Remember this name: Brothers Past. Arising from the overcrowded jumble of bands lumped under the ‘jamband’ pigeonhole, this Philadelphia quartet has ascended from out of the jam world ranks and into a league few can claim as home. Think along the lines of bands like The Cure, Radiohead, Depeche Mode and even Tortoise. With Brothers Past, the focus isn’t on twenty-minute meandering jams or gaudy extended guitar solos, but rather on the song itself, its composition and its deeper meaning.
“There are bands like us, who’ve come up through the ranks of constant touring and busting our asses, and been able to get out of the scene unharmed,” Hamilton eagerly begins our recent phone conversation. “We’ve gotten more song oriented and found what we do best, which happens to be making records.”
There is a lot to cover with this young band, so guitarist Tom Hamilton, fresh off a lengthy fall tour, spends a good forty minutes with me discussing everything from having Jon Altschiller (Lenny Kravitz, Phish, John Mayer) produce their latest release, This Feeling’s Called Goodbye, to pop music and the evil empire that is mega-corporate media conglomerates, and just what makes for the best song.
After the release of This Feeling’s Called Goodbye earlier this month on SCI Fidelity Records, the band has further proved themselves worthy in the non-jam world. From the album opening “Leave the Light On” to the gorgeously emotional “Forget You Know Me” and the guitar-twanged “State Police,” This Feeling is an impressive collection of songs set together by a producer who knew how to get the best of the band. It all began with the combination of the songwriting duo of Hamilton and keyboardist Tom McKee, who write the majority of the tunes in BP’s repertoire. On one hand, Hamilton is a straight forward lyricist, a what-you-see-is-what-you-get songwriter. On the other, McKee offers more emotionally charged, deeply felt lyrics. Put the two together and the finished product is a band who ably take their sound and style in different directions with complex rhythms and textures.
“I’m not afraid to show anything” Hamilton admits. “The song has to be a very natural thing; I’m not going to force it. It’s very cut and dry. Lyrically, honesty is the thing I try to convey the most. When it comes off, when there’s no posturing, no unnecessary frills and just let it happen. McKee is a lot more lyrical. His lyrics, I feel, are a bit more thought provoking. You can get more than just what he’s saying in his lyrics.”
As the band has progressed from just another live electronic band out of Philadelphia to a striking, young art-rock electronic outfit, the transition has become increasingly noticeable. “As you progress and find your identity, it becomes so much more about the song,” he adds emphatically.
It quickly becomes evident that above all, it’s about the song for Brothers Past. Composing quality songs has become the focal point to the band that began their career having to deal with a plethora of comparisons to fellow Philly electro-rockers, The Disco Biscuits. But in no time, they’ve found their own way. They’re not a band set on becoming known for overdrawn instrumental improvisation or live shows that go on for hours like many others. This is a band that makes albums – recording artists – and that’s what they do best. As Hamilton notes, “A live show lasts three hours and then it’s over and probably forgotten, an album lasts forever.”
But thats not to say the band can’t rock a live show. Just a couple of weeks ago the band played four stellar shows in Colorado, highlighted by an eye-opening performance at the Fox Theatre in Boulder and two nights at Cervantes Masterpiece in Denver to conclude their tour. Each night was striking in its own way, whether it was Hamilton’s powerful guitar rips, bassist Clay Parnell and drummer Rick Lowenberg keying-up for some serious rhythmic wizardry or McKee’s slick-fingered tones on the Hammond and synthesizers. Taken together, the band was tremendously tight each night out, as if they’d been practicing situational cues and watching each other’s movements for days straight. It was truly that tight.
And while they may be intent on creating solidly produced albums, Brothers Past isn’t reaching for the mainstream, either. Instead, they’re trying to bridge the gap between pop and electronica, and doing it rather smoothly. But a niche like that won’t be filled with the assistance of any major label involvement.
“[Good] music being brought to the people by labels is being brought by labels like SCI Fidelity and other small [outfits]. The industry is screwed right now, with the whole Internet thing and competition from small labels. There’s going to be a huge shift in power – the major labels are going to crumble…this shit wouldn’t have happened in 1986.”
So the momentum is building, but what remains to be seen is how Brothers Past will be perceived in the years to come. They seem to be able to attract a wide swath of music appreciators, from indie rockers, electronica lovers, art rock loyalists and 80’s revivalists. And their mixture of pop sensibilities and electronic undertones leaves them open to a wide market of music appreciators, and who knows where that will lead them.
“I’m really enjoying where we are right now. This past tour has been great for us as far as inspiration and writing go. You’ve got to stick with it until you all figure it out and then, nothing can stop you” Hamilton admits.
So where do they go from here? Being one of the hardest working bands in the business (and most traveled) Brothers Past is currently enjoying their time off. Surely plans are in the works; more studio albums, touring and who knows what else, and if all goes well, they’ll continue to take their music to new heights and help to mold the future of a sound that’s far from reached its full potential.
“Musically, I honestly don’t know, we can go anywhere. I look to Radiohead and The Beatles as the quintessential of what to do with you career.” As for Brothers Past’s own trail, Hamilton assures, “We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can to make music that is stimulating to both the mind and heart.”
