1 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: Pushkin. I first heard Brahanna watching Donald Glover's show Atlanta. 2 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: It's one of the few shows I know I'm going 3 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: to discover new music when I watch it. Some tracks 4 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: don't stand up to repeat listens outside of the show, 5 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: but Burhanna was one of the artists from the second season. 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: I kept going back to. Berna's voice really stands out 7 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: in modern R and b Whill. Pretty much everyone else 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: these days sings with a whispery, atmospheric falsetto Brohanna has 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 1: a crisp tenor and it sounds refreshing. Branna doesn't mind 10 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: being different. He's first generation American born in Atlanta to 11 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: Ethiopian parents, so he's always felt a bid out of 12 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: place anyway. Still, he managed to find his people and 13 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: eventually his sound. As you'll hear in this episode. The 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: song You're listening to Janet is an ode to the 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: original Dark Skin Aunt viv from The Fresh Prince of Blair. 16 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: I sat down with Brahanna at Village Studios in LA 17 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: to talk about how a young artist can go from 18 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: working bad restaurant gigs to earning enough on music to 19 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: eke out a living, and how he ended up in 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: Tokyo to record most of his album Han. This is 21 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: broken record liner notes for the digital age. I'm justin Richmond. 22 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: Just a quick note here. You can listen to all 23 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: of the music mentioned in this episode on our playlist, 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,919 Speaker 1: which you can find a link to in the show notes. 25 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: For licensing reasons, each time a song is referenced in 26 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: this episode, you'll hear this sound effect. All right, enjoy 27 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: the episode. Here's my conversation with Brehanna. But first he 28 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: starts off with the performance of the song that got 29 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: me hooked, Gray Love. Yo. That was amazing, man, that 30 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: was beautiful. Appreciates you. Yeah, so that was an acoustic version, 31 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: stripped down version of gray Love, which is from your 32 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: first project, your EP, and it's called Brahanna self titled exactly. Yeah, 33 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: and uh, that song is actually how I first discovered you, 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: like I'm sure many people, because it got featured on 35 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: Donald Glover's show Atlanta. Yep, um No, must have been 36 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: huge for an up and coming artist like you were 37 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: at the time. He might have even been up and coming. 38 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: You were just someone putting out music. Yeah, I mean 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: it must have been massive. It was crazy. It was 40 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: crazy for a few different reasons. That show is my 41 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: favorite show on television by far. I was like super 42 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: in tune with it. Um, I loved the writing. I'm 43 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: from Atlanta. Um, Donald's one of my favorite artists. So 44 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: just all of that, you know, happening at once was 45 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: a very cool moment for me. Yeah. Yeah, I know, 46 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: like a lot of a lot of younger artists like 47 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: look for placements and fine placements. How big are placements 48 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: for like an artist like you? I think it, you know, 49 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: it depends on like the show. It depends if it's 50 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: like a movie commercial. You know, it's all different. Um. 51 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: I don't go out of my way to like get placements. 52 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: I think there are a lot of people that do. 53 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: They're like, oh, this movie is looking for these style songs, 54 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, Like you, only fifty Shades 55 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: of Gray came out. I was with this other team 56 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: at the time, and they were like, oh, like fifty 57 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: shades gray, like you just gotta you just gotta make 58 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: something a little sexy. And I was like, oh, I'm 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: not about to do that, you know, um yeah exactly, 60 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: But to like have your own song it feels like 61 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: you yeah, and then someone else takes that that's cool. 62 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: That's um not going out of my way for it 63 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: feels better. Absolutely, So another reason that must have been 64 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: like important and big for you because you weren't initially 65 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: trying to be a musician or be you know, like 66 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: play music for a living. You were trying to be 67 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: a screenwriter. Yeah, and that's like that's like so it's 68 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: like kind of your two worlds colliding in a way, 69 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: like this amazing show with your music, how'd you get 70 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: into screenwriting? My sister, that's like the easiest chance of 71 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: My sister's twelve years older than me, and she kind 72 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: of like shaped who I am. She would always she 73 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: wants to NYU, but she would always like come home 74 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: for extended amounts of time just to like stay with 75 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: me and still be present in my life, and would 76 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: put me onto different movies. She really liked in television 77 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 1: shows and would break down A stories, B stories, C 78 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: stories like she she already knew what like she wanted 79 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: me to be in a way, like we kind of 80 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: joke about that all the time. But I like, I 81 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: was like, oh, I want to go to n y U. 82 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: I want to be in the dramatic writing program. And 83 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: that was like I was like Oh, that's what I 84 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: want to do. I love TV, I love film. So 85 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I just want to like write 86 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: for the rest of my life. I just want to write. 