.
Now, 3 years later since the formation of their band “BRANE”, they continue to move their music forward, despite the challenges that have become more prevalent within the music industry in general. Over the past 4 – 5 months, they have put a lot of focus into live shows and have since released their debut album “The Artificial Picture” which is currently available at HMV. As they push their album forward, the band wants to continue playing live shows and hit the road to tour.
I had the opportunity to listen to their album prior to our meeting and wanted to discuss a few songs and get their feedback. I was particularly interested in hearing from the guys about the song “Choices” because I found it interesting they used chimes, which isn’t something that is commonly used. Also, I noticed this song had the highest hit rate on their MySpace page. They indicated the use of chimes was intentional because they wanted to add an ambient mood/element to the song. Once they started creating this song, they indicated that “it just happened” and therefore resulted in, according to Gavin, a song representing a “snap shot of life that anyone can relate to”.
I was also intrigued to know more about the songs “Artificial Picture Part 1 & 2” because it is a split song that I felt took a different approach from others on their album. They indicated in the creation of this song, it was based on the desire for an instrumental song which then became “self-gratifying”, growing to become more then what they had intended. Once it was completed, it was a long track and because they didn’t want to compromise the song by taking parts out, they decided to split it into 2 parts.
So, who is “BRANE”?
Quite simply, they are a band that has the passion and desire to create music that represents their own individual uniqueness. Their album "The Artificial Picture", which is intended to reflect today's society where reality is easily masked by media propaganda, corporate programming to superficial pop-culture is a testament toward these values that are the core foundation to their music.
Here are some pictures from our Interview.
Article by: justlinda.com
