Interview conducted with Brighten
on September 4, 2006 at the Orpheum in Ybor, FL. Interview conducted by Nick
Zimmer and Matt Steinhauer.
First off can you state your name and what you
do in the band?
I’m Justin. I sing and play guitar.
Alex. I play bass and sing.
Jimmy and I play drums.
How did you guys come together and start a
band?
Brighten: Well, I moved to Chico and ended up moving across the street from
them. We started playing together really young. We’ve just been playing
together forever, like seventh grade.
How old are you guys now?
Brighten: Nineteen and twenty.
Where does the name Brighten come from?
Brighten: The way we came up with it isn’t anything cool but basically we
think our music is uplifting and happy. At least that’s the way we want it
to be. We want to uplift people, so for us, Brighten does that.
You just pushed back the release date of your album King vs. Queen. Why is
that?
Brighten: Just a bunch of stuff going on.
Can you tell us a little about the album?
Brighten: We’re excited about it. It’s a lot more mature and in your
face. We’re more focused on the lyrics and how they relate to us and fit the
melody. I think it means a lot more to us.
How does the new release differ from Ready When
You Are?
Brighten: It’s more mature. We spent more time on it. We made it more
of what we wanted it to be. Like I said, we’re really happy with it.
This tour has a solid line up, how is it going
so far?
Brighten: It’s good. We really like all of these other bands. We’re
all friends and we all hang out. It’s been a lot of fun.
Where are you guys from?
Brighten: We’re from Chico, California.
What do you have planned for after this tour?
Brighten: We’re doing a small run with a band called Danger Radio.
Then we’re home until we can find another tour. Then we start touring again.
We plan on doing a lot of touring.
You were able to play the Warped Tour. How was
that.
Brighten: Well we played one day. It was awesome. It was really hot.
What can someone who has never seen you live
expect at one of your shows?
Brighten: We try to put on a good show. There’s only three of us in
the band so we try to take up as much space as possible. I mean a lot of
people have said they expect a mellow show from us and then see, surprised
after they see us. It’s cool for us. We don’t want everyone to come in
knowing what to expect from us.
How did you guys hook up with Carbon Copy
Media?
Brighten: It came about through people who knew us and heard about us.
Through a chain of people who got to JT.
How do you think websites like Purevolume and
Myspace have helped the band?
Brighten: I don’t think the band would be much without those sites.
Especially Myspace. It’s key for bands these days. Bands can’t always be
touring, but with Myspace they can always keep in touch. We try to be in
touch with our fans as much as we can.
Who has been your favorite band to share the
stage with so far?
Brighten: Eisley. We love all the bands we play with. We just had a
good connection on that tour.
If you could play with any three artists, past
or present, who would they be?
Brighten: Coldplay, Radiohead, and Sigur Ros. We could name a whole
lot more than three. The ones we picked aren’t really our style but they’re
our favorite bands.
Do you guys have any pre show rituals?
Brighten: We pray. We used to stretch, but we stopped doing that. So
now we just pray.
Any last words you would like to add?
Brighten: Thank you.
