Naming a Chicago band Brighton, MA might not make sense to some people, but breaking convention is nothing new for band founder Matt Kerstein.
In late ’05, he walked away from the successful Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, despite a local following and respectable reviews galore.
Kerstein said he wanted a more “unified sound” out of his former band.
“I felt like Elia (Einhorn, SYGC co-founder) and myself were moving too far apart musically,” he said.
Still, Kerstein is thankful for the time he spent with the choir.
“I learned a lot in that group,” he said.
He picked up one of those lessons over Thanksgiving weekend a few years back.
While opening for Canada’s Arcade Fire at the Empty Bottle, Kerstein says he felt “blown off the stage” by the Montreal outfit.
“They were so immediate and natural and big sounding,” he said. “It made me feel like an opening act.”
Kerstein said it’s an experience that has stayed with him.
“It is an important feeling to have and one I always keep in mind.”
Kerstein recently finished work on Brighton, MA’s new, self-tilted EP.
Although most of the disc was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio, guitarist Devon Bryant stepped in to help with the mixing process.
Bryant said there was only a minimal amount of post-production needed on the album.
“We were after the immediacy and we wanted the recordings to sound natural and comfortable,” he said.
Kerstein is happy with the album, and he said he’s pleased with the direction his new band is taking.
“Brighton, MA is about becoming the band I’ve dreamed about.”
Brighton, MA also features Jim Tuerk on guitars and keyboards, Sam Koentopp on drums and Matt Priest on bass and trombone.
Catch Brighton, MA on Friday at Subterranean in Bucktown for the band’s record-release party.
Listen to Brighton, MA’s “Bet You Never Thought” from the band’s self-titled debut at redeyechicago.com/chitunes.
