THE BRAYS - By Justin Mayfield
I arrive at the entrance to the rehearsal rooms to a body of sound that quite literally stops me in my tracks. I'm here to interview a band that are said to be on their way to the very top.
Singer Gavin and Guitarist Martin are there waiting. So tell me, how were the Brays formed.
Gavin: "It was a collaboration of people who knew people really. Me and Martin we're in a band previously to The Brays which dispanded in around 2001. We had continued to write together but found out very quickly that the kind of songs we wanted to write required the backing of a full band." Martin: "We always knew the material was good enough to stand up to anything around at the moment, but without the balls of a band behind you it can seem a little weak". Gavin: "The first person I spoke to was a guy I worked with, former guitarist Paul Didsbury, he seemed to share our desire to form a new band and told us he had potential options for Bass and Drums. We all decided to meet up at local pub to have a chat about it which was the first time we had all been properly introduced. It seemed that we were all singing from the same song sheet." Martin interjects "Hymn Sheet" Gavin: "Sorry hymn sheet. So that's where it all started really".
So Tell me about the band line up now?
Mike: "We're back to a five piece now, our former guitarist and bass player left the band earlier this year. So Gavin has now taken the ryhthm guitar role with Martin running the front line guitars still. Other than that there's myself on Bass, Badger on Keyboards and Keith on Drums.
So Tell me about the Rutland Radio Top thirty Number one ?
Gavin: We played a gig at the Stamford Riverside Festival back in 2004 which went down really well. after the show we spoke with one of the DJ's for Rutland radio Graeme Wright who said that they'd like to add our EP Illusions sound to their playlist. Which was amazing for us. Martin: It's really strange hearing your own music on the radio for the first time.
Mike: "The first song from the EP, the title track illusions sound reached number 7 at it's peak. Then Rutland Radio started to play the last track "Burn". This went straight in at number 5 on the first week." Gavin: "I remember that vividly....that was weekend I found out I was going to be made redundant.....nice" Martin: " Let's talk about you for a while shall we" Gavin "No I just mean it was a nice balance to what was going on at the time.......Geek" They both laugh.
Martin: "After the first week the song was played every day and by the weekend we were hoping that sales would have gone up, and by the next weekend we were all looking forward to the chart on Sunday to find out where we were. Then Gavin received a phone call from rutland radio which went out live on air telling us that we'd got to number one".
Gavin: "I shit myself, I'm terrible in situations like that, you know on the spot stuff. I fluffed my words and all sorts. I sounded like a right pigeon." Martin laughs at Gavin as he remembers the speech Martin: "It was so funny, all of a sudden out comes Gavins phone voice.....very rock and roll"
So what's next for the Brays?
Martin: "We've just released the album which is on sale from all gigs or Pendulum Records in Stamford. The songs that we've been putting together over the last 8 months are fantastic. We've really started to get our sound together and we're really happy with the results"
Gavin: "Everybody has been working really hard on the new material, it's great, I can't wait to get out and do some gigs with it.
Martin "Each individual part to these songs sounds fantastic. I'm not sure about the vocal though Mike, are you"
Mike: "I know what you mean, bit weak but there's no time to get an alternative"
Gavin laughs it off.
After listening to the the bands new material, live in rehearsal and on the album, It's clear that the Brays are going to be a force to be reckoned with now that they have released their first album. With the combination of Great songs, fantastic musical talent and a voice that pierces through their songs in way that makes you stand up and be counted as an admirer of this exciting, eclectic new five piece.
Justin Mayfield - New Line
I arrive at the entrance to the rehearsal rooms to a body of sound that quite literally stops me in my tracks. I'm here to interview a band that are said to be on their way to the very top.
Singer Gavin and Guitarist Martin are there waiting. So tell me, how were the Brays formed.
Gavin: "It was a collaboration of people who knew people really. Me and Martin we're in a band previously to The Brays which dispanded in around 2001. We had continued to write together but found out very quickly that the kind of songs we wanted to write required the backing of a full band." Martin: "We always knew the material was good enough to stand up to anything around at the moment, but without the balls of a band behind you it can seem a little weak". Gavin: "The first person I spoke to was a guy I worked with, former guitarist Paul Didsbury, he seemed to share our desire to form a new band and told us he had potential options for Bass and Drums. We all decided to meet up at local pub to have a chat about it which was the first time we had all been properly introduced. It seemed that we were all singing from the same song sheet." Martin interjects "Hymn Sheet" Gavin: "Sorry hymn sheet. So that's where it all started really".
So Tell me about the band line up now?
Mike: "We're back to a five piece now, our former guitarist and bass player left the band earlier this year. So Gavin has now taken the ryhthm guitar role with Martin running the front line guitars still. Other than that there's myself on Bass, Badger on Keyboards and Keith on Drums.
So Tell me about the Rutland Radio Top thirty Number one ?
Gavin: We played a gig at the Stamford Riverside Festival back in 2004 which went down really well. after the show we spoke with one of the DJ's for Rutland radio Graeme Wright who said that they'd like to add our EP Illusions sound to their playlist. Which was amazing for us. Martin: It's really strange hearing your own music on the radio for the first time.
Mike: "The first song from the EP, the title track illusions sound reached number 7 at it's peak. Then Rutland Radio started to play the last track "Burn". This went straight in at number 5 on the first week." Gavin: "I remember that vividly....that was weekend I found out I was going to be made redundant.....nice" Martin: " Let's talk about you for a while shall we" Gavin "No I just mean it was a nice balance to what was going on at the time.......Geek" They both laugh.
Martin: "After the first week the song was played every day and by the weekend we were hoping that sales would have gone up, and by the next weekend we were all looking forward to the chart on Sunday to find out where we were. Then Gavin received a phone call from rutland radio which went out live on air telling us that we'd got to number one".
Gavin: "I shit myself, I'm terrible in situations like that, you know on the spot stuff. I fluffed my words and all sorts. I sounded like a right pigeon." Martin laughs at Gavin as he remembers the speech Martin: "It was so funny, all of a sudden out comes Gavins phone voice.....very rock and roll"
So what's next for the Brays?
Martin: "We've just released the album which is on sale from all gigs or Pendulum Records in Stamford. The songs that we've been putting together over the last 8 months are fantastic. We've really started to get our sound together and we're really happy with the results"
Gavin: "Everybody has been working really hard on the new material, it's great, I can't wait to get out and do some gigs with it.
Martin "Each individual part to these songs sounds fantastic. I'm not sure about the vocal though Mike, are you"
Mike: "I know what you mean, bit weak but there's no time to get an alternative"
Gavin laughs it off.
After listening to the the bands new material, live in rehearsal and on the album, It's clear that the Brays are going to be a force to be reckoned with now that they have released their first album. With the combination of Great songs, fantastic musical talent and a voice that pierces through their songs in way that makes you stand up and be counted as an admirer of this exciting, eclectic new five piece.
Justin Mayfield - New Line
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