An Interview With The NY Alt-Rck Band, BROOKLINE!

Get to know the NY alt rock band, Brookline!

On February 1st, they released their newest single, titled “Sinking.” Later this week, on February 22nd, they will be putting out their upcoming EP “Fade.”

The EP tracks, including “Sinking,” tackle a slew of personal topics, including the struggles of substance abuse.

Connect With Brookline Here:

FB: https://facebook.com/Brookline518/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooklineband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brookline518

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2szqo8B

Learn more about Brookline in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What is on tap for the rest of your day?

   Thanks for having us! It’s been a busy day, so I plan on spending the rest of it just relaxing. -Tommy

Now that a new year has started, what musical goals does this band have for 2019? What are you most proud of about 2018? Do any of you make any New Years Resolutions?

   Our goal is really to continue making music we enjoy and play more shows, trying to expand more out of New York. I think for 2018 we are most proud of solidifying our lineup and writing and recording our first EP. -Tommy

   My New Years Resolution is to beat bop it. -Mikey

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this group together? Was it hard to think of a name that you could agree on?

   I’ve had the name and the idea for this band for a long time. It took me a while to get my life to a point where I could seriously pursue music, and then I had to find like-minded musicians who wanted to play with me. April of 2018 is when Dae, Chris and I started working together with our old singer, Cory, and that’s when I knew we really had something. It only further solidified after Cory left to do his solo work and we got Tommy and Matt in the band. With this EP I think we have finally nailed the sound and message that we’ve all been looking for. -Mikey

How do you think your hometowns have influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group?

   The 518 has always had a booming music scene. There are a lot of great artists that are from around here. Chris, Dae, Matt and I have all been playing in different local bands since we were teens. I would say we are really lucky to have grown up here; the experience of playing out and meeting new people at such a young age has definitely had a huge impact on us and helped us grow as musicians and as people. – Mikey

How has your various musical backgrounds helped shape the sound of this band?

   We all have a very wide range of influence in the band. Matt plays in a prog punk band but is heavily influenced by Beartooth, Dae is a big fan of Linkin Park, Chris ranges from hardcore bands like Knocked Loose to bands like The Story So Far, and Mikey and I are more into the pop punk side, such as The Wonder Years and Knuckle Puck. All of these different sounds come together to round ours out. -Tommy

How do you think that you have grown as a band since forming? What has remained the same?

    When we first formed it was really based around a few songs I had written by myself in my room, with the other guys adding in their own style and flavor to their parts. It was a good way to start and helped get us off the ground, but we very quickly started writing more collaboratively as a group. “Sick Flowers” was the first song we wrote together as a band, that’s why it was the first single we ever released, and Crossroads and Move were the older songs I had written. I think you can definitely hear the difference from then to now. Our writing process has just been getting more and more inclusive since we solidified the new line up this fall and I would say ‘Fade’ is the best representation of all of our musical talents so far. I think that’s why we’re all so proud of it. -Mikey

Let’s talk about your newest single, “Sinking.” What was the inspiration for this track? How do you think it compares to the rest of your upcoming EP, “Fade”? How does it prepare listeners for your EP?

  Tommy came up with a base melody and some lyrics, and then sent them over to me for a little help on a few parts. Once I read the lyrics he already had, I asked if I could make the song more specifically about some events that had taken place in my life earlier that year. I’ve been in behavioral counseling for about a year now for some substance abuse problems. During the early days of my recovery, a really close friend and ex-girlfriend of mine told me she needed to put some space between us, because of how my problem had affected her and our relationship. It’s not meant to be said with any malice, it’s more just a commentary on the situation and how difficult it can be for both sides to handle something like that. “Sinking” really goes with the overall theme of the EP, which is recognizing the need for change but not knowing how or where to start. -Mikey

What was it like putting together “Fade”? Did anything surprise you about the overall process?

   I think Tommy’s lyrics surprised us all. To be honest, we were all a little sceptical about him at first since he’d never been in a band before. He nailed his audition and we knew he could sing, but there’s a lot more to fronting a band than just raw vocal ability, ya know? We were all really impressed with the lyrics and ideas he brought to the table during the writing process, and even more so with his performance on stage during our first live show with him. He’s a natural, and we’re really happy to have him. -Mikey

How will you celebrate the release of “Fade”?

   We have a few local shows we’ll be playing in support of this EP, one on March 30th opening for Calling All Captains and Makari at the Lowbeat in Albany, and another that’s still in works at the Parish Public House, also in Albany, on April 13th. -Mikey

Generally, how do you all go about writing your music? Do you write together or separately?

   Usually one of us has an idea for a chord progression, or a bassline, or sometimes Chris will even just come up with a cool drum beat and we’ll all start jamming to it. From there, we start playing it over and over, adding in or taking out things as we go until we end up with something we feel is a solid idea for a whole song. We’ll do a rough demo recording and Tommy will sit with it for a while and work on some lyrics and melodies. After that we just keep polishing it up until we feel like the whole song flows and works together well with the lyrics and ideas we’re trying to convey. -Mikey

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

   I think any opportunity we get to play music all together is when we’re the happiest, whether it’s just at practice or at a show. The studio can be a lot of fun, but can also get a little stressful at times. -Mikey

Where can people see you perform next? How has your recent tour been going? What has been a favorite show of yours so far? What do you think makes an ideal show for this group?

   We’re really excited to be opening for Calling All Captains and Makari on March 30th at The Low Beat in Albany. Our first show with the new lineup was really special. It was a small venue but we had it packed and people really seemed to love our new sound. -Tommy

Do you find that all of social media and keeping up with your fans has gotten so overwhelming? Or do you rely heavily on others to take care of that for the band? Which platform would you say that you enjoy engaging with the most?

   Social media is great. We use Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to interact with fans and keep them involved in upcoming events and projects we’re getting ready to release and things like that. We’re all involved in taking care of social media, and we love seeing the responses and reactions to our posts. Instagram has been huge for us so far as far as engagement goes. -Tommy

We are currently living through a very trying and politically charged time right now so I am curious to know how you all think being musicians and in this band still gives you the most joy in life today? Do you find that your music is an escape to all the current events?

   In my opinion, music is less of an escape and more of a commentary. I also think that’s why as musicians we have an obligation to write responsibly about the more serious topics we cover, such as substance abuse and mental health issues. There’s a lot of stuff out there that glorifies self-destructive behavior or tells very one sided stories with no sense of self-awareness or personal accountability. That being said, we also don’t want to come off “preachy” or like we think we have all the answers. I think we all still find happiness in music because we work very hard to write as transparently as possible and really show the world who we are. -Mikey

What musicians would you love to work with in the future? What artists have really been inspiring this group and your music since day 1?

            We all have such different tastes in music and inspiration, and there are so many amazing musicians it would be way too hard to choose one. A few would be Caleb Shomo (Beartooth), Misha Mansoor and Matt Halpern (Periphery), and Derek DiScanio (State Champs). Like I said, very different tastes. -Tommy

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

   The main message we want to get across, at least with this EP, is that change is always possible if you want it, and you have to want it. No member of this band is without their flaws and mistakes, but we all work as hard as we can to be the best people we can be. Just because you’ve screwed up doesn’t mean that your mistakes need to define you for the rest of your life. You can always make the decision to grow and become a better person. -Mikey

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about this group?

   We’re just a group of guys who love music and want to turn the bad times in our lives into something good that people enjoy and resonate with. We really appreciate all the support we’ve gotten in our adventure so far, and we hope you’ll stick around and enjoy all the new things we have coming up this year. -Tommy