Chris and Evan Brown have done things most guys their ages, 22 and 24, respectively have never even dream of doing. Like travelling the world as competitive ballroom dancers, or dabbling in stock market trading but not long ago the brothers decided to enter another creative venture. One with its own kind of gliding grace, a lush beauty to equal the moves of their dancing days and one that looks to net them an even greater return than the Dow Jones or NASDAQ might ever yield. In 2007 the pair formed Kotadama, a boldly inventive group that, with its startling debut album, Dichotomy, is about to become the fresh musical faces of pop radio.
Like many great bands, Kotadama (Japanese for “spirit of words”) arose out of its founders simply wanting to find an outlet for the songs they’d been writing. “Around the time I was studying for my university entrance exams I started bugging my parents for a guitar, and then I learned how to play,” says Chris, who with Evan and their two sisters grew up on their family’s 100-acre rural property in New South Wales, Australia.
“I talked Evan into learning to play the drums, and we started working out U2 songs and other covers. We started writing our own stuff pretty soon after that.”
Before long, the siblings had converted a nearby farm shed into their own recording studio and were hard at work crafting the songs on Dichotomy.
And what songs they are, sweeping high-gloss epics that truly belie their composers’ youth. Uplifting and melodic, they reflect their composers’ obsession with age-old, universal themes: the relentless ache of unrequited love; a young man’s attempts to make sense of the world; that intoxicating, tingling rush of a first kiss. There’s “As I Am,” a driving, lay-it-on-the-line statement of self-belief with massive hooks and keyboards that sparkle like distant stars; and “Earth Vs. Man,” an atmospheric, introspective think-piece that Chris describes as “a bit of a warning to mankind” and then there’s “See You Tonight,” Dichotomy’s first single. The song is a yearning ode of romantic separation with a soaring, heartbreaking vocal by Chris and the track was picked up by New York’s KISS-FM in May 2009 and quickly became the station’s most requested song.
For Kotadama things have been happening quickly, indeed. After becoming finalists in Europe’s 100 per cent Music Songwriting Contest, the band appeared at the Kansai Music Conference in Osaka, Japan; nominated for a Los Angeles Music Award; the video for “See You Tonight” aired on CBS, NBC, FOX, and other American TV networks; played an acoustic showcase in the UK; won first place in the international Festival 4stars songwriting competition and received invitations to perform in Canada and the US plus at the Barcelona Acció Musical festival in Spain.
In 2009 the band partnered with top producer David Kershenbaum (Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Bryan Adams).
“Every decade or so there is a musical group that comes on the scene that takes your breath away,” “Kotadama is that kind of group” raves Kershenbaum.
Recently for live support the band added two friends, bassist Scott Mallard, 28, and keyboardist Clint Fish, 25, Chris and Evan have been busy working on more music; in fact, Kotadama already has material for a second album.
“The goal is still the same as when we started,” explains Evan.
“To write songs that resonates with people of all ages.”
One listen to Dichotomy shows Kotadama knows exactly how to achieve a goal and have the approach that will take the band straight to the top of the charts and beyond.
When: Friday, January 6, 2012. From 8pm. Admission free.
Where: Port City Bowling Club, 4 Owen Street, Port Macquarie 2444