87 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 1: And I did music, but it was more so like 88 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: a passion project. It was for me. I show a 89 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: couple of friends here and there, but I never thought 90 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: it was going to be the driving force by any means. 91 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: And what were the first songs you wrote. The first 92 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: song I wrote was about like my dad who like 93 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: left I was like seven or eight. My sister left 94 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: the house at the time, but my brother was still there. 95 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: And it was to no music. It was just like story. 96 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: It was just like writing. I had no I wasn't 97 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: playing piano. I wasn't I was just like creating the 98 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: melody and just writing the thing. And I showed my 99 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: brother and he was the first person to really encourage 100 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: me when it came to music, because he saw it 101 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: as like almost like a journal. He was like, yo, 102 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: you have to make sure that you keep doing this 103 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: and letting out how you feel this way. He was like, 104 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: I had no idea you felt like this, And that 105 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: was Yeah, that was the first song I wrote. That's 106 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: amazing to start trying to write songs at seven? What 107 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: were you I mean in Atlanta? Is you grew up 108 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: in Atlanta and that's like such a diverse musical town. 109 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: Like there's so much music going on and all kinds 110 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: of music. You know people think now just think of 111 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: like trap music or whatever, but there's so much KNTO 112 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: music going on atlant So what was there just a 113 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: lot of music going on in your home? Um? In 114 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: my home, yeah, there was. There was a bit of music. 115 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: I'd say, like there was a lot of like oldies 116 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: like Sam Cook my mom loved, like Stevie Wonder. There 117 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: was also like Ethiopian music being played a bunch, and 118 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: then whatever my brother was listening to, whether it was 119 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: like BC Boys outcasts, and my sister as well used 120 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: to always make me CDs mix CDs. So and we 121 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,919 Speaker 1: were in the church. But I didn't have, like, you know, 122 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: one of those parents. I was like, listen to all 123 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: apprentice discography, like this is amazing. You have to understand 124 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: why I didn't have that. And I think the first 125 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: thing I gravitated towards was storytelling. It was just like, oh, 126 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: they're telling a very like unique story. I like how 127 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: the words sound together and That's what drew me in first. 128 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: How steeped in Ethiopian culture were you growing up as 129 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: a kid? Um, It was interesting growing up in Atlanta 130 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: and like having being first generation African because you go 131 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: home and it's, you know, the smells are Ethiopian. The 132 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: language that you're hearing your parents speaking us from Ethiopia, 133 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: the decor, you know, everything is is Ethiopia. And then 134 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: you like walk outside and it's like this Georgia. So 135 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: there's like the southern pride aspect, and it's also Atlanta, 136 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: so it's like very black and it's like very proud 137 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: as well. So to be in like these three different 138 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: worlds at once was it was a lot at times, 139 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: but as an observer I began to like really take 140 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: it all in and appreciate it as you know, the 141 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 1: older I got. Yeah, those are the three really strong 142 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: culture exactly. Yeah, you're just like I didn't even think 143 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: about that part because I think of Atlanta sometimes it's 144 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: like on an island, you know, same as like New Orleans. 145 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: But yeah, there's like that southern sort of element to 146 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: it too, right, especially if you're not specifically in Atlanta 147 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: right outside of it, Like, did you ever feel I 148 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: don't know, so I know a lot of first generations 149 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: sometimes struggle with feeling like, you know, maybe you don't 150 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: want to accept your your heritage because you want to 151 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: sort of just you want to be if you want 152 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: to fit in at school. You know. So you did 153 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: you ever find yourself wanting to be more more fit 154 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: into more one culture than the other or yeah, yeah, totally. 155 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: There were definitely different times because I went to a school. 156 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: My mom put me in this private school that was 157 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: predominantly white that she worked at so that I could 158 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: go to the school. But I remember once there was 159 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: like a show and tell and my mom brought some 160 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:32,439 Speaker 1: different Ethiopian food and like kids were like spitting it up, 161 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: like what is this? What is some of my favorite foods? 