Combining hardcore’s raw energy, post rock’s atmosphere and melodies, Brutus is one of the bands that have made quite clear what makes their music be special. Their last album, Unison Life, besides establishing their sound, shows how creative they can be, taking their skills one more step forward.
On April 29th, they are performing in Athens for their very first time. On that occasion, Marianna Arberori and DEPART, discuss with their bassist, Peter Mulders, about where they stand now as a band and their overall course, and also about the Belgian music scene and the changes in the ways that people support music nowadays. But there is more! Read on.
Hello! I am Marianna and I am warmly welcoming you to Depart.gr! I hope you are all doing great and enjoying taking Unison Life around the world. I am very happy to have the opportunity to talk with you, so let’s get started. You have been touring for some months now. You started with the UK, then Europe, USA is also coming up and then summer festivals. How is this touring experience different from the previous ones?
Goh well, we are a few years older? Our last tour before 2023 was as a support of Cult of Luna in 2019, but it gave us a lot of energy to survive the pandemic. But it’s great to be touring again, we are having an amazing time. It’s very heartwarming to see how many people come out to support us, even more than before. That’s great.
Τhe Belgian post scene, along with the Danish, the German and the British to name a few, seems to be brimming with new music. We see new bands emerging all the time and most notably bands which have something new to contribute with their sound. What is also beautiful is that these bands have shaped a community. Can you tell us a few things about how the Belgian scene has evolved the last years and how you have experienced it?
The Belgian scene has always been a big inspiration for us. There are so many good bands, I don’t want to name a few because I will forget some anyway. The list is too long … But okay. Stake, Psychonaut, Raketkanon (rip), Amenra, Oathbreaker (rip), The Guru Guru.
Brutus sound is a result of the three people we are and the way we want to make music together.
It’s very cool to have so many great bands so close. You can meet up on local shows and festivals, you can hang out at the spot where you rent the van… Because it’s such a vivid scene, bands keep on playing and keep on evolving. That’s really cool.
There are a lot of countries where music comprises a bulk of the collective culture. Most of the musicians I know have stated at some point that they have been in bands pretty much since their early teenagehood, and they make it sound like something pretty standard. In Greece, especially if you haven’t grown up in one of the major cities, this if far from the norm. What role has music played in the way you were brought up?
We also didn’t grow up in really “big” cities … But eventually, we did end up there while getting older. And we all kept on playing all the time, in different bands and projects, before we became Brutus. When we were with our parents, living in smaller villages, and also when we were getting older, getting into relationships, and living in bigger cities. It’s how life runs and how things evolve. But I understand it’s harder to play in bands outside of bigger cities, but it’s also worth it to move for music or for your passion.
Your music blends a lot of interesting styles from hardcore and post rock to shoegaze and punk. I had your last record Unison Life on repeat and every time I listened to it, I could dust another influencial clue. Do you write music having in mind a specific idea about what you are going for sonically, or is your sound simply what is generated when you start playing together?
Our sound is a result of the three people we are and the way we want to make music together. It happens when it happens. There is no big plan or big strategy to sound like this or like that.
Since Unison Life, we do think about the pure “songs” more, to make them stand out of time and survive longer. But besides that, it’s just us three trying to make music and good songs.
The way you choose to present yourselves as a band off-stage, the fact that most of the times you show up collectively, and your long lasting friendship show that you are a very tight-knit group of individuals. Is this the reason why you choose to be a trio? What character dynamics does each of you bring to the table and how do these dynamics work out?
We are a trio so it feels very natural for us to present ourselves as a trio. Friendship is one part of it. The way we write songs is another part of the reason to show up collectively. And yes, of course we all have our characteristics.
Since Unison Life, we do think about the pure “songs” more, to make them stand out of time and survive longer
Stefanie is the creative one, Stijn is the melody one, and I (Peter) try to manage all that with some organization skills. For the real characteristics you have to come in our touring van for a few weeks to find out!
We live in a world where there is abundance of information and new input every day. People’s attention span is shrinking more and more and this is one reason why input is more and more packed down for faster mass consumption. Do you think this is something that affects how people choose to listen to music today or support bands and artists? Is it something you take into account as a band?
Mmmm. I’m sure it affects how people choose to listen to music these days. There are so many bands, so many new bands, so many playlists, so many touring bands … And that’s even without the huge back catalog of amazing music that is already out there!
But we try to look at it from a positive side. In this world, it’s also easier to reach people from all over the globe. We love it when somebody from the other side of the world discovered us in a playlist, from a friend, on social media … It’s very hard to stand out and to make a difference online, but we try to stay close to ourselves all the time. If it doesn’t feel good, we don’t do it.
In contrast to the fact that information is getting more and more canned, there are a lot of bands that keep releasing amazing concept albums. Is Unison Life a concept album in any way? Can you mention three concept albums you consider remarkable?
It’s not really a concept album because it was never the plan to make one. We just wrote and made what we were feeling at that time, and at the end there was a line in all that and we called it Unison Life. So the concept came after the album … And for us it’s not a real concept album then.
A lot of times I tend to go down the rabbit hole when I listen to music. I mean that I will listen to a band, like it, then I’ll check projects of the musicians and so on. And I have discovered some bands this way which are not hugely known, yet they are really good. Do you think that the fast circulation of information helps people pick up new bands more easily, or is it something that enables low quality stuff to blend in more easily?
There are so many bands that are not ‘big’, but are very very very good! But I do think good music will stand out eventually, but it’s still some kind of lottery. When I listen to a big playlist and a song hits me, I take my phone and I’ll save it. And later I’ll go check the band.
I understand it’s harder to play in bands outside of bigger cities, but it’s also worth it to move for music or for your passion
But I do think it has a huge effect on how albums are consumed, … so maybe the album experience is going down a little bit with the fast-consuming industry. But at the same time we notice a lot of people do listen to all our music and take the time to do it. That’s the best gift / feeling we can ever get.
When was the moment you realised that there is an early fan base actively supporting and loving your music?
Very early to be honest. The moment we printed our first shirts and people really came to buy them? Or the moment we did our first tour and even in Poland people came out to our shows, after just one album. And more recently, maybe the moment the We Are Brutus fan group was released on Facebook. I maybe thought that Facebook was ‘dead’, but the people in that group are really amazing, supportive and super interested in what we do. That’s very different than the feeling at a show, but also cool in a way.
Unison Life is also an album with personal perspectives. To what extent music can and should be personal?
I think music is always personal. The moment you choose your note or chord, the moment you put lyrics on music … It should always be your personal feeling and emotion or choice so it’s always personal. Music should always be personal and maybe the best music also always is?
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer the questions. We are looking forward to seeing you live in Athens! Is there anything else at all you would like to add?
Thank you for the interview and we hope to see you all at our show in Athens! It’s our first time in Greece and we are really looking forward!
