- PREMIERE: Eloah Jones – “Under the Bridge” - November 18, 2021
- PREMIERE: Highbeams – “Campfires” - November 10, 2021
- Tali Azerad Shines on New Album - November 5, 2021
September 18th was a great release day for new music. Big names like Lana Del Rey, Metric, and Motion City Soundtrack released new albums. There were also some impressive newcomers from the Pacific Northwest that really stole the show – Seattle’s Hibou and Portland-based band My Brothers & I. We were so impressed with My Brothers & I’s debut Don’t Dream Alone, we wanted to find out more about the band and the album. Check out the interview below and stream “Dream.”
Take us back to the formation of the band. How did brothers and close friends decide to make music together?
Erik: We were all playing in other bands when David, who was still in High School at the time, showed us a song he was working on. We started jamming on it and that’s when we asked ourselves: “Why aren’t we playing music together?” So we wrote more songs and booked our first show. We told all of our friends: “hey, my brothers and I are playing our first show together.” And the name stuck.
The best word I can find to describe Don’t Dream Alone is captivating. The combination of styles is unique and refreshing. What was your goal for the sound and direction of the album?
Scott: When we started working on songs for the album we never put ourselves in a box by labeling what genre or style we were going to be. We just played and stayed true to ourselves. Our main goal for the album was that we wanted people to be able to listen from start to finish. We didn’t want to have any wasted “filler” tracks.
What were the first and last songs you wrote for the album?
David: I think the first song we wrote for the album was “In The Stars” or maybe “Nowhere to Run”. The last song we wrote was “Waiting For”, it was one of those songs that didn’t come together until we were already in the studio.
When did you write “Scars” and when did you decide to close the album with it?
Scott: I’m not sure when we wrote it exactly. We decided to close the album with it because of how the raw and exposed vocal/piano combination supports the lyrics. It just came down to a feeling. “Scars” felt like the perfect song to close the album with.
What was the biggest thing Skyler Norwood brought to the recording process that influenced the finished product?
Jordan: Skyler made the recording process fun and enjoyable. He kept us loose, he brought out the best in all of us and that’s evident when you hear the music. The hardest part of recording is bringing the same energy that you have when performing live and I think Skyler did a great job of capturing that.
Portland is one of my absolute favorite cities to visit. How is the area for aspiring musicians? How has the city influenced your music & style?
Johnny: We love Portland! The music scene is thriving. There is so much talent here it’s crazy, it pushes you to be better. People feed off all the creativity happening in the city. I think Portland is a top 10 music city without a doubt.
If you had one ‘dream’ show, where would it be – what band would you bring along – and what song would you close with?
David: Our dream show would probably be at the Columbia Gorge Amphitheater – playing with Adele – and we would close our set with “Granted” because it gets everyone dancing!
Stay in touch with the band on Facebook | Twitter
My Brothers & I – “Dream”
