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Featured on the top of "10 bands worth checking out" list, by Adam Roncaglione, Decoymusic.com
http://www.decoymusic.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8327
- by Adam Roncaglione, Decoymusic.com
"Before I run out of room ... a new band, the hard rockin' Brea" Mac Mcdonald, Editor/Columnist of Monterey County Herald's Go Magazine
- Mac Mcdonald Editor/Columnist of Monterey County Herald's Go Magazine
"We love having Brea at Monterey Live, it's always a sell out" Vince La Rocca, Owner of Monterey Live www.montereylive.org - Vince La Rocca, Owner of Monterey Live
"Brea truly stands out of the crowd with their pure musical talent." Kelly Burwell Student at CSUMB. - Kelly Burwell, ESSP Student at CSU Monterey Bay
"The band sounds good! She sounds like a female Daryl" Marc McKnight, ATREYU Bassist - Marc McKnight, ATREYU Bassist
"Rehearsed, and talented: Brea has it all." Timothy Ramon, Promoter http://www.concertsinthe408.com/ - Timothy Ramon, Promoter @ Concerts in the 408
Meeting with the band Brea at a table set up in CSUMB’s North Quad, it seems like the band has already made it in the music business. As I ask questions about their three-year career, a trio of students from the Brooks Institute film Brea for a documentary.
Besides being the subject of a film, the members of Brea have a lot of other good things going for them. This September, the band released an impressive and well-produced six-song EP titled The Immense Design of Things, which is available at regional CD stores like Santa Cruz’s Streetlight Records and San Jose’s Tower Records. The CD, which veers from the angular indie rock of “Hold On” to the poppier acoustic ballad “Bitter Sweet,” was produced, engineered and mixed by Paul “Polo” Jones.
Just a couple months ago, Brea played a convention for the International Music Products Association in Anaheim. The band says they saw well-established musicians like Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction and members of Korn at the event.
The sole CSUMB student in the band, Josh White, says that when Brea started out they wanted to be a “post-hardcore metal kind of band.” A month later, vocalist Leia Layus joined the group and steered Brea in a new direction—towards a more unique marriage of indie rock and pop. Guitarist Scott Schulze admits the group failed to have a distinct sound until Layus came along and penned lyrics for their song “So Long to Streetlights.” “Writing music without lyrics is like running with a blindfold,” he says of the band before Layus.
Now, the group is doing something else that usually only well-established bands attempt: they are in the midst of shooting a video for their new song “Cocaine Wedding.”
- Monterey County Weekly by Stuart Thornton
Discography
Currently: Brea is working on their new full length album, which is due in fall of 2008.
2006 Demo
Tracks:
1. Cocaine Wedding*
2 Old Haunts*
3. Time After Time* (Cover)
4. Quick Fix
2005 EP "The Immense Design of Things"
Tracks:
1. Hold On
2. 65 Minutes to Freedom
3. Quick Fix
4. Bitter Sweet*
5. Swim in the Sky
6. So Long to Streetlight
* are songs that are streaming in the sonicbids media player.
www.myspace.com/brea
Photos
Bio
Upon meeting with and interviewing Brea, Stuart Thornton of “The Monterey County Weekly”, says of the band, “it seems like the band has already made it in the music business.”
This is funny because Brea’s members, Leia Layus (Vocals), Scott Schulze (Guitar), Josh White (Guitar), Hollis Browne (Drums), and Scott Leahy (Bass) feel their journey has only just begun. In early 2003 Brea started off as a high school band amongst friends in Morgan Hill, CA with White and Brain Filice (original drummer) spearheading the endeavor and with Schulze sitting in on early jam sessions and collaborations. But in the summer of 2003 was when Brea really gained a “voice” with the addition of singer Leia Layus who help solidify and define Brea’s sound and direction. What had originally started off as a post-hardcore, metal, jam and high school band merged into a new and innovative independent rock band with a unique fusion of indie rock and pop with a hard-driving tinge. There really is a sound for everyone within Brea’s musical makeup. The themes and content of Brea’s lyrics touch on issues that people of all ages can relate to. Brea seemed to appear out of nowhere yet has already established a strong foundation.
The Brea band members have a strong commitment to Brea and an amazing work ethic and drive. From Northern California to Southern California (29 Palms, Hollywood, San Francisco and Monterey) the band-mates convene every weekend in Morgan Hill (Brea’s birthplace) to perform, rehearse, write, record and work on defining their music. The band has been working vigorously to solidify their sound and to build their fan base by performing frequently throughout California. This has led to many opportunities for this hard working ensemble. Brea has performed at some of the biggest shows and venues in California ranging from The NAMM show to the AMA Championship at Laguna Seca Raceway to the Sleeptrain Ampitheater in Marysville, CA. They have also played in some of Northern California's most established clubs such as Slims in San Francisco and The Saddlerack in Fremont. Brea has been on the same bill with some highly recognizable acts such as Epic Records own Augustana, Rx Bandits, The Aggrolites, Portugal the Man, The Velvet Teen, Melee, Sherwood, Rob Zombie and Godsmack plus many more.
Nearly two years after Brea was formed, the band released their EP, "The Immense Design of Things." Polo Jones (Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton) produced the EP and appearing on it are Jimmy DeGrasso, former drummer of Megadeath and violinist Anton Patzner (Bright Eyes, Audrye Sessions). More proof of Brea’s appearance of being more established than its years might suggest.
Currently, Brea is writing new material for their first full-length album, which is due to be released next fall. Fans are able to hear the new songs being tested and fine-tuned at Brea’s live performances. At times the band is so in sync it sounds as if it were a single musical instrument with complex breadth and depth; but then one of the individual instruments will rise above the others and catch your attention and remind you they truly are a five-piece rock band.
The songs are so fresh and full of energy; yet the listener feels so comfortable with the songs, as if they have been listening to them for years. Embracing their sound and determined for their music to reach the masses, Brea's journey seems to be on a very strong path.
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