The Brunettes have been lightening up the airwaves with their sugary pop and giving the bubble gum pop genre a touch of class since the release of their first album Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks. Jennifer spoke to vocalist, guitar player and about a million other instruments (including banjo, sitar, percussion…), Jonathan Bree about the new album Structure and Cosmetics and just how The Brunettes came up with that unique sound of theirs.

Band: The Brunettes
Myspace: .com/thebrunettes
Latest Single/ Download: Herhairagami Set

What can your fans expect from the new record?
Well…more of the same really. The instrumentation is still varied, similar themes… Brunettes fans won’t be disappointed. Production-wise it’s possibly a little bit slicker then past records.

Your music sounds a lot like 60s pop music. How much does music from past eras influence your sound?
I think lots of musicians should be inspired by what’s been going on in pop music over the last fifty years. We use pop instrumentation and production, orchestral instruments with a horn section rather than just the stock-standard formulas… in that respect our music is little bit more 60s.

What sorts of things give you ideas for songs?
Just some sort of theme that I haven’t heard done before.

You have quite a unique, quirky sound. Was this a conscious choice or did your sound just evolve organically?
I think it comes from just actually what I feel a song requires.

I first heard you playing support for another act. How important are support slots for a young band on the rise and also how different is it playing support to playing your own gig?
With your own show you have more time to put across your full set. But it’s great for bands starting out to get in front of as many people as possible.

Have you been pleased with the reaction to the first single Herhairagami Set?
I’ve been recording this album for a couple of years in between touring. You get so immersed that you’re not sure and you need some people to say that its okay and it sounds good to feel good about yourself.

If you could release any New Zealand single, what would it be and why?
I really like One Step Ahead by Split Enz.

What do you think of the concept of New Zealand Music month?
I’ve never been convinced about the whole idea of New Zealand Music Month. I think it’s brought about more appreciation for New Zealand musicians and generally more support of that. But it’s not the best thing to kind of treat part of a national culture’s art as a charity.

Anything special happening in May for The Brunettes?
It turns out that the album will be done in time to get our new live lineup back into playing shows and get some money to put behind going overseas… it just happened to fall in New Zealand Music Month.

What do you think can/should be done to improve New Zealand’s music industry?
I don’t think that the country lacks financially in aiding music and bands. The Labour government pours a lot of money into funding the arts and it’s a great thing. It’s frustrating that radio programmers and television programmers seem to luck for New Zealand’s answer to a popular trend happening overseas. The problem is that I feel that those bands will not be of interest to overseas labels and marjets because they already have a hundred bands doing their thing.

If you were a road sign, what would you read?
Go!

*Interview conducted over the phone with Jennifer

Tags: jonathan, new zealand music month, online teen magazine, the brunettes, vampedup
Current Location: New Zealand
Current Music: Structure and Cosmetics (The Brunettes)