Brothers of Industry

Combining incisive, thought provoking lyrics, edgy, guitar driven funk based alt-rock sensibilities and blistering live performances that have taken the NYC club scene by storm, Brothers of Industry is a grassroots phenomenon primed for major global attention.
Formed in late 2003, the band—Kwaku (lead singer, songwriter/lyricist, guitarist), Gabriel Pressman (lead guitars, effects), Bryan Spitzer (bass) and Jeff Shreiner (drums)—is currently doing a weekly residency at Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village and has played venues in Washington, D.C. (Doctor Dremo’s), Pittsburgh (Nick’s Fat City), Philadelphia (Hard Rock Cafe) and Baltimore (For the People By the People Festival). Gabriel says, “Live on stage is where we’re most ourselves, where our energy is most intense and where each member really expresses his own identity.” Kwaku adds, “It’s pure freedom up there, releasing our inhibitions and connecting with people in ways we could never imagine before taking the stage. It’s incredible to be so locked in with my other ‘Brothers’ in the band.”
The buzz is growing, the mailing list bursting at the seams, and now comes the next step—the release of Self-Defined, Brothers of Industry’s six song EP which was produced by BOI and mixed by Nick Hard (who recorded and mixed The Bravery) at Stratosphere Sound, the legendary studio co-owned by James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne).
“Our music is all about energy and the emotion we feel in the moment, being genuine and honest and real, addressing things in our lives that we are passionate about,” says Kwaku. “We’ve seen so much manufactured emotion from artists these days, and our original goal was to be straight from the heart. We really embrace the spirit of independent record making, focused on making great music first. As the lyricist, the songs are all very personal to me and reflect where I am as an artist and where I want to be in my life. I feel like we’re always caught between where we thought we’d be and what we end up actually doing.
Hardly surprising in light of the crackling chemistry between its members, Brothers of Industry grew out of another successful Big Apple based band featuring Kwaku and Pressman. A harder edged rock band than Brothers of Industry, Rapid Audio Response was popular throughout 2002 and most of 2003, playing clubs like The Lion’s Den in Manhattan, Southpaw in Brooklyn and playing a series of opening dates with Rich Robinson (Black Crowes).
The formation of B.O.I has been an amazing combination of organic connections and chance encounters. This process began when Kwaku and Gabriel met through an internet ad page that helped connect musicians with bands looking for new members, “I was looking to play bass in a new band, and he said that’s what he was looking for,” says Pressman. “We hit it off immediately, talking for two hours on the phone. Prior to Brothers of Industry Kwaku had played with Bryan Spitzer in a group called Papakoo, whose accolades included opening up for Cory Glover of Living Colour at the now defunct Bottom Line club. Spitzer added the final piece by bringing in Drummer Jeff Shreiner with whom he attended school with in Florida.
Each member of Brothers of Industry brings a lifetime of unique musical influences and fascinating professional experiences to the band. Kwaku’s unique name means “born on Wednesday” and “shining before the limelight” in Twi, the native language of his parents, who were born in Ghana. Originally from the Bronx, The well rounded musician, was profoundly influenced by Sting and groundbreaking jazz legends like Billie Holliday and Miles Davis. Gabriel Pressman, a native of Cleveland, got his funk/rock “training” from listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, and Zeppelin. Spitzer, another native New Yorker, developed his animated bass style through listening to various artists like Traffic, 311 and Michael Jackson. Shriener, an accomplished audio engineer and hip hop producer, adds an impassioned heavy hitting rock style of drumming to complete the powerhouse foursome.
When you hear the strong, cohesive sound Brothers of Industry has onstage coupled with the sonic depth of their EP Self-Defined, it is easy to see why this grassroots phenomenom is poised to become a global sensation.