162 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: Like some of my favorites. And then seeing that made 163 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: me feel like, you know, ashamed because I was really 164 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: young at the time, and I was like, oh, I 165 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: guess this isn't good, So I don't I don't want 166 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: kids to come over and smell my house and eat 167 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 1: the food we have. I'd rather go to your house, 168 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: right yep. Um, So there was a lot of that 169 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: when I was really young, and then the order I 170 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: got the more of that just like went away and 171 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: I found a community of a lot of different like 172 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: first generation Africans through church and sports. We became super 173 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: close and those were the people I really identified with, 174 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: even though they weren't Ethiopian or they didn't go to 175 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: the same schools or whatever. It was just, oh, we 176 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,560 Speaker 1: share that that thing of being in different worlds than once. Yeah, 177 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: you're sure being different in this place exactly. That's heartbreaking, man. Yeah, 178 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: that's just like, Yeah, the one that spit out, it 179 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: wasn't even crazy like food. It's like ginche. It's like 180 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: kind of like similar to like rice or it's like 181 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: something that no one should spit out some dump kids. Yea. 182 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: His name was Casey. You remember the name still at 183 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: His name is Casey punk. I saw you went to 184 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: Ethiopia recently right there? Often to go back there. That's 185 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: my first time actually the first time a month ago. Yeah. Yeah, 186 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: I had an opportunity to do a show over there. 187 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: My mom hasn't hadn't been back for forty seven years. Wow. Um, 188 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: so I was like, this is the time we should 189 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 1: both go. And I got to bring her with me 190 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: and see the country through her eyes, and it was 191 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: a surreal experience. And how did you connect with him 192 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: a lot to a stocky out there man's that's insane. Yeah, 193 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: that was amazing, brilliant if you Opian musician, like incredible discography, 194 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: incredible absolutely. Um. He's been one of my favorites since 195 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: I was young. That was one of the ones my 196 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: mom put me onto at an early age. And I'll 197 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: be um, a girl from our team who's incredible. She's 198 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: right over here. Yep, she uh she she made that happen. 199 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: She yeah, she I knew, she knew I really liked 200 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: Mulatto and she had a connection. Yeah, she got us 201 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 1: sometimes so we could sit down and really chop it up. 202 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: Super thankful. It's crazy. How was that time? Man? What 203 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: did he It was crazy? Man. I like came to 204 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: him kind of like approaching him with an idea I 205 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: wanted to do and it kind and he was like, 206 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, kind of down, but then it totally clipped, 207 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: it totally flipped. He was like immediately went into He 208 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: just like taught me so much. It was like we 209 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: sat down for nearly three hours and he just talked 210 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: to me about the history of music, how Ethiopia like 211 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 1: plays into that. What instruments started in Ethiopia, then no 212 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: one knows about and he's really like championing this kind 213 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: of like no one really knows like that much about 214 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: Ethiopian music in its history, including Ethiopian people, and he 215 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: really wants to educate others. And he yeah, he did that. 216 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 1: He taught me so much. Was crazy. That's like sitting 217 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: down with like the that's like the Ethiopian Quincy Jones exactly. Yeah, 218 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: I just shut up. I like didn't. I barely talked 219 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: those three hours. What instruments are from Ethiopia. I didn't 220 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: even realized it was. The massinco is like a really 221 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: big one. It's kind of like a cello. That's one 222 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 1: of the things he said. He was like, oh, what 223 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: came first, the massinco or the cello? And I was like, 224 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,079 Speaker 1: I guess, Yeah, I guess the massinco because just how 225 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: he was praising question and then he kept doing that 226 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: with different instruments, horned and whatever it was, and then 227 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: he would go into the history of it and how 228 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: how that instrument was built in which tribe made that instrument. Um, yeah, 229 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 1: there are a lot of unique instruments Piopia. That's amazing. Yeah, 230 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: you can hear. When you listen to the music, it 231 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: sounds like it's like orchestras full of like instruments. You 232 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: feel like what is that? You know, either they playing 233 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: in a way I've never heard this thing played, or 234 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: some completely different instruments, but it's just it's such a beautiful, 235 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: like like sound that it's just you know, when you're 236 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: when you're not used to hearing those sounds. It just 237 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: sounds especially just like like mystical or something. You know, 238 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: it's