BRAHMS at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West) Sunday (February 27). $12. HS, RT, SS. See listing.
Toronto is about to get its first taste of Brahms, a coldwave trio that has Brooklyn abuzz.
Started in 2009 by Cale Parks (best known for his work in Aloha and as the drummer for White Williams), Brahms became a full-fledged band after their inaugural set, opening for Passion Pit, went better than expected.
Soon afterward they recorded four demos whose dark, punchy bass lines, danced-tinged production and oddly catchy choruses made a splash online.
“When we recorded those demos, we’d been a band for two weeks,” says Parks. “They started circulating and became something bigger than we ever planned.”
They’re now prepping to release a 7-inch featuring new songs Add It Up and Repeat It, and they’ve taken a DIY approach. Besides handling the recording and artwork, they compiled tour footage shot on their iPhones into a video for Repeat It.
Once their current tour ends in late March, the busy band heads into the studio to make a full-length. Parks says they’ve written and demoed over 30 songs in the past year.
“It’s going to be deeper and darker. It won’t be full of bangers like a Hot Chip record that’s all about getting drunk and dancing. It’ll be about getting drunk, thinking about things and then maybe dancing.”
