Paging Dr. Halvorson, paging Dr. Halvorson, we need some genre destroying music stat! He answered the page and we got to find out more about Brother, Sister.
New songs! Check out “Pick & Choose,” “We Don’t Believe,” and “Better Than You.”
Brother, Sister is a progressive, baroque-pop, avant-garde, rock band founded in 2014 and hailing from Los Angeles, CA. Brother, Sister is fronted by vocalist/guitarist/composer Dr. Bobby Halvorson and is accompanied by various musicians to create their memorable and fun sound.
First off, what’s the story behind the name?
When the band first started out in 2010, it was just me (Bobby) and my friend Laura Jean Anderson. She is no longer in the band simply due to musical differences. She has an incredible solo act under her name that leans more toward southern rock and soul. Brother, Sister’s sound back then was more folk-oriented with a classical chamber ensemble backing it. Laura and I are not related, but our relationship always resembled that of a brother and sister, hence the name.
How would you describe the band’s sound?
I would describe the band’s current sound as heavy baroque-pop resembling Electric Light Orchestra, and Queen mixed with contemporary art rock like Deerhoof and Dirty Projectors. It’s all very melody driven. I like the challenge of digging out a hooky melody from an awkward or unusual chord or rhythm progression. There’s also lots of dense vocal harmony, like the Beach Boys. I’m lucky to have four incredible singers who can perform this kind of challenging material.
Which bands/artists had the biggest influence on the band’s sound?
Queen, Deerhoof, ELO, ABBA, Van Dyke Parks, the Beach Boys, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors
What’s the last song you listened to?
“Métaboles: I. Incantatoire” by Henri Dutilleux
What’s your source for hearing new music?
The way I consume music is very different from the average person, I imagine. I seldom listen to music, and when I do, it’s like I’m hunting. I scour random Spotify playlists both by genre and nationality in search of inspiring melodies or even just inspiring moments. I love when I hear magic in a 3-second snippet from something like a Bolivian folk song or a soaring melody from a Kawaii-Metal chorus. I need constant stimulation, and I seldom listen to an entire song all the way through. But there is genius in every style or genre. You just have to know what to look for.
What led you to music and what motivates you to keep making it?
I think a natural desire to hear the thing I’m imagining. The music I make is the thing that I need to hear because I’m not hearing it elsewhere. I have an insatiable desire for certain sounds, melodies or harmonies and if I’m not getting what satisfies me, then I’ll just make it myself.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
I always start with music. It starts with a melodic idea that I hear in my head or a chord progression that falls under my hands either on guitar or keys. I mumble nonsense syllables into the melody I imagine and then later wrangle those syllables into actual words. I always build the complete song as I go. Most people write the song first and then arrange the parts after. I do it all at once, drums, strings, guitars, voices, everything. I need to have the complete picture before I move onto a new section of the piece. I put the various sections together and then create their borders and transitions. Oftentimes, I’ll have a song unexpectedly jump into something that sounds like it should be a different song. I understand that this could frustrate or alienate listeners, but maybe it will also excite them like it does me. That’s what I’m banking on.
If you could write one more song, what would it be about?
Impatience
What’s the one story you want to tell the world through song that you haven’t yet?
When you know something is right, and you have to wait for everyone else to see it and agree.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
Through musical interest. When an audience member recognizes and appreciates what goes into creating this music, that means more than anything. More than money or “streams” or fame, the acknowledgment that I did something to influence or inspire or bring excitement to a listener is what I care about most. I love when an audience member can “nerd out” with me and call out the things I hoped they would i.e.: clever musical or compositional moments.
Connect with Brother, Sister on their Instagram, Bandcamp, and Dr. Halvorson’s website.
What’s next for the band?
We are gradually releasing a bunch of singles from our first set of songs that we started playing together. After we release about 12, we’ll throw them all on an album. I’ve already written an album’s worth of new material that we will then start recording after the release of the other record. For now, playing shows and building a fan base is what we’re working at.
“Better Than You” has an almost theatrical feel to it and reminds me a bit of Einstein on the Beach. Was this song ever considered for the stage? What was this song conveying to its audience?
It was never considered for stage, but I could see it living in that kind of environment. Full disclosure, the wordy chorus was inspired by a song called “Don Quixote” by Os Mutantes. They do something similar in that song that I just love. The song is basically about being as weird as you want to with your music and not caring about what people say you ought to be writing. Ironically, of the songs we’ve recently released, this song has received the most positive attention from people. I guess I should lean more into that.
Where does the composer write most of the music?
At home in my bedroom
I hear word that the composer of this song has perfect pitch. Is that true? If so, how does that affect the songwriting process? Does the composer hear the music before it’s written down?
I do not have perfect pitch, but I have excellent relative pitch and pitch memory. For instance, if someone asked me to sing an “E,” I would have to recall a song that used that pitch and could then pull it out of my memory. But it is not instant like people with true perfect or absolute pitch. I definitely hear the music before it is written down. Parts and phrases come to me as the song grows. I think my greatest strength resembles that of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Every part in a song I write could be a melody in itself — the bass line, the harmony, the string line, etc. If you stripped everything away except for the chords and the line, all of these could function independently as a melody. The real beauty comes from putting four independent melodies together in harmony. I guess that’s just basic counterpoint, but I’m really good at it. I don’t have to map it out theoretically beforehand. I hear it instantly, and every single note must be there as I hear it in my head. There are never any unnecessary notes or dissonances. Every single note has a purpose and a function, and my “mind’s ear” never makes a mistake. I get really defensive when someone suggests a change to the note content of a piece I write. Yes, I have an ego about it because I “know” it’s correct. It’s very difficult for me to yield.
What was the inspiration for “Better than You?”
My ex-girlfriend used to suggest I write music a certain way. This was a “f*** you” to that.
How does your latest releases different from your previous discography?
The form of the song is pretty abnormal. It freely moves through different tempos and meters and tonal centers. I like to do this kind of thing in general because I prefer music with incessant stimulation, but this song does it more so. This song also definitely has a sense of humor to it. It’s self-aware in its absurdity. Most of the other songs take themselves more seriously.
Has the composer considered writing for musical theatre? Why or why not?
Yes, and I have. I’ve written the music to four different musicals and hope to continue doing it. I actually despise contemporary musical theatre music. I think composers Lin-Manuel Miranda or Pasek and Paul are far too overrated and have turned musical theatre into a genre as opposed to an art form. It’s not that I think they are untalented. They certainly are. However, the music is not exciting. It’s not helping the art form evolve. West Side Story, on the other hand, is my favorite piece of art of all time, especially from a music perspective. What Bernstein created completely changed musical theatre forever. Now, all we get is derivative cheese the does nothing to move the needle of musical progress. I think we can do better and I think listeners can be a lot less lazy. We should care about progress in music, not just be satisfied with the hearing the same thing peddled over and over again.
Review: Baroque is Bach, baby, but in an avant-garde, psychedelic, poppy way. One of Brother, Sister’s latest releases, “Better Than You” feels like Philip Glass, the Beach Boys, and Bach were genetically spliced together and told to write a song for the modern era. The song tells a story of a person wanting to do what’s best for them despite another entity, real or imagined, trying to impose their will upon them, who doesn’t care how the person feels. The music has a virtuosic feel with emotional passages, fast runs, with tempo and meter changes. The vocals beautifully float over the music and almost yodel at the end of some phrases adding an extra layer of interest to this already appealing piece of music. If you want to hear what pop-music, baroque music, and the avant-garde smashed together in an interesting and satisfying way sounds like, you need to listen to more Brother, Sister.
