Pennan Brae has a new album and it's a fuzztone classic rock swaray from beginning to end.
The album dubbed 2 Below 0 is total fun and you can hear the good time Brae had making this record.
Songs are laced with indie rock guitar tones and brings the Strokes, Queens of The Stone Age, and Ween together. So, how can you go wrong? You can't.
Brae has his own flavor and sprinkles all kinds of his own staple quirkiness all over the album and most songs are completely danceable.
Riddled with guitar and vocal hooks that follow each other, awesome energy, and a certain rawness to it all that feels good to listen to.
We had to have a chat with Brennan to find out where this record came from and what's next for the artist.
RAG: Okay let's start with 2 Below 0. This album has a lot of classic rock influence infused with 90’s alt rock and more. Where did this come from?
Pennan: It’s just the type of music I love listening to. I love classic rock of the 1960s & 70s, especially The Rolling Stones & CCR. In the 80s I love the songwriting of John Mellencamp & Def Leppard & in the 90s, it’s a steady diet of Nirvana & The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. So what comes in must come out & so a lot of these influences have spilled onto the record.
RAG: Did the album take you long to make? Are you happy with how it came out?
Pennan: The album took about a year from start to finish from writing to post-production. The recording process was a pretty lean affair; just guitars, bass & drums with lead &
background vocals. So there weren’t too many moving parts.
RAG: How long have you been doing this? How did it all start for you?
Pennan: I’d been writing songs for a while, but didn’t pursue things professionally until 2008. I began writing for myself & kept my songs private; they were a nice form of personal expression. But after a while I wanted to develop them in the studio in a full band setting & took things from there. It was a wonderful learning experience & process.
RAG: There is so much variety of pop rock on this record. What bands really influence you musically?
Pennan: The Rolling Stones are my main influence. I love Mick Jagger’s lyrics & Keith Richards rhythm guitar playing. I love the energy the band exhibits. There’s such a wealth of rich talent to draw from musically that only comes around once a century (or more). The Beatles, The
Eagles, Bob Dylan, Tina Tuner, Marvin Gaye, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson; I could list 20 more names & it would only be a start. We are so fortunate today in that there is such an incredible catalogue of artists to listen to.
RAG: What are you guys doing when you're NOT making music?
Well, music is my full-time gig, so when I’m not doing this, I might be going for a hike or a road trip. But music is really always on my mind. I also enjoy screenwriting & have written a pair of films; ‘The Astronot’ which streams on Prime Video & ‘2 Below 0’ which is on the film festival circuit. My current album serves as a soundtrack for that film & the trailers for each are on my YouTube page. I also enjoy making music videos & have been diving into
lyric videos lately which has been quite fun.
RAG: Did you guys play shows before? Will you be planning live performances when the time comes?
Pennan: We were rehearsing ‘2 Below 0’ to take the album live but the pandemic hit & so we had to stop. It’d be great to get back at it when the situation improves.
RAG: You are doing really well fan wise with almost 3k followers on Spotify alone. What kind of advice would you give to other aspiring bands trying to get heard?
Pennan: I’d suggest focusing on the art & enjoy that process. It’s good to be active on social media, but the music always comes first. Derive joy from growing artistically.
RAG: What’s next for you guys?
Pennan: In Jan 2021, we have a new album coming called, ‘Lit’. It’s a 10-track album recorded at Blue Light Studio in Vancouver. It’s also influenced by classic rock of the 1970s. I also have a number of music videos scheduled for release over the next 2 months on my YouTube Channel.
RAG: Before we go, what would you like to say or express to your fans?
I’m very grateful for the time people offer to share with my music & I hope I can make something in the future that you might enjoy.