incredible. We'll be back with my interview with Brehanna 239 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: after a quick break. We're back with Brahanna. How do 240 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:46,839 Speaker 1: you How so you have two siblings, Yeah, and you're 241 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: the youngest youngest, and they're both putting you on to 242 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: movies and TV shows and music totally. And so then 243 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: you decide you want to go study screenwriting and are 244 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 1: you making music in college or are you? I was 245 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,680 Speaker 1: when I got there it was like I'd put music 246 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: behind me. I remember I did one show in Atlanta 247 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: right before I left, where I just did like covers 248 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:11,679 Speaker 1: and a couple of my songs, and then after that 249 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: it was kind of like my all right, I'll come 250 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: back to this label. How you how did you how 251 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: the performance look? Like? What? Was it just you? It 252 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: was me in a band of like people I just 253 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: like recruited who were who were great. Um, But we 254 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: rehearsed like maybe for a week, and they like played 255 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: this show with me for free. I had like no money. Um. 256 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: And then when I came to New York, I was like, 257 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna put that behind me and I'm 258 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: gonna go all into this writing. Did you put it 259 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 1: behind you? Because did it go well or did it 260 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: just feel? No? It went it went fine, but it 261 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,319 Speaker 1: was like, oh, this isn't what I'm pursued. I'm going 262 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: to New York to be successful in this field. So 263 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm gonna I'll just revisit this later. 264 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: And so yeah, I was just for the most part 265 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: only doing writing in turning its shows, I'm doing a 266 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,719 Speaker 1: lot of different stuff like UCB, Upright, Citizens Brigade. And 267 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: then into like my senior year, I started like getting 268 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: kind of restless because I really wanted to do music, 269 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: but I just didn't know how. I hadn't been like 270 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: there were a lot of like jazz school kids I'd 271 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: been hanging out with, but it wasn't people I was 272 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 1: like necessarily trying to make music with. And then this 273 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: one kid, his name was Jimmy. He had heard I 274 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: like sang because I used to like go to the 275 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: piano room downstairs at the dorm and play songs now 276 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: and then and people would come listen. And he was like, Oh, 277 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: we should just do something together, just for the fucker 278 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: to see how it goes. And I was like, yeah, 279 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: for sure, let's do it. And we did one song 280 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: called Kingdom together for his project and then it did 281 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 1: pretty well, like for the first time i'd ever like 282 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: put out a song, it like got right up, so 283 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: it was like he doing really well for him, and 284 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, you know, this is cool. I'm 285 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: gonna try and make my own stuff, or at least 286 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: one song. I'm gonna try and make one song under 287 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: my name, see how it go. And then I wrote 288 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: like basically the outline of Janet, the song that I 289 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: ended up putting on my EP. And I had connected 290 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: with this kid's name Sapphire, who also went to my 291 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: school for jazz, but he had dropped out because he 292 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: was like, I know exactly what I want to do. 293 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: I don't need to like be in school for it, 294 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: and I loved that. I was like, oh, this is cool. 295 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: I want to work with you. I want to like 296 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: see if we can create something, and we ended up 297 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 1: making the full EP together. Wow, how did you write 298 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: so I love Janet too? Because it's a again, it's 299 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: combining both of your world's right, it's music and it's 300 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: combining like it's like, it's clearly someone with the love 301 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: for TV how to write that? And I think probably 302 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: everyone in our age grew up loving, like obsessed with 303 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: the Fresh Prince. So it was such a beautiful send 304 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: up to Ann Viv. Yeah, how did you come up 305 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: with the idea for that? And how did it kind 306 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: of develop? I saw a tweet from one of my 307 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: really close friends who was one of those first generation 308 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: kids I was trying about that I was super tight 309 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: with in Atlanta. He tweeted it, if you fuck with 310 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: the light skin on Viv, I can't trust you. And 311 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: I thought it was so fun. I just like started laughing, 312 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: you know, I like I retweeted or whatever. Um. But 313 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: then it like kind of was this. I was like, man, 314 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: what did happen? You know? It kind of like planted 315 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: the seed. And then I started just researching, like going 316 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: in like this wormhole, what is like what happened? Why 317 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: was she kicked off the show? Does anyone really know? 318 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: Like did? And then and then that led into being like, oh, 319 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: the