by Cari Giard
Bringing light into a dark time, Seattle band Brite Futures recently released their new album, Dark Past (produced by Elliot James: Two Door Cinema, Kaiser Chiefs...) which gained them a hefty thumbs up from their fans and from LX GOODS. This ten track album continues their unique indie-glam style and light-hearted lyrics which you can preview on their website. Their video for 'Too Young to Kill' features recognizable scenes from popular movies and various pictures found on friends' blogs. The cleverness and ingenuity that shines through in this video can only give you a glimpse of what there is to expect from Brite Futures. Be sure you check out their video below and pick up your copy of Dark Past today!
We were able to ask lead-man Luke Smith a few questions regarding their new record and the debut of their very first music video, "Too Young To Kill". We are psyched to share this exclusive Q & A below.
Is there any meaning behind your new name, Brite Futures?
I think it's pretty simple. We're trying to bring a little light and fun to people's lives in a pretty dark time. It seems like people have never been more hopeless about the future and with the name we're here to be like "we can do this, it'll be okay." But the name is also so cheesily positive that it can swing full-circle to sarcasm. You can look at it either way.
How have you progressed musically on your new album Dark Past since your previous album, Glistening Pleasure?
When we started this album we made a checklist of goals which I think we hit pretty well. We wanted a beefier sound overall. More guitar, more live drums, more harmonies, more singable pop moments, more punch, and better for playing live. And we wanted it to be a short-and-sweet blast that would make you beg for more. Overall I think it's a little more mature in the songwriting department, but no less enjoyable.
Does Dark Past take a more serious approach lyrically than your earlier releases?
A few of the songs are about more serious stuff but I wouldn't say we took a more serious approach. We did a brain-drain about our experience on a major label. It was cathartic to get it all out into a song. But most of the time our lyric process involves spouting random lines and using them if they make us laugh or feel weird or paint a picture in some way. Usually if we're feeling like, "Should we really include this as a lyric??" that's a sign it's a good lyric.
How did you enjoy working with Elliot James? How did he help in producing your new album?
Eliot was great. He did an amazing job mixing the tracks. We still haven't met in person because he lives in London, but we talked on the phone! The process was Eliot would send a mix, I would send comments back, he'd send an updated mix, and so on. Working across such a time zone difference was actually really nice because he'd finish a day of mixing in London and I'd wake up to a track in my inbox that I could listen to all day and make comments for him in the morning. The process took about two weeks and I'm sure he was sick of me being such a perfectionist, but I'm really happy with what he did. The songs sound HUGE.
Does Dark Past have any new 'twists and turns' for your fans? What can they expect?
Twists and turns are the best part of an album! We tried to put in some moments that would be genuine surprises for our fans. There's an electro re-work of a classical Vivaldi piece (Winterlude), a straight-up Weezer-inspired pop rock song (Too Young to Kill), a real-deal flamethrower guitar solo in Cosmic Horn, and a "slow jam" section and rap dropped in the middle of Test of Time. Hopefully more too. People say this album sounds different than they expected, but they like it, and I'm happy to hear that.
Do you have any particular songs on the album that you'd consider favorites?
I really love how Black Wedding turned out. Originally it was a 125 BPM club banger, but I slowed it way down and it took on this electro-ska feel, so I ran with that vibe. It's definitely something new for us. And it's a real "diva" song that Claire sings, which is fun.
How would you describe your experience filming the music video for "Too Young to Kill"? (I LOVE it! btw)
The word the comes to mind is "COLD." We filmed in February in Seattle and it was snowing. We had to be outside in tiny cheerleader costumes, Claire in a tube top, barefoot for the Abbey Road scene, and more. Despite almost dying of frostbite, it was a lot of fun. Kind of like playing dress-up all day with a whirlwind of costume changes and sets. We filmed it all in two days and spent the majority of the time in a make up chair. We'd film for like five minutes and then quickly change costumes and get made up for the next scene. Huge props to the hair and make up team. I know we made them tired!
How did you get your first big break (for those of us in bands who dream of having some of the opportunities Brite Futures has had)?
Man, it seems like we're still waiting for our big break! But we've had some really cool opportunities along the way. I guess our first "break" was when we got second place in the biggest battle-of-the-bands here in Seattle. It made us take our music and live show a little more seriously because we were performing for more than our friends, and we met a bunch of "music folks." From there we were able to get booked at the Bumbershoot festival and get more shows and tours with artists like CSS and Lily Allen. It's really been one step at a time.
What makes a Brite Futures live show a memorable performance? I see you also do DJ Sets, how does that go down? Is the whole band involved with that?
Our shows are never half-assed (more like always full-assed), and usually something gets broken because of the general raucousness. You're gonna feel like you can let go and go crazy, because that's what we're doing onstage. It's just a sweaty, messy, unpretentious fun fest. David and I are the most adept at DJing (far from pro, but we like to spin the hot cuts), so we handle most of the knob-twiddling. But the others help with picking songs or just jumping in the crowd to start a mosh pit.
If you could tour with your band of choice, past or present, who would it be?
Oooh, that's a hard one! I'm tempted to say a stadium tour with Freddy Mercury-era Queen would be my choice. In a weird way I think we'd fit together. I'd just like to run around on a stage that big and then watch them play every night. Presently, I'm still gunning for an opening slot on a Katy Perry arena tour. Say what you will about that...
Are you coming to Florida anytime soon?
We've never been to Florida (it being the state farthest from us here in Washington), but we'd love to go. Come 2012, we'll try our hardest to make that happen.
Last question, where do you find all the awesome images you post on Tumblr (http://britefutures.tumblr.com)?
We're pretty skilled at the internet so we know where to look, but that's a secret. A lot of the times they're from friends' Facebook feeds, other Tumblrs, or random places we stumble upon on the web. All I know is there's no shortage of weird, cool shit out there.
http://britefuturesforever.com
http://www.myspace.com/britefutures
