As a companion to my review of the wonderful new album "Another Time And Place" by Detroit singer/songwriter/drummer extraordinaire Brandon Husken, who records as Brae, I had the opportunity to ask him some questions about his career, music and influences. Many thanks to Brandon for his time and for his thoughtful answers in the first Now It's On interview.
Reading up on your background, you've been playing in the Detroit scene for a good 20 years. Can you share some of the other bands and projects you've been a part of?
There are really too many to name and none that really went anywhere. But the two that I spent the most time in were called Lid and Simple Neptune. I've also done a lot of session drumming as well.
Was there one thing in particular that made you decide to step out front and give a solo project a go?
Basically it was out of frustration to start. Just grew tired of being involved in something I felt so passionately about and having the very existence of it depend on other people's mood swings and personal opinions. When you're in a real band unit, if one person starts to drag or decides to start evaluating whether or not they want to do it, it sort of brings everyone down to their level and more times than not ends what you have spent years trying to mold and shape. It has happened to me more times than I care to recall, so I did something about that and it's called Brae. But seriously, now this continues to exist and have as much energy as I can afford to put into it as long as I feel motivated to do so.
Where do you feel Brae fits in the Detroit music scene? I try to see a lot of different Detroit artists and feel there aren't a lot doing this type of music. It's certainly got folk, rock and country elements to it, but solid pop songwriting at its heart. Do you agree or are there similar artists you feel a kinship with locally?
Honestly, when I think of other local artists I can't think of many that sound a lot like us. I'm a child of the 80's, growing and cutting my musical teeth in a pop dominated era. I had a core group of buddies that I did (and still do to a degree) life with. The three of us decided we wanted to be in a band so we basically started playing our instruments to make it a reality. We all had musical tastes much different than the majority of our junior high and high school friends did. Definitely more based in the pop rock genre. When the majority of my school mates and other friends were listening to Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Ozzy and harder styles, we were listening to Genesis, Squeeze, Toto, Clapton, Beatles, Crowded House. So that is something that has sort of been bred in me and I feel comes out in my own writing. So long story to say, not really, but there are artists that I have a kinship with through musical appreciation and friendship. The American Secrets, Dale Earnhardt Jr.Jr., Bear Lake, Real Efforts of Real People, Danny Cox, YRLK, Claslan, Kate Monaghan to name a few. There are several more that I've just begun to get exposed to and really look forward to familiarizing myself with. Michigan and metro Detroit, in particular, is extremely blessed musically.
When did you start the recording process for the new album? Did it come together quickly or has this been a work in progress for awhile?
While the songs are being written I typically demo the tunes on my own 2-3 times tweaking here and tugging there. If I have a goal of a full length in mind this process is really timeless I guess, but typically lasts anywhere from 10-12 months. Then we rehearse the tunes specifically for recording purposes and this can be a month or so. Than it's time for the studio. Again, because of scheduling and such this can vary. We were in the studio on and off from August-November for "Another Time and Place". Since I began Brae, I've averaged a full length every two years. That trend will most certainly end however, now that this album is complete. I can't afford another full length (laughs). Next I'll probably go the route of releasing singles periodically.
This is your third Brae album and seems by far the most collaborative. Do you see Brae now more as a proper band, or is this still more or less a solo project with a varying cast of collaborators?
It's very much a solo project because of the nature in which Brae has been established. However, I've been fortunate to have finally made a connection on this album with musicians and friends that have made time for me. So I try to make it worth their time and effort. Actually this CD marks the first time some songs have been co-written, which gives the album more of a band feel the way it's been written and recorded. But ultimately it's a solo thing, and I have a core group of friends that will always be my first calls for gigs and such.
You said at your CD release show you like to leave song meanings and lyrics up to the listener to interpret instead of explaining them in much detail. I've always loved this approach and many of my favorite songwriters feel the same way. Who were major influences on you as a songwriter? Any personal favorites?
As far as song writing influences I would say Neil Finn of Crowded House, Michael Penn, Lennon and McCartney, Jim James of My Morning Jacket. There are many more but these are stand-outs at the moment.
Speaking of influences, when did you start playing the drums and did you have any heroes of the instrument that made you want to play them? Any favorite drummers?
I began air drumming at the age of 14 (laughs)! I seriously had a pair of drum sticks and an imagination first. I spent probably a good year drumming in the air to Phil Collins and Genesis. Growing up we had five kids at home and my Dad had a second job to help make ends meet cleaning this bar on the weekends. I used to beg him to bring me and he'd put quarters in the jukebox and I'd bang and most undoubtedly make terrible noise on the house drum set while he cleaned. That graduated to me banging on my friend's make shift drum set literally made of discarded old toy cymbals, plastic trash cans and a real floor tom we used as our bass drum. When I was 16, I got my first real job working as a stock person for a drug store. That summer I fell in the stock room from a tall pallet of merchandise and broke my leg. I collected workman's comp that summer and used that money to buy my first kit.. So I tell my kids now that Dad literally broke his leg to get his drums (laughs). For me the main influence for my involvement in music and drumming has been Phil Collins. There are so many layers to that man musically. And, in my opinion, he's one of the best drummers I've ever heard. Again, the depth of his musical knowledge on the drums is so much deeper than the majority of the population even knows.
"Another Time And Place" certainly has all the elements to get noticed outside of Detroit, and that appears to be exactly what is happening. Any plans to tour outside of the state behind the album?
I've been working on that exact thing. Trying to see how it will line up and who's on board.
Lastly, what are your thoughts on the current environment for independent artists? With Bandcamp, blogs, downloading, social media, etc. do you think it is easier to make a go of it and build a supportive fan base without the backing of a label these days? Has the Internet leveled the playing field somewhat? This is a question I have asked artists both locally and nationally, always curious to get different perspectives.
If you have the time to get out there and do it, yes. It has leveled the playing field some. But I feel the state of music and performance music is taking a weird shift. Old school you used to record an album and then tour to promote that album and get record sales. Now I see a shift toward CD's becoming a bands business card to entice people to come to their live shows. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this. But ultimately, with today's technology, it's giving a lot of power to indie artists. But the reality is, no matter how advanced the technology becomes, 90% of the time boils down to who you know and being in the right place at the right time.
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