Cary Brothers from Minor to Major

The Nashville Indie Singer Discusses his full-length debut CD

Jun 20, 2007

Cary Brothers' Who You Are CD is his first full-length album release. In part 1 of our interview with him, he tells us what changes he has faced and his music influences.

It's always gratifying to watch a talented artist grow, from bedroom recordings to recognition to full-on album deals, and so it's been with Nashville singer-songwriter Cary Brothers. Recording his first 2 EP's (2004's All The Rage, followed by Waiting For Your Letter a year later) from the salubrious surroundings of his own bedroom, it was through his friend Zach Braff that the music of Brothers finally reached wider prominence, with his songs Blue Eyes and Ride featuring in the soundtrack to the Braff films Garden State and The Last Kiss respectively.

We caught up with Cary at his recent Toronto show and sat down to discuss everything from his early EP's to Zach Braff, his love affair with Canada and why a banana is prominent in his life… Here, in the first part of our interview, Cary tells us about the change his new record has brought about, and the influences that shaped his career.

Special thanks go to Cary for being such a wonderful and genial interviewee, and to Jenna LoMonaco at Girlie Action Media for arranging everything.

Cary Brothers Interview Part One: Changes And Influences

Suite: Firstly, congratulations on the new album, which is your first for a proper label. The mainstream as well as the specialist press seem to all appreciate it – that has to be great feedback after the bedroom years of your EPs?

Cary: Yeah, thanks. I've been doing it by myself for so long now, you know, that now it's just like a crazy time (laughs!). We went from me having total control of everything, to having absolutely no control of my own life. But it's fun – it's like rollercoaster fun. Right now it's like click, click, click, click (Cary makes a thumb and forefinger motion here) and waiting for everything to drop.

Suite: Now the album's the first where you haven't done it solely on your own label, Procrastination Music. How's that been?

Cary: It's been weird. Like you say, my 2 EPs came out on my own label, but this new album is being handled by BluHammock Music, and distributed by Sony Music. So even though it's still an indie release, now the difficulties are eased a bit. Whereas before it was hard to get my music into any stores, now with Sony behind it, the album's magically appearing in every music store going. It's unlike anything I've ever done before, and it's just so nice to be able to have my record in real stores, as opposed to online only.

Suite: On your MySpace profile, you list a pretty eclectic mix of influences, from 80's New Wave, to Britpop, Nick Cave and Badly Drawn Boy. How did you get into such a wide range?

Cary: Well, I was a kid that grew up in Nashville, but I hated country music (laughs). So, my reaction to country music was listening to everything that was not country music! I reached over the pond, and initially I found Ciaran Smith and The Stone Roses. Back in Nashville, no one was really listening to that, but that was the music that I really responded to. For me, country was a little too easy, too straight forward, and I just needed something a little darker. Maybe it was puberty, I don't know (laughs), but something about the sounds of these artists, and the melody, and I guess just the majestic sound of these bands; that's what I was drawn to. So I guess that's the basis of where everything started for me. I mean, I grew up listening to 70's rock on the radio, like Zeppelin and Foreigner, but that darker stuff was the first music I actively sought out.

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