Greetings!
We are so happy to finally have our latest album drop this week! "the calm | the storm" is our first full length album in 10 years and we'd like to share some insight from each of us over the next few days. First up, the rhythm section: Ben Kelly(bass) and Trevor Schrotz (drums).
Ben Kelly (photograph by David Wright)
"the calm | the storm" is my favorite Brave album for several reasons... but most notably, because of all the hard work that went into it. It's our first effort to be entirely produced and recorded in a home studio.
We all contributed so much of ourselves to make this album as great as possible, and to that end, I think we succeeded because it sounds incredible!
We spent countless hours writing, performing, recording, mixing, rewriting, and redoing parts to make sure the vibe was just right.
"the calm | the storm" is also one of our most diverse and dynamic records to date - from heart thumping tunes like "I Will Wait" and "Summertime" - to more relaxed melodic jams such as "November" and "Feel the Rain"; this album has a little something special for everyone.
However, one of my favorite songs on the album has to be "Race to the End." Aside from being a Brave first, (a duet with the amazing vocal talents of Hank Rain Irving of While Heaven Wept) this song transformed my sound and inspired me to evolve as a musician.
An early recording of Race to the End (while running direct) required some software magic to boost the bass signal, which inadvertently included some distortion. The grit and growl that this filter added, made this tune so heavy, I thought it was a must-have for the final version. Thus inspiring me to experiment with my tone and approach for this album.
Trevor Schrotz (photograph by David Wright)
"the calm | the storm" is a balanced musical record, as the name implies, with music that is more driving as well as less so, but the intensity of the compositions still pull the listener into another mind space. Brave has always been a more contemplative musical project straying away from the whimsical towards the serious while still rocking and grooving. My favorite song at the moment is "Electric Ravens" simply for the feel and the changes that are interesting and fun.