SOURCE – Congratulations with the new single Social Grace, because it is really amazing! Can you tell us something about the meaning behind this song, please?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – Thank you for the kind words! Lyrically this tune is a social commentary on the effects of humanity on the planet. Sonically the sections of the song also follow an arc that begins with cave women beat down riffs into something more refined then finally into a bass laden downward spiral of sludge that fizzles out into nothing. Like humanity.
SOURCE – You shot an official video for Social Grace – how do you believe the video shoot went, and where do you see the importance of the visual medium in garnering more attention for the band, especially in these social media platform driven times?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – We had an incredible time developing this video. We did the shoot it very DIY with just the help of our friends John and Dane who co-directed, shot, and edited the project. I think there is still an important place for this type of visual aspect of music. It’s simply just a further exploration of the artist statement. Something to enrich the lore. The main thing that has changed is how that art gets delivered to us and we have to adapt with those changes. Being able to do so has been paramount in reaching people who might dig what we’re doing.
SOURCE – What are your goals and expectations for the new album?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – We wanna rock. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, just make it pink and angrier’n hell. Once released we plan to tour pretty extensively in support of the record. We’ve already done so with our two EP’s so we really want to show people what’s next.
SOURCE – You released two singles in 2022 and one in 2023 – how did the recording sessions go for these tracks, and were you satisfied with the reach, response, and feedback you’ve received for this material?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – We record at HighTower Recording with NOLA legend James Whitten, and speaking as a drummer, he makes tracking a breeze. We have a great method for tracking drums and being that our songs are pretty short, guitars, bass, and vocals take no time to lay down after. When releasing those first couple singles, we weren’t quite sure how it would go. Obviously we always hope for a big response, but sometimes dropping new music as a DIY band can be more of a waiting game. However they did pretty well. Now after releasing Social Grace through Prosthetic, we’ve definitely seen a bigger splash on the initial drop which makes us excited for things to come.
SOURCE – Do you think the tendency of consumers to download single songs more than albums will mean that the idea of a concept album will fade?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – BRAT are a band of record lovers. We understand that attention spans may be dwindling, we’re not impervious to this either. However putting in the thought and effort to write an album that has ups and downs and has a direction and pace, not just a collection of songs is what makes some of our favorite music stand out to us. So that’s what we try to do. When each song can stand as a single but you can listen to the whole record without thinking about it, that’s the good stuff. Singles rule, EP’s rule, Albums rule. Badass, hell yeah.
SOURCE – Do you enjoy making videos, or is it a necessary evil for the promotion process?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – I wouldn’t say it’s evil, but I would say it’s necessary. Coming up with video concepts can be challenging for sure but thus far it’s been a lot of fun once we’re actually shooting and seeing it all come together. Again it gives us a chance to paint a broader picture of the songs, and being a very visually aesthetic band we’re able to make that statement pretty clearly through our videos.
SOURCE – How important do you believe instant communication technology and social media platforms have been to the growth of your fanbase on a global scale? Do you enjoy the fan interaction through these mediums beyond building the brand of the band through live shows/touring?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – If we want to talk about necessary evils, it would be social media. The time and effort that Liz our singer puts into planning, curating, and creating content for socials is huge for the band. She makes it look easy too! A lot of getting our name out there aside from touring is done meticulously by Liz on a phone, which is wild to think about. Being able to connect with people is a blessing, we’ve made lots of real life friends through the band. Sometimes it’s other bands we’ve played with, or randos turned friendos who let us crash on tour, or even legendary rockers who find our stuff and give us the “tip of the hat” online. When people in other countries start requesting you to tour there, that’s a damn cool feeling. I’m looking at you, Brazil!
SOURCE – Anything else you’d like to mention?
Dustin Eagan (Drums) – Thank You SOURCE for showing interest in what we’ve got going on! In February we’ll be touring with Escuela Grind, dates are posted on our website bratband.com or on Instagram @brat_band. Around that time we’ll be releasing another single so keep an eye out for that. March 15th we’ll be releasing our debut LP entitled Social Grace on Prosthetic Records.
Promo photos: (credit: Greta Gertsner)
Contacts:
Video: