Interview: My Brothers And I

My Brothers And I

Berlin – With the debut full-length album Don’t Dream Alone set to drop on September 18th via Expunged Records, My Brothers and I, who hail from Portland, are on an ambitious jaunt to re-configure the general public’s mind when it comes to music coming from this area of the world. Armed with a formidable knowledge of music from classic pop to Motown melodies, this band of brothers answered a few questions about what makes them tick and where they see their sound and musical direction taking them in the future….

How long has My Brothers and I been together? How did you form?

David: We had all been playing in different bands until almost 2 years ago. After we decided to write some songs and play music together, we just told our friends: “Hey, my brothers and I will be playing our first show together.” …And the name stuck.

Who are your biggest musical influences and which ones are represented in your own music?

Erik: Each member brings very different influences to the band, Pop, hip hop, the blues, Motown, funk, and soul. You’ll hear hints of those styles in our own music without feeling like we’re just another funk or blues jam band.

Describe your collaborative process when it comes to creating your music?

David: While Johnny and Jordan have both been frontmen in other groups, and both are great songwriters, for this album it was just us three brothers that wrote all the songs. Usually one of us will have a hook, or a chorus, or maybe just music but no words at all; we open it up and work together to make that idea a complete song. Being brothers, we are brutally honest with each other, and that helps the music be the best it can be. You need someone that is willing to say- “It’s not very good.” and at the same time, be willing to accept the criticism. We all just want to write songs that people can relate to. We want to connect with people through our music.
My Brothers And I

How has the music industry changed in your lifetime and where do you see it headed?

Scott: The internet changed everything. Digital downloads, online streaming, It’s taken away the importance of selling your record and it’s forced artists to find money in other places, like licensing, in order to support themselves. Most people aren’t spending money on music any more, we all just use Spotify and the artists only get pennies. I don’t think artists dream of their album going gold or platinum anymore, they dream of their song landing in a commercial or a movie.

Has the technology aided or hindered musical acts in the current musical landscape?

 Scott: Both. It’s pushed musical boundaries in a good way. Musicians now have capabilities to create new sounds or to do something different that’s never been done before because technology has come so far. But there’s also people that rely on the technology and they know very little about music theory, lack ability to play real instruments, and their live performances tend to show it and its very disappointing.

Are there any producers/artists that you would like to collaborate with?

David: So many, we can’t name them all. Mark Ronson is hot right now, but even back to his work with Amy Winehouse, we’re big fans and we love his producing and songwriting style. As for artists, I would love to sing with Adele, I think our harmonies would be butter! One more would definitely be Ryan Tedder. He does it all: singer, songwriter, producer, so to collaborate with him in any form would be surreal.

Who are your favorite bands from the past/Who are your favorite bands of the moment?

Erik: With Scott being 8 years older than David, this is always a funny one to answer. David is into younger artists like Allen Stone. Scott loves The Roots. I’ve always been a huge Foo Fighters fan.

If you were to describe your sound in a catch-phrase, what would it be? 

Scott: Work hard, sleep later… hahaha I have no idea.

What can fans look forward to in the future from the group?

Erik: The release of our music video for “Dream” is right around the corner. We have concerts up and down the west coast after the release of our album Don’t Dream Alone (September 18th). In 2016 we’ll be working hard to travel wherever people like our music and want us to come play. Playing live is where we thrive as a band, we take pride in sounding just as good live as we do on the album.

My Brothers And I can be followed via their social media network:
Snapchat: mybrothersandi
Triston Brewer

Triston Brewer

Triston is an American-born, Berlin-raised, jetset performance
artist, writer, event organizer, and promoter. As a
freelance journalist, he has covered both the underground and
mainstream aspects of the arts, culture, music, entertainment, travel, and
fashion in several cities, including New York, London, Berlin,
Istanbul, Sydney, Bangkok, and Hong Kong to name a few. Fluent in
English, German, Dutch, and Spanish, Triston has been published in The
Huffington Post, Trespass (London), FashionTV, as
well as featured in publications such as the New York Times, Vogue
Italia, Turkish Huriyet, InStyle, and other on-line and print
magazines in the U.S. and internationally. He recently released the first volume
of his memoir on life in Europe, 'Heaux Confessionals: The
Sintroduction'. As a solo performer and with his project band $kandal
Du$t, he has toured in some of the world's most renown clubs,
simultaneously maintaining an underground renaissance,
blurring the lines of all that is traditional and leaving his
indelible, and ultimately unforgettable impression. There is no divide
- brace yourself.
Triston Brewer

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