situation's kind of like fucked up. She hasn't worked 320 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: in since that show really really she like has had 321 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 1: small stuff but like too yeah she was, and she 322 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 1: was kind of like, yeah, excommunicated from this community. She 323 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: worked so hard to be a part of UM. She 324 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: had you know, she was a really talented dancer, singer, actress, 325 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: went to Juliard was in the first production of Cats 326 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: on Broadway, finally snags this UM series regular on NBC, 327 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: does so well, people love her, but because of a 328 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: couple of TIFFs she gets in NBC is like you 329 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: know what, No, we're gonna you're crazy. We're gonna tell 330 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: everybody you're crazy, and you're off of this thing. And 331 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: it's just like that, it all went away and it 332 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: made me so sad, and I was like, wow, I 333 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: have to I want to write something about this. So 334 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: I wrote the chorus first UM at my house in 335 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: Atlanta over like my piano, and I was like, oh, 336 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: this is I'm gonna keep going with this, and then 337 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: you called it Janet because that's Janet names the actress 338 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:48,440 Speaker 1: who played the initials right the O GM viv um. 339 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,120 Speaker 1: And then the verses are those are those about her too? 340 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: Because it seems like those the verses are maybe, yeah, 341 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: that's all about her. It's all about her. It's funny 342 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people when I first put it out, 343 00:17:57,359 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 1: it's like girls would come up to me and be like, oh, 344 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: like my name's Janet, or like I want to be 345 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 1: like I want to be your Janet. And I was like, yo, 346 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: if this song completely went over the head. This is 347 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: not about a love interest. This is not about anything 348 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: of that sort. It's about you know, it's an ode 349 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: to Janet Hubert, and it's about like being forgotten and 350 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: what that's like and how I'm afraid of that. You know, 351 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: you're afraid of being forgotten? Yeah, of course a man. 352 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: That's a good songwriting man, because it's like it's about 353 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: something so specific and and because the dressing around it 354 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: is sounds so great. It's like you can hear almost 355 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 1: whatever you want to hear in it, you know, Yeah, 356 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: like you could hear that song and totally think it 357 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: was about, you know, being left behind by a lover 358 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: or you know, it just depends on certain I love 359 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,479 Speaker 1: that it's open for a trip. That's always been my 360 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: favorite stuff. And it took me a long time to 361 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 1: be like, Okay, this is what it means to me 362 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: because I like that people were taking away their own things. 363 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 1: That's one of my favorite things about music and something 364 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: that I did with like the music I was listening 365 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: to when I was younger in college. Even now, it's 366 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: like I can I make my own interpretations and that's 367 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 1: what makes it special. Yeah, all the time. Often sometimes 368 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: I like sometimes I like to look at lyrics and 369 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: then sometimes they don't sounds I'm disappointed. Not the lyrics 370 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: are bad, but I'm like, wow, I thought this whole time, 371 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: this was about this and identified it with this, and 372 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: when I was feeling this way, I put this on 373 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 1: and it made me feel so like, you know, so good. 374 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: Oh it's like room now. Yeah, And I don't want 375 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,680 Speaker 1: to ruin it. You know. That's the same reason why 376 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 1: I don't look up lyrics a lot of the time. 377 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: It's because I don't want it to be ruined. So 378 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: when you put out the EP you worked with Sapphire, 379 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,719 Speaker 1: what was your intention for that just to put it 380 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 1: out or yeah. My intention was well, a little bit 381 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: before i'd put out the EP, I like I was 382 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 1: working on it, but I wasn't fully in. I was 383 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 1: still doing so many other things. And I remember I 384 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: was sending in a lot of like different packets, like 385 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 1: applying to shows and writing packets. And there was one 386 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 1: show I thought I was gonna get and I was like, oh, 387 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: if I get this, I'm gonna go all in with 388 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: this and I'll like marinate on the EP and i'll 389 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 1: you know, it'll come out when it comes out. Uh. 390 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: It was a Colbert when he like took over and 391 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,239 Speaker 1: then I ended up not getting it, and I was like, oh, 392 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna finish this. I'm gonna finish the EP right now. 393 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: I was like, there's nothing else I want to do. 394 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: I'd stopped um sending in packets at that point, and 395 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, here I go. I'm just 396 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,720 Speaker 1: gonna go for it. I'm gonna put this out. I'm 397 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: gonna move to LA before it comes out, and then 398 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna see where it goes. And it went fine. 399 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: It was a slow you put it out what you 400 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:57,439 Speaker 1: want you want on the label at the time, right, 401 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: I wasn't on a label. No, I I had just 402 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: gotten managers like after I'd already finished the project and 403 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 1: they were like, oh yeah, you should put this on 404 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: Spotify and all these different you know, Apple Music whatever, whatever. 