Board up your windows and doors and be sure to lock up your daughters; The Brains’ Zombie Nation is arriving in Metro Moncton tonight. The Montreal rockabilly trio is returning to the Hub City to promote its newest effort, Zombie Nation, released last year on indie label Stomp Records out of Montreal.
The band’s newest record finds it in fine form, creating a unique blend of country, rock and punk music that is earning the band fans at home and abroad.
The Brains members have hardly been sitting on their hands since their last appearance in this part of the world. In fact, in the time since the band’s last release, 2009’s self-titled effort, Brains bassist Colin The Dead estimates that the band has played more than 300 shows both at home in Canada and abroad.
“We have had the opportunity to be a part of some amazing tours over this past year,” Colin notes. “The touring we did actually give me my first chance to tour outside of Canada, playing places like Finland, Romania and Hungary which I’m sure that none of us could have anticipated. In addition to those shows, we played all over Europe, America, and even played dipped down to Mexico to play the Dia De Los Muertos festival.”
Having replaced former Brains bassist Johnny Montreal, who had left the band for personal reasons, Colin is a relative newcomer to the band but isn’t alone with being “the new guy.”
“We have a guy named Pat Kadaver on drums now which came about when our previous drummer Franck found out that he needed some time off to welcome a new child into the world. Pat ended up being a perfect fit and we are pumped to have him on board.
“Franck actually joins us every now and then, playing guitar on short tours that we do as well as the shows that are local to Montreal. Otherwise, he stays home to care for his family when we undertake longer tours.”
Though the bulk of Zombie Nation was written at home in Montreal, Colin says the band has no aversion to writing on the road. It just so happens that the surroundings of the recording studio are a little more conducive to the songwriting process.
“We have been doing most of our writing in the studio, although some song ideas will pop up while we are doing a sound check or while sitting in a hotel room. When we are building a song, we focus primarily on the central concept of the track and write the song around that.”
And though Zombie Nation is still a relatively fresh disc, Colin shares that the band is in the midst of writing and recording for another new album, which he projects will be released this coming September.
Article published in February 4, 2011 edition of the Times & Transcript