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mic’d up | william eklund
Feature: Brighter Brightest
We had the opportunity to interview pop/rock act Brighter Brightest on Saturday, July 28th when they performed at The Vineyard in Langley, BC. Unfortunately, the interview will not be posted, due to there being no sound in the video (our mic malfunctioned). However, we couldn't not post anything about the band, as they are super friendly and talented. If you haven't heard them before, here's your chance!
Brighter Brightest is Derek Hoffman (vocals, guitar), Alex Westgate (bass, vocals), Kyle Topping (guitar) and Ryan Mansbridge (drums). The band released their debut album, Right For Me, last August. They have also released music videos for the lead single, Everyday, and title track, Right For Me. The making of the album was documented by a camera crew from the MuchMusic program, Discovered.
The band is currently on The Tourlympics with Edmonton punk rockers, The Red Threat. And according to their Facebook page, they will be appearing in a show called The Next Step, which will air on Family Channel in 2013. Keep an eye out for these guys; they're going to be huge.
Website
January 25th - February 7th: Brighter Brightest
If you read my Top 5 Canadian albums of 2011 list, or if you watched Discovered on MuchMusic then you probably recognize this band. If you know me at all, then you know how much I love these guys. I remember when they were MailOrderBride and they had a fan made forum and I said Alex was my favorite because he wore a S4C shirt in a photoshoot (FYI: I was an extremely biased 15 year old). I forgot about them for awhile and then I remembered and looked them up and found out they changed their name to Brighter Brightest and they are from Auroa, ON. Lead singer, Derek Hoffman, took the time out of his busy schedule to fill out our Q&A.
Brighter Brightest are on select dates of the TerminaTOUR with Ten Second Epic and The Dangerous Summer. You can see the tour dates here.
What was the first show you ever played and how many people were there?
First show we played was my Bar Mitzvah! 80 or 90 family and friends. We covered Blink, GC, NOFX. I had black nail polish on. Haha wow. Rough beginnings.
What was the biggest show you ever played?
We got the amazing opportunity to open up for Avril Lavigne on October 22nd 2011. First arena show haha 4200 people! Terrifying but so much fun.
Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?
Any band that puts on a great show. We had the pleasure of playing quite a few shows with the band Lifestory:Monologue. Such a passionate talented band.
Do you do any cover songs in your set?
We've done lots of covers. Always try to get a new one each tour! One of our classics is California by the band Wave. One hit wonders FTW.
Which songs usually get the best crowd reaction?
Our title track Right For Me always gets a great reaction. Nice quiet yet powerful opening to the song. Gets everybody singing loud and proud!
Do you have any 'memorable fan moments'?
Our fans are all very supportive. We received a very awesome extensive scrapbook from a Guelph fan Lauren! (@naturellauren) with lots of love and contributions from other fans across the whole country!
What do you think of social networking sites and promoting your music? (ex: Facebook/Twitter/MySpace/Bandcamp)
They are great!! Twitter is a fav! It helps us stay closer to our fans!
Who do you consider to be your main influences?
So many influences from all of us from metal to jazz! But we definitely draw influence from pop and rock from the last 50 years. Timeless pop music is so important to creating music that you want to stand the test of time.
What was your first concert?
Warped Tour in Grade 8! Alex's sister saved my life and dragged me out of the NFG mosh pit haha.
What was the first CD you remember buying?
I think Backstreet Boys - Black&Blue. I wanted to be Nick Carter.
What was the last CD you bought?
I bought Blink's new album, NFG's new album and Light's new album all the same day! All very great and different.
What is your favorite song?
That's a tough question. An old favourite i cant get enough of Online Songs by Blink 182. Fast and energetic. Man that record rules.
Since we're a blog all about Canadian music, who are some of your favorite Canadian bands/singers?
Living With Lions and Ten Second Epic's new albums are both amazing. Canadian Heroes are Bryan Adams, Alexisonfire, and Barenaked Ladies.
Big thanks to Derek for filling this out for us. Be sure to check them out at any of the following links:
http://brighterbrightest.com http://brighterbrightest.bigcartel.com http://twitter.com/brightrbrightst http://myspace.com/brighterbrightest http://www.facebook.com/brighterbrightest
Kyle! by jennkuhn on Flickr.