This Is Not The End – Interview With The Bravery

• 22nd May 2007

In 2005 the British music press said they had the potential to be bigger than Radio 1 wet dreams such as the Killers and Scissor Sisters. Aloof, androgynous, accompanied by a five star album and one of the best tunes of the year in ‘An Honest Mistake’, they had the charts and the world at their feet. So where on earth did these New York scenesters disappear to? As Brandon Flowers sells out gigs quicker than he changes his facial hair, The Bravery slowly slipped from the nations ‘next big thing’ hungry glare. That may not be the case for long however as 2007 sees a return for the band that brought guy-liner and the electro rock sound to CD:UK before anyone else this decade. With a new album ‘The Sun and the Moon’ already out, Bravery guitarist Michael Zakarin took a few moments to speak to Sean MacNamara on the eve of their short UK club tour.

The tour kicked off in the atmospheric G2 venue in Glasgow and the city was a conscious choice by the band as Michael, dressed in all black with his hair tied back, explains: “We’ve done lots of shows in Glasgow and it’s always been good to us, the crowds always excited.”
Michael also remembers how one key player in British music first helped launch them: “Zane Lowe randomly discovered us and played one of our early demos.” This quickly gained support leading to an initial following in the UK that was only matched back in the New York scene that they had come from.

Their first album was a heady and electrifying mix of guitars and synthesizers and this sound is still being used by many bands on either side of the Atlantic such as The Gossip and the Klaxons. The sound of the new album sees the band progress musically as Michael tells us: “We’ve substituted the synthesizers, went back to experimenting with older instruments like organs and pianos.” The new sound is more like the garage punk that much of the band, including lead singer and first album producer Sam Endicott, grew up listening to.
“One really good thing is there are a lot more of us singing on this album, a lot of different voices, there is a very communal aspect to it”, Michael enthuses.

One of the major musical changes this time round was the inclusion of producer Brendan O’Brien. Having worked with legends such as Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen, O’Brien is clearly a man who would not only influence the bands sound but also bring a priceless level of experience to the studio. As Michael says, “He is just a monster producer, we couldn’t say no – he is a complete genius, an instrumentalist, he can play everything and really pushed us in the studio.
“He opened up our minds to stripping songs down. For example there are two acoustic songs on the album”, Michael points out as a clear sign of the departure from euphoric anthems such as ‘Fearless’ and ‘Unconditional’ from their first album.

One of the worries when a band does change its sound so dramatically is that the fans of the earlier material may end up feeling cheated and lose faith in their heroes. This is not something that the band can see happening or fear and, as Michael tells us, rehearsals of their new set list has gone well with the old and new stuff both finding a place: “The new songs work well with the old stuff, it is a step in a different direction but you have to change and progress yet do it without alienating anyone.” As our brief chat comes to a close Michael brings a welcomed element of Rock and Roll gratitude, “Everyday I still appreciate that I get to do this as a job” before ending with the kind of buoyancy their followers hope for, “We’re ready to take on the new tour.” Lets see where things go from here.