405 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: And then and then and then I got a job 406 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:21,439 Speaker 1: in a restaurant in LA and then it slowly just built. 407 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 1: What was the what was the tipping point moment for that? 408 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: Like when did it start? But at some point that 409 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: caught fire? When did um? It's funny. I was working 410 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: at this restaurant in day that I really hated. But 411 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: I'd worked in a restaurant in New York where I'd 412 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 1: like you know, worked up from a server to chef 413 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 1: to assistant manager. So I was making like five I 414 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: was making like good money for where I was at. 415 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: But then I went to La and then there's the 416 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: same style restaurant. They're like, now you're gonna be a 417 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 1: busser and you have to train for like a month, 418 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: and when you're training, you get no money. You get 419 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: like just you get paid shit. So I was still 420 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: in that phase. And now remember Tyler the creator came 421 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: into the restaurant and I was like, you know, someone 422 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: I like look up to an artist I look up to, 423 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: and I was just like, damn, this is not how 424 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: I'm trying to the creator, you know what I'm saying. 425 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: I was like, so I'm just avoiding his table at 426 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: all costs. And then my boss is like, yo, I 427 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: want to see wipe down this table which is like 428 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: kind of close to his table, and uh I was 429 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: like fine, dude, whatever, like head down, go wipe the table. 430 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 1: And then this man yells at me because he's like, 431 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: you didn't get the sides. So he like shows me 432 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: how to like wipe the sides of a table. He's like, look, 433 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 1: takes the rag and like does it. And I was like, oh, 434 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 1: I'm gonna quit this week. I was like this is 435 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 1: the worst, Like, this is the worst feeling ever. And 436 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: then it just so happened to be like that next 437 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: week I got paid from my music just enough to 438 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: like make it through one month, and I was like, Okay, cool, 439 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make sure I stretch this bitch out and 440 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 1: not I'm not about to get another job right now, 441 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:01,880 Speaker 1: and if if to next month, cool, But it ended 442 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: up being the next month I got a little bit 443 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: more than I got in a month before, and I 444 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: was like, all right, we're gonna do the same thing. 445 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make you know, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 446 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: stain my ass inside, right, Um, And then it kept 447 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: like growing. That was the last time I had to 448 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: work at a restaurant. That's amazing. Yeah, that's incredible. And 449 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: what you're doing shows when at that point or no, 450 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 1: no one is just coming in from from the from 451 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:28,880 Speaker 1: the EP from Yeah, from the EP from streaming. Yeah, 452 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: thank god for streaming, man, thank god, thank god. I 453 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,240 Speaker 1: love it. I was trying to put that EP out 454 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: for free too, so I'm glad I didn't do that 455 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:41,880 Speaker 1: because it enabled me to, yeah, start doing this full time. 456 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with Brehanna after the break. We're 457 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: back with Brahanna performing his song Golden Cool. Incredible. So 458 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: where'd that cuter guardline come from? Man? Oh? That was 459 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: um college. In college, we were reading Kika Guard in 460 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: one of my philosophy classes and his ideas on authenticity 461 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: were something I really gravitated towards. Um. Yeah, and that's 462 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: that's the line. That's line's actually not even in the 463 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: song that we put out. It's like, I've never lost verse. Yeah, 464 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: I was gonna say, speaking of like not listening to 465 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:29,640 Speaker 1: the lyrics, like I've listened to that song a bunch. 466 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: I never heard that line today. Yeah, we were like, oh, 467 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: you know, let's like stretch out the song a bit. 468 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: And I haven't ever performed that verse, so I was like, oh, yeah, 469 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: let's do it here. Thank you. Thanks ye. First of all, 470 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: I mean I got I studied philosophy in college because 471 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: I got into Kirker Garden. I loved it, and I 472 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: didn't been to study in the Kirker Garden college, like 473 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: you just didn't have any of that in the curriculum. 474 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: I was bummed. Um, and yeah, so that was great. 