The Open Feel
Gig Seeker Pro

The Open Feel

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

Calendar

Music

Press


"The Open Feel EP Review"

"Katie Harris and Tom Brayton have been a couple for more than a decade and are among the most respected session musicians in the Los Angeles area. Why it took them so long to join forces as indie rock duo the Open Feel is beyond me because their fantastic self-titled EP is ample evidence that the twosome has got some serious musical chemistry as well. Harris is the primary singer and guitarist on the four-track release and her powerful vocals help anchor keepers “Strength,” “Still Here” and “Detach.” She has an impressive ear for melody that’s nicely complemented by Brayton’s work on bass and drums. I’m anxious to hear what the Open Feel can deliver over the course of a full album." - - Jeffrey Sisk, The Daily News (Dec 21, 2010)


"Artist of the Week- The Open Feel"

"The Open Feel is one of the best bands to watch for in 2011 and they are also our first Artist of the Week of this year. When listening to their debut Ep, you immediately get taken back by the band’s full sound, especially considering that the band is a duo. Harris and Brayton played every instrument on every track on the Ep. The 4 track Ep features the stand out hit “Still Here,” which combines clever lyrics with a great rock sound. “Strength” shows off Harris’ vocal range and gives you a glimpse of the raw talent that The Open Feel has." - BY MAILO – JANUARY 14, 2011


"Jersey Beat Reviews The Open Feel EP"

"Offering up four songs worth of deliciously melodic and atmospheric pop-rock, this EP CD hits the pleasingly mellow and soothing spot. The vocals are strong, sultry, and utterly entrancing, the arrangements clear, crisp, and tuneful, the lyrics sharp and concise, while the gradual tempos and subdued beats provide plenty of beautifully ethereal and enrapturing music for the listener to get totally caught up with and lost in. A top-drawer item. " - Reviews by Joe Wawrzyniak


"Album Review :: The Open Feel – S/T EP"

"Katie Harris and Tom Brayton, the duo that make up the dreamy, pop-rock group The Open Feel, have crafted a chunk of nostalgic 90s alternative on their debut EP. Harris’ airy vocal and matching guitar tones give the tracks a supremely positive vibe that smacks of spring time sunshine, but when combined with Brayton’s meandering, yet groovy bass lines and steady drums the end result is more of a night on the town atmosphere. It’s hard to not be instantly entranced with the hypnotizing affect the band creates. The swirling, spinning interaction between the guitar and bass riffs in the chorus or “Transition” draw the listener in, until they’re gently laid to rest in the verses. “Detach” is destined to be the track played during the climax of a future romantic comedy. In fact, the entire EP has a very cinematic quality to it, similar to The Boxer Rebellion’s work in Going the Distance. For fans of mid-tempo, chilled out pop-rock be sure to look up The Open Feel." - BY MORGAN – FEBRUARY 7, 2011


Discography

The Open Feel - EP

Photos

Bio

he Open Feel is the dreamy pop-rock creation of singer Katie Harris and drummer Tom Brayton. Recently hailed as “one of the best bands to watch for in 2011,” the Los Angeles natives self-released their debut EP in December 2010 – the culmination of a journey that began two years earlier when Katie and Tom, who have been a couple for years, decided to finally start writing music together. “We had no idea what we wanted to write,” explains Katie. “We just started. We knew we wanted to discover who we are musically. We started writing music without worrying about what it was for – we just looked for sounds and songs we gravitated towards with no judgment.” “We’d been in other bands and gone on tours and gotten some amazing breaks, but always separately,” remembers Tom. “Things were great for a while, but after going through some unforeseen events, all of it seemed to fall off a cliff and we found ourselves really having to start all over.” “Our lives literally felt like they had fallen apart,” says Katie, looking back upon a dark period. “We both felt like there was no hope, there was no future. But slowly, things started to turn around. We started to think of possibilities we’d never considered before – like doing our own band.” “We started getting really into the idea of having a home studio,” adds Tom. “For better or worse, we knew we had to keep up with the digital revolution and start figuring out how to record our own music ourselves. We have so many talented friends who were willing to come out and record with us, but their schedules were always busy and we were a little out of the way, so we started doing everything ourselves.” Katie picked up her Telecaster and Tom started woodshedding on their old P-bass and the creative adventure began. Over the next year and a half the duo spent hours in the studio experimenting and songwriting. The ethereal, atmospheric rock sound that would become The Open Feel finally started to take shape. “We just kept at it,” remembers Tom. “We wrote and recorded a lot of songs we really liked, but it didn’t feel like a band yet. All we knew was that we were loving the music we were making together.” The two began recording their debut EP in the summer of 2009 playing all the instruments themselves (with a little help on guitar from good friend Clint Walsh on the song Detach) and taking on engineering and producing duties. Mixed by Will Brierre and mastered by Steve Hall, The Open Feel EP was released in December of 2010. The Open Feel is currently performing live – now as a full 4-piece band.