Melbourne based rock band Brittle has just finished recording an EP "The
Owls" at Sing Sing studios with Mark Opitz, choosing six from a list of
twenty songs written over five months. When asked to describe what this
record is about, lead singer Ben Whiting said: "The Owls is an open
book to what the band is all about. In the past we tried to write songs
for radio and what we thought labels wanted. When we sat down to do The
Owls with Mark, we decided to throw the so-called radio-friendly
formula out the window and make music that represents the band so it
would tell our story and not someone else's."
Nothing was off-limits and some of the tracks (like "Weak Spots") touch on subjects like greed
and frustration that surrounds the music business.
This sums up some of the experiences we had with people in the industry who told us that
our songs weren't good enough and that we should try to be more like
other mainstream bands. At the end of the day we wanted people to know
who we are and if there are a few people that hate us because of that -
well that's ok too!
The band has also made a pact not read any reviews of The Owls. We believe too many bands focus on what reviewers
say and lose focus on what they are doing or become unstuck trying to
change in an attempt to make everyone happy.
After all, a review is just one person's opinion and has no bearing on what we are doing or
how we live our lives. We were put here to write songs that make a
connection with real people and eventually someone behind a desk will
catch on and get it."
"There are many musicians that put way too much focus on creating a radio hit so they end up losing themselves."
says Ben O'Dwyer the bands guitarist.
The band will be doing a short run of shows in April and May taking in major cities over 3 states
under the title "Previews" to showcase the new material and give fans a
chance to hear the older material one last time.
10th April Melbourne Evelyn Hotel
15th April Sydney Live @ The Wall
17th April Byron Bay Great Northern Hotel
18th April Kyogle Kyogle Memorial Hall (all ages)
22nd April Adelaide Higher Ground (all ages)
23rd April Adelaide Syke @ Electric Light Hotel
30th April Geelong The National Hotel
1st May Melbourne Rats @ Colonial Hotel