475 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: I just I just just broked up on that because yeah, 476 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: I just hadn't heard that in the song. So how 477 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: come with idea to structure? So your new album it's 478 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: called Han and this is your first actual album other 479 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: one to be more of an EP. Yeah, And it's 480 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: really cool because there's these little skits and not like 481 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,239 Speaker 1: these extended rap skits, but there are these like these 482 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: cool little skits in between songs that kind of remind 483 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: me of like Midnight Marauders or something. Right like how 484 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: this like this lady got in you through the album. 485 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: In this case, it's a flight attendant. How'd you come 486 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: up with that? I do? Mina Marauders is one of 487 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: my favorite albums growing up, and I thought I always 488 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: wanted to do my own version of that where it 489 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,400 Speaker 1: felt like a little more narrative based and I could 490 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: put it in a space specifically, And so the concept 491 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: of the album came before anything. When I when I write, 492 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: it's like I go about it different ways the process 493 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: of it. But for this album was like, oh, I 494 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 1: know what the how I want the album to sound sonically, 495 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 1: I know what I want the concept to be, and 496 00:25:55,520 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: I know I want them to flow together seamlessly, um 497 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: and have all of these different sounds, Like certain songs 498 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: don't sound like other songs on the album, but they 499 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,199 Speaker 1: still feel like they come from the same world. And 500 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: that's kind of that was my starting point. Yeah. He 501 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: used a band on this one, right, Yeah. I used 502 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: to a lot of UM. I used to band a 503 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: lot of like great musicians. Danny McKinnon, who's in here 504 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: playing with me today, Pomo, he produced the entire record 505 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: with me. He was someone I really wanted to get 506 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 1: into a session with him and Danny both. Actually they 507 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: were putting out a lot of like different videos just 508 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,199 Speaker 1: them doing covers and like jamming. It wasn't even them 509 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: putting out songs. They were putting out videos of just 510 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: you know, where they were and like what they were 511 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: listening to. And it really I was like, oh, I'm 512 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: listening to the same things like right now. I was like, 513 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: I really want to get in a session and see 514 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: like what that's like. Then one session turned into like 515 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: three sessions, and then I kind of finessed. I was like, 516 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: throughout this idea, like, oh, what if we did like 517 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: a few songs and made it, you know, into its 518 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,359 Speaker 1: own project, knowing I wanted this to be the album, 519 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: and but yeah, Palmo was so down. He was That's 520 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: like something that's really great about him as a producer. 521 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: He's he loves like challenges, and even though I was 522 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:21,360 Speaker 1: throwing like a lot of different things his way, he 523 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: was just really excited to do something he hadn't done before. 524 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: From the initial idea of it just being like a 525 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: small project to becoming a full record. One did that. 526 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 1: I'm Japan in Japan. We went to Japan to record. 527 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: I had a couple of festival dates out there, and 528 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 1: Danny came to play with us, Palma came to play 529 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,760 Speaker 1: with us, and we just had this like whole group 530 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: that we were already working on the album together. So 531 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: we're like, oh, let's stay like a few more weeks, 532 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: rent out a studio, and just go as hard as 533 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 1: we can in Japan. And then when we were there, 534 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: it was like that's when it was like, oh, here's 535 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: that line. It's all right there now we just need 536 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:07,400 Speaker 1: to finish these songs in the like drunk for instance, 537 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: which comes after Golden and you guys will play at 538 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 1: some point today. The opening line is drunken Japan, Drunken Tokyo, 539 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,200 Speaker 1: drunkn Tokyo, Drunken Tokyo. I do not know the language, 540 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: nor how I know your name. And the going to Japan? 541 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: Did recording there did that like change? Did that change 542 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: the vibe of the of the recordings at all or 543 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: the sessions or like what? For sure? I think it's 544 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:34,120 Speaker 1: whenever you're in a new place, it kind of opens 545 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,679 Speaker 1: you up, like you're not in the same routine. Everything's 546 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: super new to you, especially a place like Japan where 547 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: it's everybody looks different from you. Every store is different 548 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: from any store you go to in America. It's a 549 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: whole new world. So being in like that environment and 550 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 1: like creating, you're going to get something different than you 551 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: get when you're at home. So it definitely informed everything 552 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: that we're doing. Sure, and the restaurant you're working at 553 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: in New York was a Japanese restaurant and you had 554 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: to like learn some of the language there. R Is 555 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 1: there like a do you have an affinity for the 556 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: culture there? Or was it? Is this all kind of 557 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: accidental that you worked at a restaurant and had to 558 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: learn some Japanese and that you ended up getting like 559 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: dates and oh yeah, it was. It was super accidental. 560 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:22,239 Speaker 1: It was when I got the job. It was right. 561 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: It was around the time where I was like, all right, 562 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: I'm just doing this EP I'm gonna finish this uh 563 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,760 Speaker 1: And I was like, whoa, I'm broke. I need some money. 564 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: So I'd applied to so many different jobs, couldn't get anything. 565 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:34,959 Speaker 1: Then I had a buddy in New York who was like, Oh, 566 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: I have this job. They're looking for people, but there's 567 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: like a catch. They want you to speak Japanese. They 568 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: want you to do this like fifteen minute chant before 569 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: shift starts that you have to learn they want you to. 570 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: It's like still very Japanese. All your bosses are gonna 571 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 1: be Japanese. They barely speak English. It wasn't the chant 572 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: you have to do before you started crazy. Actually, if 573 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: at the end of Golden there's like you kind of 574 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: here like the sky end of this chant, and that 575 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: was me recording the actual chant that we did. Can 576 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: you what is? Do you remember any of it? Still? 577 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: I remember fifteen minutes, but you got like twenty seconds 578 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: in you Yeah, Uccino sauka. It's a long thing. It's 579 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: a very long thing. To my entrained ear, that sounds 580 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: like the access perfect too. Man, Like you're killing hazy bros. 581 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: And I was working like forty hour weeks and if 582 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: you do like the lunch shift and the dinner shift, 583 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: that's thirty minutes every day getting on the clock. Here 584 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: we're on the clock. But yeah, it was it was 585 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: a very intense you just is it just it's just 586 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: I know, I know, like the gist, I don't know exactly, 587 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: I don't know everything. My Japanese used to be way 588 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 1: better when I was there, but uh, yeah, that kind 589 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: of like kicked off the affinity I guess for it 590 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: was never You know, there are a lot of musicians 591 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: in particular and artists who will say that, like like 592 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: I said with this album, a big starting point for 593 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: me was Japanese funk, and I feel like there are 594 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: a lot of artists who would who would be like, oh, 595 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: like I just heard this, like Japanese funk from the eighties, 596 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: It's so weird and unique. I'm going to use this 597 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: as a starting you know, kind of fetishizing this thing. 598 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: Where for me it was like, oh no, all of 599 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 1: my bosses where Japanese only spoke Japanese, they would tell 600 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: me like, yo, you should read this book by Riyono Sukyakatagawa, 601 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: or you should watch this movie by Yasujiro Ozu, or 602 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: you should listen to this album by you could hear Takahashi, 603 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: or like they would put me onto things where I 604 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: was like it was like oh because of that, then 605 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: I was like, Oh, this author is really tight. Who 606 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 1: did he inspire? Or this filmmakers really tight? Who are 607 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:00,800 Speaker 1: his contemporaries? And it kind of I kind of kept 608 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: going down that too. That's how I got inspired. You know, 609 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: It's because of the environment I was in. Wow, yeah, 610 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: this is like putting you in like a whole fourth 611 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,959 Speaker 1: other culture totally. That's also very strong in this thing. 612 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: So you were listening to all that stuff even before 613 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:17,680 Speaker 1: you went out there to record. So that must have 614 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,280 Speaker 1: been kind of fun to be able to record out there. 615 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: That would give you the idea to say, like, hey, 616 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: let's try to absolutely the troops and do it. Yeah, 617 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: absolutely cool man, definitely want to do drunk, Yeah, let's 618 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: do this is this is about your first trip to Japan, right, 619 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: first and second, first and second combined in one great 620 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: cool Thank you for doing these guys, It's all over, 621 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 1: It's it. That's it man. Thanks to Brahanna for taking 622 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: us through his first two projects and sharing some of 623 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: that incredible Japanese chant with us. Be sure to check 624 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: out his album Han, along with our other favorite Brahanna 625 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 1: songs on a playlist we created at Broken record podcast 626 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also find a playlist we hadn't 627 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 1: put together some of his favorite Japanese city pipe he'd 628 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube 629 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,000 Speaker 1: dot com slash Broken Record Podcasts. We're always putting up 630 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: our old interviews there and our new ones, sometimes with 631 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: bonus content. Broken Record is produced with help from Jason 632 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: Gambrel me LaBelle Lea Rose, and Martin Gonzalez for Pushkin Industries. 633 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: A theme music by Kenny Beats. I'm justin Richmond. Thanks 634 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: for listening.